Bradford’s Joe Cullen confident heading into pivotal year in darts career

The 31-year-old, from Bradford, has momentum behind him, having won a European Tour event last October and triumphed in the PDC’s Winter Series the following month, before two victories in the World Championship either side of Christmas, which doubled his tally from 10 previous tournaments on the Alexandra Palace stage.

He eventually bowed out in a sudden-death deciding leg against the then-world No 1 Michael van Gerwen, having had two darts, both at the bull’s eye, to win one of the greatest matches in World Championship history.

It was not quite how he wanted the year to end, but Cullen’s outstanding performance underlined what he is capable of and hinted at more success in the future.

The first challenge of 2021 is a meeting with former BDO world champion Stephen Bunting in the opening round of the Masters in Milton Keynes at the end of this month and Cullen is hopeful that will mark the start of another season of progress.

“Considering the circumstances, it was a good year, probably my best year,” said the world No 16 of his achievements in 2020.

“I did well in the TV events, reached a couple of quarter-finals and finally ended my hoodoo at the Worlds, even though I didn’t get as far as I wanted to.

“With the way the game (against van Gerwen) went and my performance, I definitely think my stock has risen a little bit in terms of the Worlds.

“Whether it be the ProTour, European Tour or a TV event, the best habit to get into is winning and I managed to get back in the winner’s circle.

“That’s a lot more than some of the other lads managed, so I am happy with that.”

It is little consolation, but Cullen’s match against van Gerwen became an instant classic.

The Yorkshireman threw 19 180s to match Gary Anderson’s record for the most in a seven-set match and led 3-1 in the race to four before van Gerwen staged a dramatic fightback.

It was the second time Cullen has taken a former world champion to the wire in an epic encounter on a big stage.

In 2018, he was pipped 19-17 by Gary Anderson in a World Matchplay quarter-final.

Despite Anderson landing a perfect nine-dart leg, Cullen had darts to win that match, the most crucial going astray after he was distracted by a fly buzzing around the Blackpool stage.

Of last month’s disappointment, Cullen recalled: “My dad was down there with me, I spoke to him afterwards on the journey home and he was saying ‘great game’, but it is the second time people have said that to me, after the Gary Anderson game.

“I said to my dad then ‘it is all right being involved in these great games, but I’ve lost both of them’.

“I would much rather be involved in a game like that if you come out as a victor. But it wasn’t to be and van Gerwen’s no mug, is he?”

Having conquered his World Championship jinx, a place in the world’s top-10 is an obvious next target, but Cullen, known by the nickname ‘Rockstar’, insisted performing well in televised events is what matters most.

“I don’t really look at the rankings in that sense, because if you do well on the TV the rankings take care of themselves,” he said.

“If you do well in all TV events, you rocket up the rankings.

“The Worlds is where the money’s at and getting to the last-16 is probably what you get as runner-up in a lesser TV event. I have finally got some Worlds money on my rankings, which is nice.”

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