Dennis Priestley, the 75-year-old former world champion and 1994 world title winner, has reignited debate by suggesting that some professional darts players still use alcohol to handle the pressure of major matches. In an interview with Bild, Priestley said: “Alcohol simply calms the nerves. You just have to know exactly how much you need to stay relaxed without it affecting your game.”
Priestley, one of the early PDC pioneers, spoke from an era when drinking around tournaments was not treated as unusual. He has previously recalled winning his 1994 world title after having four glasses of beer beforehand. “That was the culture of the sport back then,” Priestley said. “Nobody found it unusual. It was simply part of it.” He acknowledged that the pressure in modern darts is enormous, with everyone looking at averages, rankings and results, and that some players look for ways to reduce that tension.
The contrast with the current generation is stark. Players such as Luke Humphries, Luke Littler and Gian van Veen belong to a very different darts landscape, one in which nutrition, practice structure, recovery and mental preparation are now part of the conversation around elite performance. Gerwyn Price, a former rugby player with an athletic build, underlines how much the sport’s physical profile has changed. The workload has also increased, with tournaments across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania.
Despite Priestley’s comments, the PDC does not believe extra measures are needed. Chief executive Matt Porter said previously: “We do not feel this is something that needs to be controlled. Simply because it is not a problem that is getting out of control.” Porter compared the situation to other sports, arguing that responsibility ultimately sits with the individual player: “If Harry Kane drank two beers before a match for Bayern Munich, there is no rule that would forbid him from doing so. The same principle applies here.”
Priestley’s comments do not prove that drinking before matches remains widespread, but they reopen a debate darts has never entirely escaped. The sport has moved far beyond its pub origins, but the relationship between darts and alcohol still lingers, even as the professional game becomes sharper, richer and more demanding than ever.
