Two-time darts World Champion would reject Premier League spot even if he claims another title

Gary Anderson has ruled out a return to Premier League Darts action – even if he clinches a third world title.

The ‘Flying Scotsman’ is gearing up for a 17th consecutive appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship this month, where he is a two-time former champion.

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Anderson claimed the famous Sid Waddell Tropy in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016.

The remarkable feat saw him become one of just three players –  alongside Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis – to successfully defend their title.

In 16 appearances at Alexandra Palace, Anderson has made the semi-finals or better on seven occasions, although his last final four appearance now came five years ago, in the 2021 edition.

Having been one of the most recognisable figures at the top of darts, the Scot has taken a backseat in recent years, opting not to compete in as many PDC events.

Despite this, wins on the ProTour and European Tour in 2025 sees him still ranked an impressive no.14 in the PDC Order of Merit.

‘I couldn’t do it’

Among the tournaments he has chosen to swerve, Anderson has been a noticeable absentee from the Premier League Darts line-up since 2022.

His decision to step back from the sport’s elite competition coincided with a change in format, which saw it switch from operating on a fortnightly basis over eight weeks, to weekly matches over the course of 16 weeks.

And Anderson has revealed the Premier League’s current hectic schedule means he won’t be returning in 2026 – even if he climbed into the top eight qualification spots with a sensational World Championship victory.

Speaking to Online Darts, when asked if he had any desire to return to the sport’s elite, the 54-year-old replied: “Yes and no. Listen, I’ve done the Premier League.

“But I couldn’t do it and I would say no. Even if I win the Worlds and I went to number two, I couldn’t do it.”

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With Premier League fixtures previously being played on a one-match-per night evening over three consecutive days, it was put to Anderson if a return to this format would sway him.

But the Scot wouldn’t budge on his view, insisting that the 16-week length of the league is still too demanding for him.

Clarifying his stance, he said: “No – 16 weeks is a long [time] 

“People think it’s just one night. It’s not one night, it’s 16 weeks.

“The Wednesday [you prepare], you play on the Thursday, Friday you’ve got to try get [elsewhere] or something like that.”

Anderson’s rule change

With the Premier League’s current format seeing players play up to three matches per night each week over four straight months, Anderson suggested a radical change which could reduce the demand on players.

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He explained: “I said years ago they should have two divisions – An A and a B, or a one and a two. Number one seed, number two seed, number three, four, five…

“Then you could have your top 16 ranked players in the world playing the Premier League. 

“At the end of it, you’ve got your eight players, but you only play once every fortnight because when one lot’s playing, next lot’s off and vice versa.

“So you could do that tournament in eight weeks – it’s 16 weeks, but you know what I mean? So I think that would work better.”

With a return to the Premier League in 2026 now all-but ruled out, Anderson will be focused on joining an elite group over the coming weeks at the World Championship, starting with his opening clash against Adam Hunt on Saturday, December 13.

An unlikely victory at Ally Pally would see him join Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen as the only three-time winners of the sport’s showpiece event.