World Darts Championship debutant has had a unique career path, including getting sacked by a well-known clothing brand
Cam Crabtree’s gamble to put darts before retail work has certainly paid dividends as he gears up for his World Championship debut.
The 22-year-old got the sack from Abercrombie & Fitch for prioritising the oche over the shop floor, but he harbours zero regrets as his tungsten career continues its impressive rise and he heads to Alexandra Palace. Back in January, he bagged a PDC Tour card through Q-School before conquering the Development Tour, finishing ahead of Beau Greaves.
That triumph earned him a spot at the recent Grand Slam, where he demolished former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton and took Danny Noppert to a deciding leg in the group stage.
When quizzed about his back-up plan if the arrows hadn’t worked out, he said: “I worked in Abercrombie & Fitch for a bit and then they sacked me because I was away too often for darts!
“So I have no idea. I quite like the idea of finance. So maybe something in that. But I would probably be trying to be as close to darts or football as I could. So anywhere in that capacity.”
Crabtree shouldn’t need to contemplate alternative careers any time soon following a strong debut season as a full PDC Tour professional.
He added: “This is where you want to be. I love MODUS [the MODUS Super Series], I love playing the ADC [Amateur Darts Circuit], stuff like that, and the Challenge Tour.
“But this [an event like the Grand Slam] is where you want to be as a player. You want to be a professional, you want to be playing in arenas like this and on stages like that in front of these fans.
“So it’s amazing for me. Opportunities like this just make me want to do better so that I can get even more opportunities.”
Watch the World Darts Championship on Sky Sports
The PDC World Darts Championship gets underway on December 11 and fans can watch every match exclusively live with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.
Crabtree’s encounters with some of the sport’s biggest names have helped him grow as a player. He said: “I’ve been doing all right over the last couple of years.
“In the Euro tour, I’ve played some good games. I’ve played Luke [Littler], I’ve played Raymond [Van Barneveld], I’ve played some great players on the stage. It’s just about being comfortable in yourself and then trying to get on with your job.”
Crabtree faces former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, the world number 34, in the first round on Saturday.