Barrie Bates
Barrie Bates (born 17 October 1969 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) is a Welsh darts player. His nickname was " Champagne" and his theme song is House of Fun by Madness.
Career
Bates made his television debut at the PDC UK Open 2003 and reached the third round there. In 2005 he reached the fifth round, but lost with 10:11 Legs against Lionel Sams and reached the following year, the final, which he lost, however, with 7:13 against Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld.
In 2006, he won two tournaments and reached two regional finals of the UK Open in March and in November, which he both but lost ( against Chris Mason and Raymond van Barneveld ). He also reached two PDPA Players Championship Finals. In the first on the Isle of Wight he was defeated Colin Lloyd in June. The second in the Netherlands in November, however, he won against Phil Taylor and thus took his biggest title to date on the PDC tour.
His first World Cup he played as number 17 of the seedings in the PDC World Darts Championship 2007. However, he lost in the first round of the Canadian Brian Cyr with 2:3 sets. In 2008, he was able to survive the first two rounds ( 3-0 Gerry Convery and 4:3 against Erwin Extercatte ), then defeated in the second round, however, the eventual finalists Kirk Shepherd with 2:4. At the 2009 World Championships he beat the first Northern Irishman Felix McBrearty (3-0), the American Bill Davis (4-2 ) and Mark Dudbridge (4-0 ) in order for the first time to reach a quarter-final at a World Championship PDC. In that struck him seeded 12 Englishman Mervyn King 5-2. Less successful, however, ran the following year at the World Championships. In the 2010 World Cup, he retired from after a 3-1 victory over Jelle Klaasen could celebrate, in the second round with 0-4 against Kevin McDine. Against the same player he also lost in the first round of the PDC World Darts Championship 2011 with 1:3. Due to absence of success he could neither 2012 nor 2013 qualify for another World Championship.
Because of its success in the tournaments that were not televised, in 2006, he won the " Best Floor Player" in the first PDC Awards Dinner. The title refers to the fact that is played at such tournaments at many dartboards in a small hall.