THE world’s greatest ever darts player has fixed his French doors, Eric Bristow’s Mum once hit him with her handbag, and he has enjoyed some mammoth drinking sessions with heavyweights like Jockey Wilson.

So it is no surprise that Sid Waddell has put pen to paper to share these experiences through his new book, Bellies and Bullseyes, pictured right.

Now the undisputed voice of darts, Waddell has been involved with the game since the 1970’s, when he created the hit TV show Indoor League, through to the Sky Sports-inspired era of today.

“There has always been a humourous side to darts and I have chronicled that in ‘Bellies and Bullseyes,” said Waddell. “It traces the early days of the sport, when there was a lot more drink involved, to the amazing achievements of Phil Taylor in today’s game.

“One of my favourite stories was when I went on tour with Jockey Wilson in June 1982, to a series of exhibition matches.

“We were in Wiltshire and it was the night that Scotland played Brazil in the World Cup.

“Jockey didn’t start to throw darts until midway through the first-half, but he still had four pints warming up.

“He had a couple more pints in his first couple of games, and then Scotland scored.

“That prompted Jockey to order ‘Magic Coke’ (half a litre of vodka mixed with half a litre of coke) and he started drinking that together with pints.

“And, by the time he had beaten the 14th person on the stage, he must have had a bottle of vodka and ten pints of lager.

“The next morning, I was drinking water in the car and Jockey got in. He asked me if I was drinking vodka or gin, and when I told him it was water he said he would never drink English water because his mother always told him the English poisoned it. I asked him what he cleaned his teeth with, and he told me ‘Fanta’.”

Through the years, Waddell has become close friends with 13-times World champion Taylor, and it was when the two met to write ‘The Power’s’ autobiography that another quirky story unfolded.

“I helped him write his book, and I couldn’t get him to sit down with a tape recorder,” said Waddell. “First of all he fixed some tiles in my porch and then he mended my French windows, taking them apart because the handle was fitted wrong.

“Only then did we sit down to write the book.”

Taylor, at 47-years-old, is still the man to beat on the world stage and Waddell reckons it will take something special to stop him in the next couple of years.

“You have to average between 110 and 115 over a long period to handle Taylor,” said Waddell. “The axis of world darts for next two years will be James Wade versus Taylor. Both come from backgrounds where they are good with their hands. Taylor fixed toilet handles before he made it as a pro and Wade was a very good motor mechanic.”

Taylor and Wade are just two of the players that are dragging the standard of darts up by the day, and Waddell accepts it is no longer just ‘Bellies and Bullseyes’.

“There is £5million prize money on offer each year now so you don’t get any cowboys turning up,” said Waddell. “These blokes are business men now – they practice as much as cricketers and rugby players.

“The sport does, however, retain some of the best traits of the old days mixed with the professionalism of the new days.”

Sky Sports, and its rock and roll presentation of the sport, has revitalised darts and Waddell plays a key part in their coverage with his Geordie quips becoming as legendary as some of the players.

“Some people think I take the mick with my zany commentary,” admitted Waddell.

“I do crack up my working class credentials, but so does David Lloyd on the cricket. We are both proud to be from the North and people appreciate that.”

Sid Waddell will be signing copies of his new book, Bellies and Bullseyes, tomorrow at Waterstones in Bolton between 1pm and 2pm.