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With darts fans glued to the BDO Championships, DAVE EDWARDS reflects on the career of one of the greatest darts players to come out of the Rhondda...

IN July 1977, a Rhondda darts player stepped up to the oche in the Gipsy Stadium in the North of England to take on World heavyweight boxing legend Muhammed Ali in an exhibition match.

Rhondda-born Alan Evans was only allowed to score points from hitting trebles in the match which Ali won by hitting the Bullseye.

After winning, the boxing legend immediately proclaimed himself world darts champion.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Alan Evans was a force to be reckoned with on the British darts circuit.

Evans was one of the first players to appear on televised darts, reaching the final of the 1972 News of the World Championship – the first event to be shown in the UK.

He also won the 1975 British Open, which was the first televised event on the BBC. In 1973 and 1974, he reached the final of the darts event on Yorkshire Television’s Indoor League.

He won the Winmau World Masters in 1975 – which, along with the News of the World, were the most prestigious titles in darts before the World Championship began in 1978. When the Darts World Cup began in 1977, the Welsh team of Evans, Leighton Rees and David “Rocky” Jones won the Team Championship and Overall Championship.

Evans was a participant at the inaugural Embassy World Championship. He defeated Alan Glazier before losing to eventual champion, and close pal Leighton Rees in the quarter-finals. At the 1979 World Championship, Ynysybwl-born Rees again defeated Evans – this time in the semi-finals.

In the 1970s Ferndale-born Evans appeared on the Johnny Carson Show in America.

However, his appearance was short lived after he angrily walked off the stage after being asked to throw darts between his legs.

“I’m a darts player not a clown,” he told Carson.

Leighton Rees, who died in 2003, once said: “From when I first met Alan at Tonypandy Working men’s Club in 1970, I knew he was special.

“His darts were awe-inspiring. He made people aware of the game and he loved to be in front of the crowd – especially if they were Welsh.”

He is constantly mentioned in televised events by commentator Sid Waddell and usually refers to the “Alan Evans Shot” (three bullseyes) when a player requires a checkout of 150.

Alan Evans died at his home in Barry on April 11, 1999.