Walton wins Embassy World Championship
John 'Boy' Walton, an unseeded 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament, became darts' newest hero when he wrenched the Embassy World Championship title from Ted Hankey's grasp.
Only people within the game who had witnessed Walton's World Masters triumph at the Lakeside last month were aware of the Yorkshireman's credentials when he returned to the Frimley Green venue for this event.
But in the space of nine days, the 39-year-old from Sheffield has proven himself a worthy addition to the Embassy roll of honour having produced some of the finest darts ever seen in the sport's most prestigious tournament.
Walton became the first bespectacled champion with a 6-2 victory over Hankey, upsetting the odds in the final even though few would argue his form throughout the week had been superior to that of the title holder.
"This means the world to me," said Walton, who was presented with the trophy by Sports Minister Kate Hoey.
"It's an unbelievable feeling. When I hit the double eight I just wanted to fly. I'm absolutely delighted.
"It means I'm only the third person, after Eric Bristow and Richie Burnett, to follow up winning the World Masters with the Embassy title and I'm so pleased to be mentioned in the same breath as those people.
"I went out there telling myself just to win the legs in which I threw first, although I really wanted to nick the first one, when Ted had the darts, and I did that.
"After that, I just treated every set like it was the first. I wasn't thinking it was for the championship, even near the end.
"The only other time I've played in this tournament was two years ago when I lost in the first round to Roland Scholten and now look at me."
