Telford darts ace Ted Hankey hoping truce with fans will last

Hankey, from Telford, is hoping to go from 'The Count' to 'Super Ted' at Wolverhampton Civic Hall after a turbulent relationship with the crowd in recent years.

The 44-year-old has traded jibes such as "a bunch of muppets" with the Civic crowd but they appeared to warm to him last year, when he reached the quarter-finals.

And Hankey believes the hatchet has been buried with the Grand Slam audience and is optimistic they will get behind him when he plays Robert Thornton in Group B tonight.

He said: "I'm looking forward to being on stage again, being on TV and in Wolverhampton. It would be nice to see the crowd cheering for me again and singing 'Super Ted.'

"It was cracking last year and I really enjoyed it because the crowd were great to me, it's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to it so much this year. I had a really good time and hopefully I can have a good run again."

Hankey will be more aware of Thornton after the Scotsman's first major televised title, the UK Open in June, but is not daunted by his task in a group that also includes Steve Beaton and Michael van Gerwen.

He said: "I want to win the first game this year. Once the first game's out of the way you know the others are going to be tough anyway.

"But, if you get one win under your belt, then you can relax a little bit. It's the best of nine legs and, if you play well enough, you will win.

"I have not played Robert much before. I know what he can do because he's won the UK Open this year but, for me, it's a case of getting up there and doing what I do best."

Hankey has had a few sleepless nights since the birth of baby Aaron last month, his third child with wife Sarah.

He said: "Little baby Aaron's spot on – he's a little cracker. He's spurring me on to go forward now."

Hankey controversially switched sides from the BDO to the PDC this year and has only been on television once, the UK Open in June.