We've got the talent to follow Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Ian White - and The Hammer too

Darts legend Andy 'The Hammer' Hamilton has launched his first-ever youth coaching club. The non-profit junior darts academy has welcomed its first players.

Darts Coaching by Andy 'The Hammer' Hamilton is being held at Burslem Cricket Club every Wednesday from 6pm until 8pm. The club is available for children aged eight to 18.

Andy, aged 59, told The Sentinel: “It’s great to see kids getting interested in darts from an early age. When I was growing up, we never had this kind of thing. I started learning in the pub when I was 18. But academies for young people like this are how you get the next Luke Littler. Nurturing those skills early on. We have some 10-year-olds who are already showing a lot of promise.

“The club runs in six-week blocks. You pay £40 and then come once a week until the half-term. All that money goes into a cashpot. Then we will host club knockout tournaments where the winners earn a share as a prize. Whoever comes in first gets £80, then second place gets £50, and so on.

“But the club is really all about having fun. I don’t want anybody walking out of this room feeling miserable. Everyone is a winner. It’s all about getting that practice in and enjoying the experience. Someone has to lose every match, but that is something everyone has to learn before they start winning. I learnt a lot from losing to Phil Taylor - so I know what it’s like!”

Burslem Cricket Club has undergone an extensive renovation in preparation for the club’s launch. It now features eight dartboards kitted out with automatic score-boarding technology.

“We knew the chairman, Paul Johnson, has been wanting to get some darts going in the cricket club,” Andy explained. “And I have been wanting to start a coaching academy for quite a while now. So we decided to start hosting this children’s darts club. It’s all about giving something back to the community.

“We started getting everything ready in February. I’ve put some money into getting it set up, but we have had lots of support from our sponsors too. Aside from Burslem Cricket Club lending us the venue, we’ve had Emerys supplying our score-keeping tablets, Jurassic Points supplying the shirts, and Target supplying the automatic dartboards.

“We’ve created a great space here. It’s a proper club, instead of just a pub. I’ve got nothing against people having a drink, but we wanted somewhere the kids could come without a load of distractions in the background.”

The Hammer believes his club could act as a breeding ground for Stoke-on-Trent’s next darting prodigy.

Andy continued: “It’s exciting to get the opportunity to coach the next generation of talent. I’m still busy with exhibitions and challenge tours, but now I have the time to do coaching one night a week. I think it will be very rewarding sharing my real-world experience and showing them what a darts match is really all about.

“For me, it’s about creating a space where kids can come and enjoy themselves. Build social skills and confidence for the next part of life. Of course, they’ll be building their dart skills too. I would love to see the next big Stoke-on-Trent darts player come out of this. Another Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, Ian White - or another Andy Hamilton!”

Now Andy is hoping to see the club - and its players - grow well into the future.

He added: “More spaces will be available for our next six-week block in 2027. Eventually, I’m hoping to get 40 kids coming along and getting stuck in. That’ll be a nice amount where we have plenty of competitors. But I’ll still be able to give each of them some hands-on guidance. I might start doing some one-to-one coaching sessions in the future too.

“Our first big club event is coming up on December 18. I will be doing an exhibition match playing against the kids, and anyone is welcome to come and watch. If one of the kids beat me, I’ll say ‘fair play’! Because that win will be earned. We’ll all be playing our best - and that’s what it’s all about.”