THIS is the year the Oche Old Guard have looked old, pale and stale.
The emergence of teenager Luke Littler and the consistency of Luke Humphries — who is still under 30 — have ushered in a new era.
GettyMichael van Gerwen has struggled for form this year[/caption]
PALuke Littler is one of the favourites to win the World Championship[/caption]
GettyLuke Humphries is the current holder of the title[/caption]
And if they are not careful, Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith — all former world champs — could soon slide out of elite contention.
The next tungsten generation has arrived. There have been SIX different major winners in 2024 and the list does not include those ex-winners of the Sid Waddell Trophy.
Take MVG, for example. If you told him in 2019 when he won a third title that he would not be champion of the world for at least six years, he would have laughed in your face.
But the Dutchman, 35, has not lifted a TV major for 15 months. This is his worst year since 2011.
A shock defeat last New Year’s Day to outsider Scott Williams in the Worlds quarter-finals set the tone for a mediocre season.
Van Gerwen blamed his poor results on several factors, including a lack of confidence, saying: “This isn’t where I want to be.
“In the coronavirus period, it was tough — I underperformed. But I battled back.
“Now it’s time to answer with some great darts. Winning games is the best medicine for your form.”
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For so long MVG was the main man but he has been eclipsed by the two Lukes and that does not sit well with him.
Sixteen-time world champion Phil Taylor always said it gets harder to dominate when your family expands.
World Darts Championship – top stories
READ MORE on all the build-up to the Ally Pally extravaganza…
All the info:
Everything you need to know about the Ally Pally extravaganza
How much prize money can be won?
What is the format for the tournament?
Are tickets still available and how much do they cost?
When is Littler playing?
Why isn’t Russ Bray refereeing?
Who are the Sky Sports presenters and pundits?
News, features and interviews:
Littler reveals tournament game plan
Michael Smith reveals retirement plans
Darts WAGs – from former walk-on girl to childhood sweetheart
Emma Paton reveals rise as Queen of Darts
‘There’s no bigger cheater’ – MVG hits out at former world champ
Luke Humphries’ stunning FOUR STONE weight loss
And Mighty Mike — a father of two — is constantly on the road.
Being positioned in the bottom half of the Ally Pally draw is a plus but his title odds are 12-1, the longest for 15 years.
But if Van Gerwen has had it bad, it is nothing compared to Price who has had to rubbish claims from ex-champion Dennis Priestley he might retire.
The Welshman has invested his money in property and is a shrewd businessman off the oche.
But on it the 39-year-old failed to qualify for last month’s Grand Slam of Darts and unless he has a good run over Christmas, he will miss out on the 2025 Premier League.
Mohawk-haired, tattooed Wright, 54, is crashing down the world list.
Not only did he finish rock bottom of the Prem but his Euro Champs defence was pitiful — he averaged 74.81 as he was thrashed 6-0 by Jermaine Wattimena.
Age catches up with everyone and this has been an abysmal year for Snakebite, a sign that his time is nearly up at the top.
Chopping and changing his darts — as Wright does on an almost hourly basis — is not making him competitive.
Then there is Smith, one of the most naturally talented individuals around.
Yet if Bully Boy, 34, has a stinker at these Worlds, he will plummet down the rankings.
Almost two years on from his 2023 triumph and the Greatest Leg of All Time — when the St Helens man nailed a nine-dart finish just after MVG missed his double for a perfect leg — Smith is on a slippery slope if he is not careful.
Nobody has a right to be at the top.
And as we enter this new era, those who scaled the Everest of Darts at least once might soon find themselves falling back down without a rope.
Darts World Championship full draw
Second round draw (seeded vs first-round winner)
Luke Humphries vs Thibault Tricole or Joe Comito
Raymond van Barneveld vs Nick Kenny or Stowe Buntz
James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena or Stefan Bellmont
Peter Wright vs Wesley Plaisier or Ryusei Azemoto
Stephen Bunting vs Alan Soutar or Kai Gotthardt
Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Madars Ramza or Christian Kist
Damon Heta vs Connor Scutt or Ben Robb
Mike De Decker vs Luke Woodhouse or Lourence Ilagan
Luke Littler vs Ryan Meikle or Fallon Sherrock
Ritchie Edhouse vs Ian White or Sandro Eric Sosing
Danny Noppert vs Ryan Joyce or Darius Labanauskas
Ryan Searle vs Mensur Suljovic or Matt Campbell
Rob Cross vs Scott Williams or Niko Springer
Gian van Veen vs Ricardo Pietreczko or Xiaochen Zong
Nathan Aspinall vs Cameron Menzies or Leonard Gates
Andrew Gilding vs Martin Lukeman or Nitin Kumar
Michael Smith vs Kevin Doets or Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Krzysztof Ratajski vs Richard Veenstra or Alexis Toylo
Chris Dobey vs Stephen Burton or Alexander Merkx
Josh Rock vs Karel Sedlacek or Rhys Griffin
Jonny Clayton vs Mickey Mansell or Tomoya Goto
Daryl Gurney vs Florian Hempel or Jeffrey de Zwaan
Gerwyn Price vs Kim Huybrechts or Keane Barry
Joe Cullen vs Wessel Nijman or Cameron Carolissen
Michael van Gerwen vs James Hurrell or Jim Long
Brendan Dolan vs Chris Landman or Lok Yin Lee
Gary Anderson vs Jeffrey de Graaf or Rashad Sweeting
Ross Smith vs Jim Williams or Paolo Nebrida
Dave Chisnall vs Ricky Evans or Gordon Mathers
Gabriel Clemens vs Niels Zonneveld or Robert Owen
Dimitri Van den Bergh vs William O’Connor or Dylan Slevin
Martin Schindler vs Callan Rydz or Romeo Grbavac