Alan Soutar is in London ahead of the £2.5 million Cazoo World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Courier Sport will be with him every leg of his journey as he bids to emulate his final 16 exploits of last year.
Here, in his own words, the Arbroath ace writes his exclusive daily diary ahead of Friday’s first round match with Australian qualifier Mal Cuming:
Alan Soutar diary – 7am
The big day has finally arrived. All the essentials are in the bag – the darts, of course, and tartan trousers. I’ve got nine pairs at home – including MacBeth, Stewart, Ramsay, Clark, Oakleigh tartans – but only have room for five on this trip.
7.45am
I leave my house in Arbroath with my partner Amanda to pick up our passengers for the trip to Edinburgh Airport.
I’m travelling down with Amanda and Ally Forsyth – my long-time darts pal and former firefighting colleague. We won the World Firefighter Games together in 2008 in Liverpool.
Ewan Smith from The Courier is also here, my resident video and social media guru.
10.20am
We check-in at Edinburgh Airport. It’s my second airport visit in 24 hours as we waved goodbye to Amanda’s boy Logan as he headed to Australia on Tuesday.
He’s off for a month to stay with his big brother Craig, who emigrated a few years ago. It’s been quite a month for goodbyes as we handed over our latest guide dog, Disco, earlier this month.
1.07pm
After a few chilled-out hours in the BA lounge, it’s almost time to board our flight. As we board, I clock we have our very own fire engine next to our London City-bound plane.
2.55-4.40pm
It’s Uber time as we head for our digs in Barnet. I’m very particular about where I stay and the people that come with me.
It’s really important to surround myself with people who help me prepare for events. London traffic is mental but my manager Paul Brown will be there to meet and greet.
6pm
The dart board is up and I’m ready for a few throws with Ally Forsyth later on. I’m off to practice with PDC star Danny Baggish on Thursday.
It’s a big year for the American, Danny. He needs to have a very good Ally Pally to keep his tour card so he’ll push me hard on the oche.
London Calling 🎯😜🏴
All routes lead to the Palace. 😎🤙🏻 pic.twitter.com/cHw2oK36ov
— Alan Soutar (@soots180) December 14, 2022
6.45pm
Paul, my manager, has cooked up a storm for our tea with some succulent steak and a festival mushroom for our veggie friend, Ewan.
Paul is a brilliant chef and always looks after me on trips. He does a lot of research on accommodation, makes a terrific effort in his cooking and ensures I get to and from venues with ease.
7-9pm
The football is on in the background as we watch the France v Morocco World Cup semi-final. It’s not quite Arbroath and I’m missing my wee pal Bobby Linn but it will do until I can check in on their score with Raith Rovers on Saturday.
10pm
𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄! 😲
Alan Soutar completes a stunning comeback, surviving 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 match darts, with a magical 144 finish 💥pic.twitter.com/JDRLH3nipt
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) December 23, 2021
It’s an early night ahead of a big day at Ally Pally and I’m determined to make a big impact again.
