ST HELENS' darts community has paid tributes to much-loved professional player Kyle Anderson, who has tragically died at the age of 33.

The 33-year-old from Perth, Australia, was a popular figure on the darts circuit and had visited to St Helens during his life.

He made his World Championship debut at the 2012/13 event and made a nine-darter on the Alexandra Palace stage the following year.

Other career highlights include winning a Players Championship and then the Auckland Darts Masters on the World Series of Darts circuit in August 2017.

Anderson also achieved a second televised nine-darter, in the semi-finals of the 2017 European Championship.

He had returned to Australia in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and relinquished his PDC Tour Card in January.

 

Kyle (second left) in St Helens

Kyle (second left) in St Helens during an exhibition with fellow professionals Jelle Klaasen and Robbie Green

 

On his visits to the town, the Australian had been to the St Helens Darts Shop in Haresfinch and had also gone to see the St Helens Darts Academy, for free, to see youngsters from the town in action.

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Karl Holden, of St Helens Darts Shop, said: "One thing with Kyle, literally everyone liked the man.

"The day he won through the PDC Qualifiers in Wigan, he got through on the first day.

"He said 'what do I do now', I said come to the darts shop, I was only joking, but he said yes immediately, I would love that, so I brought him back to St Helens and had a great chat with him and were friends from that day on.

"He also came to the darts academy for free. St Helens folk fell in love with Kyle.

"He did an exhibition and gained so much respect from the darting community and beyond.

"We all send our condolences to all his family in Australia. Gone way too early."

 

Kyle Anderson

Kyle Anderson

 

Professionals from the town have also added their tributes on Twitter.

Windle-based former BDO world champion Stephen Bunting wrote: "Absolutely gutted hearing the news this morning. RIP Kyle Anderson. The darts world hasn’t been the same with you not around brother.

"You always made me laugh every time we met. Never a dull moment with you around. We are all gonna miss you mate. Xx"

 

Meanwhile, St Helens-born darter Dave Chisnall said: "Such sad news to hear of the passing of Kyle Anderson, a lovely man and a gentleman, our thoughts are with his family."

 

Sky Sports darts commentator Stuart Pyke, from St Helens, added his own tribute. He said: "This is just the most awful awful news. A great player, a lovely man + someone who we were all privileged to call a friend".