Fallon Sherrock

Thirty years ago the game of Darts had a very bad reputation. The game had come out of the British Pub and was popular in the 1980’s, with players like Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson beacoming household names in the UK. But players drinking and smoking on stage had tarnished its appeal.

Now the game is as popular as ever, on Sky Sports UK it is the second most viewed Sport after Football and players have reached incredibly high standards of play.

It is a game in which men and women can compete on a level footing, but women have not traditionally been successful. One British Woman is doing her best to change that.

In the World Championships in 2019 Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win a match on the main stage and went on to beat the 8th Seed Mensur Sulovic in the next round. This year she has become the first woman to reach the Final of a PDC Tour event, losing in the Final of the Nordic Masters to three time World Champion Michael van Gerwen. In November 2021 she became the first woman to reach the last 8 of a Major World Darts Tournament, losing to the eventual finalist and 2020 World Champion Peter Wright in the Quarter Final of The Grand Slam of Darts.

She had qualified for the World Championships alongside fellow English Woman Lisa Ashton again this year and faces a first round match against the former BDO World Champion Steve Beaton. Hopefully she can progress and who knows, the traditionally male dominated sport of Darts could even have its first female World Champion on January 3rd 2022.