Bankrupt darts legend who owed £500k breaks down in tears after profitable Tour Card
The final day of UK Qualifying School was an emotional one for several high-profile names playing for their PDC Tour Card at Arena MK in Milton Keynes on Sunday
Mervyn King shed a few tears after his Q School success(Image: PDC)
Mervyn King was moved to tears on the final day of UK Qualifying School in Milton Keynes after reclaiming his PDC Tour Card two years on from losing it in 2024. The soon-to-be 60-year-old is now in line for a professional comeback less than a year after being declared bankrupt.
King confessed to The Sun last March that he owed HMRC “north of £500,000” due to unpaid taxes spanning 20 years. Despite raking in £2million in prize money throughout his career, King mistakenly thought his darts income was winnings rather than earnings, leading him to neglect informing tax authorities.
Fast forward a year, and the seven-time PDC major finalist secured second place in the UK Qualifying School Rankings List, despite a semi-final loss to Charlie Manby with automatic qualification at stake. King triumphed in 10 matches, a tally only surpassed by Stephen Burton’s 14 victories.
When asked about his feelings afterwards, an emotional King responded: “If you don’t know now, you never will,” as he wiped away tears and took a deep breath. “It means the world to me.
“I fought hard every day, and things didn’t go my way. Today was the last shot saloon, and everything had to go today. I wouldn’t say everything went my way, but it was slightly easier. Some shots went my way when I really needed them.
“Even though I’m shedding a few tears, I’m one of the happiest guys you’ll ever see at the moment.” He explained: “To actually make that step and to get back on tour is something really serious for me; it’s fantastic.
“I still think I’ve got something to offer the game, so that’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’ve been trying, because I don’t think I’m finished yet. I think I’ve got some great games to offer on TV and stuff, so that’s why I keep going, because I don’t think I’m done yet.”
Speaking to The Sun in March last year after being declared bankrupt, King revealed: “Over the past four or five years, I haven’t slept a lot at night, worrying about this.
“The trouble is you think the gravy train will last forever, and it doesn’t. I cannot turn back time, unfortunately.”
He admitted: “For want of a better word, I was quite naive when it came to tax. Believe it or not, I actually thought that with it being winnings, I didn’t have to pay tax on it, because it wasn’t earnings as such.”
King went on: “When I found out I should be paying tax, I was already x-number of pounds in debt to HMRC. It gets to a couple of years down the line, and I’m in even more debt to HMRC. You think, ‘How the hell am I going to be able to pay this?’ It has been a very scary thing.”
He added: “I was then waiting for that big win, that really big win, so that I could square everything up. Obviously, that was not the case.”
