FRAN ---------------Darts legend Phil Taylor on Rangers boss Ally McCoist: I admire him.. he has an aura that only special sports stars have Oct 26, 2014 By Scott McDermott PHIL TAYLOR on Ally McCoists winning personality, his fascination with top sportsmen and his battle to stay on top. GettyPhil Taylor is a massive admirer of pal Ally McCoist WHAT do Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and Ally McCoist have in common? Well, scoring, for a start. One is a 16-time darts world champion, while the other is Rangers’ all-time top marksman. But there’s more than that. Because, according to Taylor, the current Ibrox gaffer has an aura that he’s only encountered on rare occasions in his sporting life. Incredibly, the man who is quite rightly regarded as the greatest player ever to throw a dart, is in AWE of McCoist. In fact, when it comes to sheer presence, The Power holds the Gers’ boss up there with the likes of David Beckham, Roy Keane and Jose Mourinho. Now, you might wonder how Taylor’s respect for McCoist came to fruition. But when the pair met for the first time on BBC quiz show ‘A Question of Sport’ some years ago, he was convinced that McCoist had something special. Despite any flak he’s received as Rangers’ manager, Taylor – who is a staunch Port Vale fan – is adamant that McCoist has what it takes to go on to greater successes. The darting icon is adamant that, when it comes to players wanting to play for a gaffer, only Mourinho has the same magnetism as the Ibrox legend. Therefore, as MailSport found out last week, that’s something else Taylor and McCoist have in common. In an exclusive interview, Taylor said: “If you’re in a room with 100 people and Ally McCoist walks in, it’s like someone has just switched the light on. “He’s just got a presence about him – and a very infectious personality. “There are only a few people in sport who have got that and Ally is one of them, without a shadow of a doubt. When Ally walks into a room – even if you can’t see or hear him – you know he’s in there. “It’s weird, but he just has that aura about him. I first met Ally on A Question of Sport. “He was brilliant, I always wanted to be on his team. “He’s a bubbly character, a funny guy, who always has a story for you. He’s a lovely fella and I think the world of him. But he’s also got a bit of steel about him. And he was a bloody good footballer in his day.” McCoist has travelled a rocky road in recent seasons as he has negotiated the lower leagues of Scottish football following the club’s cash meltdown. He’s found the Championship tough with his men losing points to allow rivals Hearts to build up a healthy lead – while scare stories about the club’s finances refuse to go away. But Taylor reckons McCoist is cut out to handle the pressure. He said: “I know he’s had a bit of criticism but he’s got all the attributes to be a top manager. “He’s the kind of boss players will want to play for. Maybe as a manager, he has to be a bit more bad tempered. “But he’s certainly got the personality for it – he’s like Jose Mourinho in that respect. There’s just something about him that would make players want to perform for him.” And performing is something at which Taylor excels, at the highest level. The Stoke-born superstar has amassed so much silverware in his sport that it would take another page to list them all. He’s won 81 major titles and raked in more than £6million in prize money. Not bad for a guy who, 25 years ago, was picking up £52 a week making ceramic toilet roll holders. That wasn’t his only job before he decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally. The rest is history as Taylor is now a global ambassador for darts and regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats. It’s no surprise that he enjoys mixing with guys of the same ilk. And they too have common traits. He said: “I just love winners. I’m in awe of guys like Beckham, Keane, Tony Adams, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton and Stephen Hendry. Stephen was brilliant, I was so disappointed when he retired. I told him last week: ‘What you doing, retiring on me’? “But I admire all the top sporstman because I know what they’ve put in to get there – whether they’re performing good, bad or indifferent. “I just love people with that much dedication. “We get knocked by some people but I’d never do that. I know how hard it is to be successful and stay at the top of your sport. Rangers manager Ally McCoist casts a glare at the Queen of the South bench VIEW GALLERY And the best thing about all of these people is they started with nothing, just like myself. We’ve all come from working-class, humble beginnings. “I had a job, just like everyone else. I was doing three jobs at once, just to earn a bit of cash. It was tough. I was a ceramics worker, I was behind a bar and repairing cars for people at the same time. “You just do it, don’t you? I had to get on with it. If a chance comes along that means you can do something else and not have to graft in three jobs, all the better. “Suddenly I started to win a few tournaments and earn a few bob. I thought: ‘This is alright’. “I was fed up going to bed at 11 o’clock and having to get up at 6am every morning. Thankfully I was able to do something about it. “Having done that, does it make me really appreciate what I’ve got now? Of course it does.” Taylor’s drive and desire, along with others back in 1994, helped make darts what it is today. It’s a phenomenon. A sporting monster that just gets bigger and bigger. And even though, at 54, Taylor is planning to minimise his efforts next year, the game’s most iconic figure insists the darts phenomenon will continue to grow. He said: “From when I first joined the PDC, it’s hard to believe how far the sport has progressed. I could never have imagined it. “I knew it could get big. I knew, with the right promoter – like a Barry Hearn or your own Tommy Gilmour – the sport could climb. The key thing was getting a TV company on board – but not in a million years could I see where we are now. “It’s beyond all recognition. We’re the only sport in the world whose TV figures are growing – and it’s getting bigger around the world. It’ll be massive in the next few years. “Can I find the motivation and desire to keep going? I must say, it’s getting less and less now. “I’ll be slowing down next year, picking and choosing events. I’ll still do all the majors. “That’s only fair. If I want to compete at my best, it’s what I have to do. The young players are brilliant and I have to prepare properly. “I can’t be tired, I have to be right. And it’s important for people paying money to see me perform at my best. I’d love to finish at the top, I don’t want to go out with a whimper.”
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:06:59 +0000
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