A 58-year-old Welsh father who once played darts only on a “night out with the guys” is set to make his debut at the PDC World Darts Championship this December, becoming one of the oldest first-time competitors at the tournament held at London’s Alexandra Palace.
Derek Coulson, originally from Llantwit Major in Wales but now living in Market Drayton, Shropshire, has been playing darts since childhood but never imagined it could lead to a career on the sport’s biggest stage alongside the likes of Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price.
From pub team to county level
After moving to Shropshire in 2009, Derek was invited to join a darts team at his local pub after “some lads” “decided they wanted to start a team”. He agreed to “have a go”, and his involvement soon developed from local competitions to county level.
Derek said that “the bug hit” when he began “playing in front of people, playing on the stage – I loved it”. Now, he is preparing to compete against some of the world's leading players at Alexandra Palace, having worked his way up from the local pub scene.
Challenging himself further
Derek told PA Real Life: “I just thought, right, I’m going to go for this. I know I’m older – everyone talks about younger players now – but I still fancy my chances. I have something to give. I still think I’m improving.”
The software consultant said he had never viewed darts as a potential career when he first started playing. In fact, pool was his main interest, and he would play it “pretty much every night of the week”, while darts was reserved for “a night out with the guys, just a bit of fun”.
His move to Shropshire in 2009 proved to be a turning point, with Derek joining a new team at his local pub before progressing through Super League competitions and into county darts.
Although he was performing well, he felt he needed to push himself further and signed up for the PDC Qualifying School. The annual competition gives amateur players the opportunity to win a two-year PDC Tour Card, opening the door to the professional PDC Pro Tour.
“I wasn’t going to win a tour card, I wasn’t good enough,” Derek confessed. “But I wanted to challenge myself on the Challenge Tour. I spent a year doing that, and I probably hardly won a game. I was thinking: ‘OK, well, what do I do now? Do I go away and put a bit more effort in?’
“I went back the next year, won a few more games. Went back the next year, 2021… and I got to the final.”
Seniors darts and TV events
Derek admitted he “lost heavily” in the final but was pleased with the progress he had made. He subsequently returned to county-level competition before turning his attention to senior darts.
“The seniors started up, and I thought, yeah, I’ll give that a go,” he said. “There was the lure of TV events, the Circus Tavern World Seniors Championships, and again, that was a driving factor. I wanted to try and get to a TV event, and that will be the pinnacle of my so-called darting career,” Derek added.
He stepped up his training, putting more time into practice and experimenting with different equipment in a bid to improve his game.
“I went away and I put a lot of effort in, put a lot of practice in, tinkered with my setups… I did get to the Seniors World Championship, Circus Tavern – iconic stage – first round game against Mervyn King, an iconic player, and I absolutely loved it.
“I wasn’t too sure how I was going to react in front of the cameras, the big crowd, but as soon as I walked up there, I thought: ‘Yeah, this is brilliant.’ Absolutely loved it. Amazing time.
“If I was bitten by the bug beforehand, I was well and truly bitten now. And the rest is history.”
Derek secured his place at the PDC World Darts Championship this December after finishing second on the PDC Challenge Tour Order of Merit. The achievement earned him a two-year tour card and a place at the sport's biggest tournament for the first time.
Joke with wife and preparation
He had joked with his wife about reaching the event while watching it on television last year, never expecting the prediction to become reality.
“I was joking with my wife last year when we were watching at home: ‘I’ll be there next year!’, and we just laughed,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of preparation to do. I am very excited, extremely excited for it. Obviously a bit of nerves – it’s going to be new to me, it’s going to be huge. Five thousand people in there watching it.
“But there’s nothing better. What else does a darts player want than to go to Ally Pally and play at the World Championships?”
Despite the upcoming challenge, Derek continues to work as a software consultant while fitting in at least two to three hours of darts practice every day.
He said he “couldn’t be happier” to have sponsorship from darts supplier Darts Corner, describing it as “the first website” he would visit when looking for equipment. He is now testing products from its extensive range to find the ideal personalised setup for his Alexandra Palace appearance.
Claire Isbister, head of marketing for Darts Corner, said: “We are beyond delighted to announce our partnership with Derek. He has shown throughout 2026 that he belongs on the big stage, and we can’t wait to see him at the Worlds this year.”
Derek also credited the support of his wife, Liz, and their three children, Luke, 25, Charlotte, 19, and Daniel, 16, for helping him on his journey. “They’re all so supportive, and that makes a huge difference to me…” Derek said.
With the opportunity to compete at the World Championship now within reach, he is determined to make the most of it. “It’s an opportunity I have to take now. I’m 58 years old, and this opportunity may not come around again. So I’m going to grab it however I can.”
