PDC World Darts Championship: Alan Soutar focuses on form over showmanship

Alan Soutar left darts fans in little doubt about his national identity at the PDC World Darts Championship last year

Alan Soutar will stick with his trademark Scottish attire at the PDC World Darts Championship, despite admitting it can make him 'a target' for the crowds in England.

Arbroath-based Soutar, 44, has become known for his tartan trousers and saltire shirt, which drew plenty of attention from the raucous crowd at London's Alexandra Palace last year.

"It has become an identity for me, but it is also a target, isn't it, especially in England and Ally Pally, but I think I have learned," he said.

"The Grand Slam [in Wolverhampton last month] wasn't bad; the crowd weren't bad against me because I wasn't geeing them up or doing anything.

"I'll be more serious, more focused, more clinical, because if you are carrying on with the crowd, you are not focused on the match. I have taken that on board from quite a lot of people."

Soutar, who is also a fireman in Dundee, burst on to the scene at last year's event, knocking out big-name players Mensur Suljovic and Jose de Sousa on his way to the last 16.

Since turning professional less than two years ago, he has risen from 128th to his current position of 36th in the world rankings.

He said: "I am still the same, I'm still a fire fighter, but it changed in that you had to start respecting your position in darts and thinking, 'I am actually one of the top players in the world'.

"I do feel that pressure. When you think about Peter [Wright] and Gary [Anderson] being the top Scottish players, and Hendo [John Henderson] in the past, I feel like I am stepping in to their world now, so it has changed the way I treat darts.

"I treat it a lot more professionally now and I do treat it as something that I see as a job."

The man known as 'Soots' is taking some impressive form to London.

He reached the quarter-finals on his debut at the recent Grand Slam of Darts where he recorded notable victories over Fallon Sherrock, world number 10 Nathan Aspinall and world number seven Jonny Clayton.

"If I can get anywhere the top 32 in the world in two years, I'd be delighted with that because there are guys that got their tour card with me that have just lost them. To be 36th is a big step, but it is not the end of the story; it is just a halfway point.

"Once you get into the top 32, that is where the big stuff starts happening, that is definitely the goal."

Soutar was an unknown quantity at Alexandra Palace last year. That is not the case now, as he prepares for Friday's opener against Australia's Mal Cuming, making his debut at the event.

"At home everyone has been saying, 'you're going to win your first round easily' and things," said Soutar.

"That just adds pressure because they are expecting you to win. I like to feel that buzz that everyone back home is right behind me and thinking, 'Soots is going to do well again'. I am going down there full of expectation myself to perform so I like putting pressure on myself."