Gary Anderson Bio: Career Highlights & Controversies

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Gary Anderson, popularly known as The Flying Scotsman, is a professional darts player from Scotland who competes for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

He is a two-time PDC World Champion, winning the championship in 2015 and 2016. He is a former BDO and WDF world number one.

Gary is known for his high scoring and one of the cleanest throws in the game. 

He defeated Phil Taylor by 7–6 in the 2015 PDC World Champion finale. Likewise, in 2016, Gary defeated Adrian Lewis by 7–5.

Moreover, the Scottish player reached the finals in 2011, 2017, and 2021.

Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson (Source: Wikipedia.com)

Today we are here with all the career highlights and controversies in the life of the Scottish World Champion.

Further, the article also has information about his marriage and net worth. So follow us through and get to everything about the world champion.

But, before that, have a look at some quick facts. 

Quick Facts

Full Name Gary Anderson
Nick Name The Flying Scotsman
Birth Date December 22, 1970
Birth Place Musselburgh, Scotland
Residence Burnham-on-Sea, England
Nationality Scottish
Ethnicity White
Religion Christianity
Sex Male
Sexual Orientation Straight
Laterality Right-handed
Darts 23g Unicorn Maestro Phase 3
Walk-on music “Jump Around” by House of Pain
Hobbies No time for hobbies
Food Habit Non-vegetarian 
Education Not Available
Zodiac Sign Aquarius
Father’s Name Gordon Anderson
Mother’s Name Not Known
Siblings Stewart Anderson
Sponsors Unicorn Darts, Rix Motors, Car Finance 247, Arthur McKay
Age 53 years old
Height 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
Reach Not Available
Weight 187.3 lb (85 kg)
Chest size 34 inches
Biceps size 16 inches
Waist size 36 inches
Shoe size 9 (U.S.)
Eye Color Blue
Hair Color Brown/ Black
Profession Professional Darts Player
Current world ranking
Darts 23g Unicorn Maestro Phase 3
Marital Status Married
Wife Rachel Ford
Girlfriend None
Playing darts since 1996
Children 4 (Cheylea River Anderson, Tai Anderson, Joel Anderson, Ryan Anderson)
Net Worth $6 million
Social Media Twitter
Merch Bullet Stainless Steel Darts
Last Update December 2024

Gary Anderson: Age and Body Measurements 

The dart player, Gary Anderson, was born in the year 1970. So, Garry is currently 53 years old.

He was born in the Dog year, according to the Chinese calendar. It is the eleventh year of the 12-year animal cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Moreover, the player weighs about 85 kg (203 lb) and stands 5 feet 11 inches in height. He has an athletic build and a charismatic face. 

Likewise, Garry does not have any tattoos on his body. Further, he has black hair and blue eyes. Garry’s nationality is American, whereas his ethnicity is White.

Further, Garry’s zodiac is Aquarius. Sapiens with the Aquarius sign are determined, assertive, self-reliant, and caring. They are also clever and intense.

Garry Anderson is no different. 

Gary Anderson: Early Life and Family

Gary, better known as “The Flying Scotsman,” was born in Musselburgh, Scotland, on December 22, 1970.

However his Father’s name is Gordon Anderson, but his mother’s name is unknown. Gary also has a brother called Stewart Anderson.

Gary with his dogs
Gary with his dogs (Source: Twitter)

Unfortunately, both of Gary’s family members have already died! Stewart died in the autumn of 2011. Soon after, Gordon Anderson was also killed in the following spring. 

Gary Anderson: Career

In 2007, Anderson won the International Darts League and the World Darts Trophy back-to-back for the first time in his career. 

It was a noteworthy accomplishment since he beat off fields of elite players and world champions from competing organizations: the Professional Darts Corporation and the BDO.

Further, Gary also won the Zuiderduin Masters two years in a row, the first as an unranked event and the second as the first major title after the tournament was raised to that status.

Likewise, the player concluded 2007 as the world number one in the WDF, but he finished 2008 as the world number two behind Scott Waites. 

Moreover, Gary also won the German Open, Welsh Open, and BDO International Grand Prix in 2008, among other championships.

The victory of the Scottish player kept on following. He also won the Dutch Pentathlon in 2008 and defended his title in 2009, setting a new world record of 502 points.

Gary Anderson played in three WDF World Cups, four WDF Europe Cups, and five Six Nations Cups for Scotland between 2000 and 2008.

Further, he won back-to-back Six Nations Cups with Scotland in 2002 and 2003 and the WDF Europe Cup four-man and overall team titles in 2002. 

Gary was excellent at darts. He appeared in thirty-two international matches for Scotland, winning twenty-two of them.

Recent Years

Gary was eliminated in the fourth round of the 2020 PDC World Darts Championship after losing to Nathan Aspinall. 

After a year away, he returned to the Premier League. The Scottish player defeated Jeff Smith in the final of the inaugural Players Championship tournament of 2020.

The win was his first ranking championship since the 2018 Matchplay.

Likewise, Gary reached his first televised singles final since 2018, losing to Dimitri Van den Bergh at the 2020 World Matchplay. Gary entered the 2021 PDC World Darts Championship as the thirteenth seed.

Following the opening win over Madars Ramza, he downplayed his prospects of winning a third-world title. He called the years 2019 and 2020 “rotten.” 

See More: Current World’s No. 3 Pro Darts Player, Michael van Gerwen Boasts $6 Million Net worth >>

Career Highlights

Major career highlights of Gary include winning the International Darts League in 2007. Further, he also won the World Darts Trophy in 2007 and the Zuiderduin Masters in 2007 and 2008. 

Moreover, the Flying Scotsman won the Premier League in 2011 and 2015. He also won the Players Championship Finals in 2014 and the UK Open in 2018. 

Further, Gary claimed the title to the World Matchplay in 2018 and the Champions League of Darts in 2018. Gary was also the winner of the 2019 PDC World Cup of Darts.

Gary Anderson: Awards and Achievements

Talking about Garys’s achievements, in 2005, he got a nine-dart finish at BDO Gold Cup. Likewise, in 2006, he was awarded the highest men’s overall average at WDF Europe Cup. 

Further, in 2009, Gary set the world record score at Dutch Pentathlon. He also achieved the nine-dart finish at Derby Players Championship in the same year.

In 2012, Gary was the PDC ProTour Player of the Year. Likewise, he also hit the first-ever televised nine-darter playing at UK Open in the same year.

In 2013, he achieved the nine-dart finish at the third UK Open Qualifier. Further, in 2014, the Scottish player topped the PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit final rankings. 

Likewise, in 2015, Gary was the PDC Player of the Year, PDC Fans Player of the Year, PDPA Players’ Player of the Year, and  PDC ProTour Player of the Year.

Moreover, in 2016, Gary achieved the nine Dart Finish in the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship. He was also the  PDC Player of the Year and Michael van Gerwen.

Further, Gary Anderson was also the 2016 PDC Fans Player of the Year.

Gary Anderson: Controversies

The Mensur Suljovic Controversy

Garry Anderson was up against Mensur Suljovic at the PDC World Championship. 

Garry was enraged throughout the match by his opponent’s underhanded tactics, particularly the Austrian slowness between throws.

He indicated that people watching at home would have been better off watching Coronation Street, and he said he would have done the same.

Garry was also furious with Suljovic for putting his arrow case on the wrong table, and he vowed to quit the sport if he was ever engaged in another match like that.

In an interview with Sky Sports, he said that what everyone saw was horrible and an absolute joke. 

You might be interested to know the Best 5 Best Practice Dartboards to Buy>>

The “Cheating” Controversy

In the Grand Slam of Darts 2020, Garry was up against the teenage Czech player Adam Gawlas. Although Garry won the competition, he wasn’t in his best mood as the match ended. 

As soon as the match ended, he accused Adam of cheating. According to Garry, Adam sniffed and shouted in his ear whenever he threw a dart. 

He exclaimed that the spirit of deception had ended, and the experience was very unpleasant for him. 

He even threatened to pull out of the tournament because “darts wasn’t darts anymore.”

Gary Anderson and the “Grand Slam of Farts”

In the Grand Slam of Darts, 2018, Garry was up against Wesley Harms. Something started to stink in the middle of the game, and the foul smell took over. 

After the game, the Dutch player, Wesley, accused Garry of farting on stage. He also remarked that it would take him two days to get rid of the smell. 

However, Garry denied having done the act and rather counterattacked Wesley. This was a memorable incident in such an elite competition, and the matter created a lot of controversies. 

This incident is often referred to as the ”Grand Slam of Farts.”

Gary Anderson: Wife and Kids

The dart player was previously married to Rosemary. The two had a son together, whose name was Tai. 

However, the couple got separated, and Garry started dating Rachel Ford. Garry began dating Rachel in 2015. The couple together had three kids. 

Their firstborn daughter, Cheylea River Anderson, stepped into this world in  2017. In the same way, they brought their lovely son Joel Anderson in 2019.

Finally, Ryan Anderson, their third, was recently held in 2021.

The pair also owns a tavern in Rooksbridge called the “Wellington Arms.” The five-person family enjoys each other’s Company and holds each other in high regard.

The couple recently got married secretly. According to various sources, Garry’s guests for his delayed 51st Birthday Party. 

Gary Anderson with his wife and kids
Gary Anderson with his wife and kids (Source: Twitter)

Later, he surprised the guests by breaking the news of marriage. The wedding reception venue and other details are not known. 

However, Gary shared a picture of him with his bride on his Twitter and captioned it as “That’s it, the old ball & chain now 😜 @fordey180 thanks to everyone that made the Party last night hope you enjoyed it!”

Following the post, his Twitter was flooded with congratulatory messages. The Former world champion Adrian Lewis and former Former pro darts player Jamie Caven were among the first to congratulate Gary. 

Social Media Presence

The Flying Scotsman cannot be found on all social media. However, he is active on Twitter. He has over 178k followers there.

His Twitter bio describes him as the “Official account of the 2015 & 2016 World Darts Champion Gary Anderson! 2011 & 2015 Premier League winner, 2014 Players Champion.”

Gary usually tweets current news, auctions, and memories of darts. If you wish to know more about Gary, please follow him on Twitter. 

Gary Anderson: Net Worth

Gary Anderson has had an outstanding career in the sport of darts. The 53 year-old has amassed about £4 million in prize money throughout his successful journey.

Gary Anderson has a net worth of approximately $6 million as of 2022.

In addition, the FlyingScotsman’s primary sources of income are his bar, prize money, and sponsorship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Gary Anderson called the “Dream Boy”?

Gary’s nickname was “Dream Boy” before changing it to “The Flying Scotsman.” After leaving the British Darts Organisation and joining the Profesional Darts Corporation, he made the change.

Who are Gary Anderson’s sports idols?

Jimmy White and Phil Taylor are his idols.

Aayusha
Aayushahttps://playersbio.com/

Aayusha Bhattarai

Aayusha Bhattarai is a dedicated writer with a passion for uncovering the fascinating stories behind athletes' lives. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, she brings readers on a journey through the triumphs, struggles, and inspirations of their favorite players.

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  • Aayusha explores the off-field lives of athletes, from their hobbies and interests to their family dynamics.
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Aayusha's passion for sports journalism stems from her love of both writing and athletics. With a background in journalism and a keen interest in sports, she combines her talents to deliver compelling stories that resonate with readers.

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