Luke Littler faces Gian van Veen in Saturday’s PDC World Darts Championship with two big names set to walk away after the winner is crowned
Two darts icons will retire with immediate effect after Saturday’s final
Two icons of the PDC World Darts Championship will retire from the sport with immediate effect following Saturday night’s final between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen.
Legendary MC John McDonald and top referee George Noble are both set to walk away from darts after the latest world champion is crowned at Ally Pally, having been mainstays of PDC tournaments for decades. McDonald, 65, has been working with the PDC since 2004, with his booming voice and energetic introductions endearing him to crowds for over 20 years.
Noble, meanwhile, has been a referee for more than 30 years, spending almost two decades officiating on the PDC circuit after starting out as part of the British Darts Organisation’s refereeing roster.
Both men announced their decision to retire in October, as they admitted it was “the right time” to walk away from the sport.
“I’ve spent two decades now working with the PDC and loved every moment, but the time is right for me to hang up my microphone,” said McDonald. “The World Darts Championship final will be the perfect place for me to end, as we celebrate the culmination of the biggest-ever event in the sport.
“I’m so proud to have been a part of the PDC’s journey during my time as Master of Ceremonies, and I’ll look forward to my remaining events on stage.”
McDonald has revealed the heartbreaking reason behind his decision to retire
Meanwhile, 57-year-old Noble said: “I’ve had a brilliant career in over three decades and spent my whole life in the sport, but the time is right for me to retire from refereeing. I’ll still be involved in darts away from refereeing, but this will give me the chance to spend more time with my family in future.
“I’d like to thank the PDC for the opportunity which I was given back in 2007 – the sport has given me so many wonderful memories and opened up so many doors for me throughout my life.”
Both men have said they plan on spending more time with their families in retirement, with former paratrooper McDonald revealing a heartbreaking chat with his grandson encouraged him to hang up his microphone.
Noble has worked as a referee for over 30 years
“I’m not getting any younger for sure,” he told talkSPORT. “I’ve missed so much of my own children growing up, never mind my grandchildren.
“What really spurred me on [to retire] was I got a call from my grandson, who plays at the Chelsea Foundation. He said, ‘I’m playing at Southampton tomorrow, grandad, can you come and watch?’
“I was like, ‘No, I can’t, I’m up in Leicester.’ And he said to me that it’s alright because his other grandad could take him, and I felt a bit left out again.
“I thought, ‘How many times do you do this in your life when you feel so left out’,” McDonald added. “So I thought ‘Well, I’ve had a good run, it’s time for someone else to enjoy it.’
“I thought that maybe I can go off and enjoy my eight grandchildren and my lovely wife, that’s what I’ll do and I can’t wait.”
Saturday’s final will see world number one Littler attempt to defend his crown and seal back-to-back world titles, while van Veen is looking to cause an upset and add the World Championship trophy to the European Championship title he won in October.
