Cameron Crabtree has completed a remarkable journey to compete in the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen after being called up as a last-minute replacement. The Englishman was on holiday in Washington, D.C. when he received the message that Jonny Clayton had withdrawn from the tournament after the draw, prompting Crabtree's urgent summons to Germany.
The world number 67 faced a chaotic trip spanning thousands of miles with multiple travel disruptions. "I have finally landed in Germany via Frankfurt so I'm just waiting for a Bolt to the hotel that should hopefully get me there for 5'o clock which isn't too bad," Crabtree said. His journey involved a 10-hour flight from Washington to Istanbul, where he missed his connection, followed by a four-and-a-half-hour wait for a flight to Frankfurt that took three hours. Upon arrival, baggage delays added to the ordeal: "It took ages for the bags to come out but finally got my bag. It turned up which I wasn't sure it would."
Despite the exhausting travel, Crabtree remained positive, noting: "Now just got to get to the hotel and try to prepare for tonight." Due to Clayton's late withdrawal, Crabtree goes straight into the second round of the Euro Tour event where he faces Kevin Doets, who has delivered strong results regularly this season. For Crabtree, this means stepping on stage without real preparation, but he sees it as a valuable opportunity to pick up ranking points.
The tournament takes place at Lokhalle Göttingen, with Crabtree's bizarre journey from Washington via Istanbul to Göttingen now complete just in time for his second-round match.
