Former world champion John Part has laid out his vision for the perfect darts evening, blending spectacle, personality, and nostalgia. In a conversation with Sky Sports, the Canadian legend pinpointed his dream match as a clash between eras: Eric Bristow against Luke Littler. "My dream match would be Eric Bristow against Luke Littler," Part said. "Bristow was such a young world champion, with the confidence and swagger he had at the time. To see how that would play against Littler — his confidence and personality — it would be delightful to watch them go head-to-head." He emphasized that the appeal lies in the characters, adding, "Those two characters facing off would be truly amazing."
For the venue, Part surprisingly bypassed the modern Alexandra Palace in favor of a throwback. "You could say Alexandra Palace — but I’m going to throw it back to the Circus Tavern," he explained. "As a fan watching from there, you were almost on stage. You could hear everything. That would have been fantastic — so that’s my dream venue." He noted that the proximity to players and crowd intensity are key to the experience, though he personally opts for comfort: "You can see how big I am — I need the comfort factor. I’d want luxury. Luxury at the darts." Still, he values the energy, saying, "I admire the spirit of the stands — my sentiment is with them, and I like the rebelliousness — but I’d have to be quietly doing that from up front."
Beyond the oche, Part made several quirky choices. On fan signs, he admitted, "I have no idea. I’m not a sign writer. Maybe something tied into the outfit and the vibe — but honestly, I’ve got nothing." For food, he stuck to classics with a twist: "Some fries… and king prawn cocktail. We’d say shrimp cocktail — but over here, the 'shrimp' are tiny, so you’ve got to specify." His ideal company for the night is a mix of film and sport icons: "Orson Welles, Muhammad Ali, and Quentin Tarantino. I guess I’ve put two directors in there — I like films." The conversation would center on a film project about himself, with Part suggesting, "What we’d talk about? Who’s going to play me in a film. I’m working on a film project." For the role, he said, "Depends on the age… but in my prime? Let’s keep it simple — I’ll take Leonardo DiCaprio. There are similarities… the hair, the gelled-back look… quite skilled. We’ll leave the similarities there."
