Raymond van Barneveld facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raymond van Barneveld
Van Barneveld in 2019
Personal information
Nickname	"Barney"
Born	(1967-04-20) 20 April 1967 (age 58) The Hague, Netherlands
Home town	The Hague, Netherlands
Darts information
Playing darts since	1984
Darts	25g Target Chrono
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1987–2006
PDC	2006–2019, 2021– (Tour Card 2011–2019, 2021–)
Current world ranking	82 4 (8 July 2021)
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (4): 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005
World Masters	Winner (2): 2001, 2005
World Darts Trophy	Winner (2): 2003, 2004
Int. Darts League	Winner (3): 2003, 2004, 2006
Finder Masters	Winner (4): 1995, 2001, 2003, 2004
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (1): 2007
World Matchplay	Runner-Up: 2010
World Grand Prix	Runner-Up: 2008, 2009
Grand Slam	Winner (1): 2012
Premier League	Winner (1): 2014
Desert Classic	Winner (1): 2007
European Ch'ship	Semi-Final: 2011, 2014
UK Open	Winner (2): 2006, 2007
US Open/WSoD	Runner-Up: 2007
Players Ch'ship Finals	Quarter-Final: 2009, 2013, 2016, 2019
Masters	Runner-Up: 2015, 2018
Champions League	Semi-Final: 2017
World Series Finals	Semi-Final: 2018
Other tournament wins
World Cup of Darts (team event) 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018 Belgium Open 1996, 1999 Brandstaff Masters 1999 British Open 1999 Canadian Open 1998 Denmark Open 1997 Finnish Open 1995, 2004 Holland National Ch'ships 2004 Masters of Darts 2007 Northern Ireland Open 2004 Norway Open 1997 Hong Kong Darts Masters 2015 Open Holland Masters 2008 Pacific Masters 2005 Spring Cup 1991, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001 Swedish Open 1998, 2002, 2003 Swiss Open 2000 Untouchables 2010 WDF World Cup Singles 1997, 1999, 2003 WDF Europe Cup Singles 2004 World Team Championship 1997 WDF Europe Cup Pairs 2000, 2004 WDF World Cup Pairs 2005 World Darts Challenge 2007 European Tour Events European Darts Open 2012 Players Championships Players Championship (HAY) 2006 Players Championship (GER) 2007 Players Championship (GIB) 2007 Players Championship (VEG) 2007 Players Championship (WAL) 2007 Players Championship (DER) 2011 Players Championship (IRE) 2013 Players Championship (BOL) 2021 Players Championship (HIL) 2024 UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers Regional Final (IRL) 2006, 2007 Regional Final (MID) 2006 Regional Final (NEE) 2007 Regional Final (SCO) 2006 UK Open Qualifier 2012 (x2)
Other achievements
1997, 1998 Haagse Sportprijs 1998 BDO Personality Award 1998, 1999 Haaglanden Sportprijs 1999 Major citizen of The Hague 1999 Named in the Order of Orange-Nassau 2002 Nine dart finish European Darts Ch'ships Mechelen 2003 Nine dart finish Swiss Open 2003 I.D.P.A. Leighton Rees Men's Player of the Year Award 2004 Haagse Publieksprijs 2006 Nine dart finish Premier League of Darts 2006 Best Newcomer, PDC Awards 2006 Fans' Player of the Year, PDC Awards 2007 Nine dart finish in the German Darts Championship 2008 Became PDC World number 1 2008 Best Floor Player, PDC Awards 2009 First ever nine dart finish in the PDC World Championship 2009 Nine dart finish, UK Open Regional (WM) 2010 Nine dart finish in the PDC World Championship 2010 Nine dart finish in the PDC Premier League Darts 2010 Nine dart finish in the PDC World Matchplay 2018 Sets his highest televised average with 113.38 at the PDC World Cup of Darts.
Updated on 3 June 2018.

Raymond van Barneveld (born 20 April 1967) is a famous Dutch professional darts player. He is often called "Barney" by his fans. He has won five World Championships, which is a huge achievement in darts! Four of these wins were in the BDO and one in the PDC.

Barney has also won many other big tournaments. These include the UK Open twice, the Las Vegas Desert Classic, the Grand Slam, and the Premier League. He's also won the World Masters twice and the World Darts Trophy. He's a three-time winner of the International Darts League and the Dutch Open.

Raymond van Barneveld has also won the PDC World Cup of Darts four times with his Dutch teammates. He is known as one of the greatest darts players ever. He helped make darts very popular in the Netherlands. Even though he is naturally left-handed, he throws darts with his right hand!

In 2018, Barney said he would retire after the 2020 PDC World Darts Championship. He briefly retired in March 2019 but changed his mind the next day. He officially retired after the 2020 World Championship. But in 2021, he decided to come back to professional darts!

Barney's Early Darts Career (BDO)

Starting Out in the 1980s

Raymond van Barneveld started playing darts in tournaments in the Netherlands when he was just 17 years old in 1984. He won his first tournament, the Rotterdam Open, that same year. People quickly saw that he had a lot of talent and would be a future star.

He then joined international darts competitions. He reached the semi-finals of the Belgian Open in 1987 and the Dutch Open in 1988. In 1990, he played in the WDF Europe Cup singles, reaching the quarter-finals.

First World Final and Big Steps

Barney first played in the World Championship in 1991, but he didn't go far. He started to do much better in the early 1990s. He reached quarter-finals and semi-finals in various tournaments.

In 1993, he showed his amazing skill at the World Championship. He hit a perfect 170 checkout against John Lowe, a very tough opponent. After this, some top players, including Barney, left the British Darts Organisation (BDO) to form the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

In 1995, Barney reached his first World Final! He beat several strong players to get there. However, he lost the final match 6-3 to Richie Burnett from Wales.

Winning Four World Titles (1998-2005)

After a couple of early exits, Barney won his first world title in 1998. He faced Richie Burnett again in the final and won a very close match 6-5. Many people remember this as one of the best finals ever!

He defended his title successfully in 1999, beating Ronnie Baxter 6-5. This made him only the second player to win the World Championship two years in a row. In 1999, he also played against Phil Taylor, who was a huge star in the PDC. Barney lost that match, but it was a big event.

Barney had a tough time in 2000, losing in the first round. He also lost in the quarter-finals in 2001 and 2002. But he came back strong in 2003, winning his third world title by beating Ritchie Davies 6-3.

In 2004, he reached the semi-finals but lost a close match. Then, in 2005, he won his fourth world title! He played incredibly well, not losing a single set in the first three rounds. He beat Martin Adams 6-2 in the final.

In 2006, Barney reached his sixth World Final, hoping to win a fifth title. But he lost to a young Jelle Klaasen, who was only 21 years old. Besides his World Championship wins, Barney also won the Winmau World Masters twice (in 2001 and 2005). He also won the World Darts Trophy and the International Darts League multiple times.

Barney's Journey to the PDC

Switching to a New Challenge

After playing in the BDO for 20 years and winning four World Championships, Raymond van Barneveld decided to move to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in 2006. He wanted a new challenge and to play against top players like Phil Taylor more often. He started from the bottom of the PDC rankings. But in just 12 months, he became the world number two and a World Champion!

Van Barneveld in 2006

Big Wins in 2006 and 2007

Barney's first PDC event was the 2006 Premier League. He quickly showed his skill, even hitting his first televised nine dart finish. He also beat Phil Taylor in the UK Open quarter-finals, which was a dream come true for him. He went on to win his first major PDC title at the UK Open in June 2006.

He continued his winning streak by beating Terry Jenkins in the final of the 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic. Barney was on fire, winning many titles in the PDC.

Van Barneveld in 2007

The most exciting moment came in the 2007 PDC World Championship final. He played against Phil Taylor in a match that many call one of the greatest darts matches ever. Barney was three sets down but fought back to win 7-6 in a sudden-death leg! This win gave him his fifth world title, matching the record of darts legend Eric Bristow.

van Barneveld walking on in 2007

In February 2007, he also won the Masters of Darts tournament, beating Peter Manley 7-0 in the final.

Later PDC Years and Retirement

The years after 2007 were a bit tougher for Barney, but he still had many great moments. In 2008, he became the world number one for a short time. He also reached the World Grand Prix final.

In the 2009 World Championship, he made history by hitting the first-ever nine-dart finish in that tournament! A nine-darter is when a player finishes a leg in the fewest possible darts (nine). He reached the final but lost to Phil Taylor. He hit another nine-darter in the 2010 World Championship, becoming the first player to hit two in that event.

In 2012, Barney won his first major tournament in five years, the Grand Slam of Darts. He beat Michael van Gerwen in an exciting all-Dutch final. This win was even named the "Best PDC Televised Performance of the Year."

In 2014, he achieved another huge goal by winning the Premier League Darts. He beat Phil Taylor in the semi-finals and then Michael van Gerwen in the final. This was a very special win for him. He also won the PDC World Cup of Darts with Michael van Gerwen in 2014, 2017, and 2018.

After a period of mixed results, Barney announced his retirement in 2018. He played his last World Championship in 2020. However, he decided to make a comeback in 2021 and quickly won a Players Championship event! He continues to compete in darts, showing his passion for the game.

Outside of Darts

In 2012, Raymond van Barneveld and other darts players recorded a charity song called 'Got My Tickets for the Darts'. The money raised from the song went to a children's hospice. In 2017, he was even featured in a song by a Dutch rapper!

Personal Life

Raymond van Barneveld lives in The Hague, Netherlands, with his wife Julia. He has three children: a son named William, and two daughters, Daisy and Patty. In 2009, he shared that he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This condition can sometimes affect his eyesight if his blood sugar levels are too high. He is also a big fan of the football club ADO Den Haag.

Awards and Records

Raymond van Barneveld has received many awards for his amazing career:

• Best PDC Pro Tour Player/Floor Player: 2008
• PDC Nine Dart Club: He has hit many nine-dart finishes, both on TV and in other games.
• PDC Televised Performance of the Year: 2013
• PDC Best Newcomer: 2006
• BDO Personality Award: 1998
• Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: In 1999, he was honored by the Dutch royal family for his achievements.

World Championship Results

BDO World Championship

• 1991: First round
• 1993: Second round
• 1995: Runner-up (lost in the final)
• 1996: Second round
• 1997: Second round
• 1998: Winner (won his first world title!)
• 1999: Winner (defended his title!)
• 2000: First round
• 2001: Quarter-final
• 2002: Quarter-final
• 2003: Winner (won his third world title!)
• 2004: Semi-final
• 2005: Winner (won his fourth world title!)
• 2006: Runner-up (lost in the final)

PDC World Championship

• 2007: Winner (won his fifth world title, first in PDC!)
• 2008: Third round
• 2009: Runner-up (lost in the final)
• 2010: Semi-final
• 2011: Quarter-final
• 2012: First round
• 2013: Semi-final
• 2014: Third round
• 2015: Semi-final
• 2016: Semi-final
• 2017: Semi-final
• 2018: Quarter-final
• 2019: Second round
• 2020: First round
• 2021: Did not play (retired)
• 2022: Second round
• 2023: Third round
• 2024: Fourth round
• 2025: Second round

Nine-Dart Finishes

A nine-dart finish is like a perfect game in darts. It's when a player finishes a leg using the fewest possible darts, which is nine. Raymond van Barneveld has achieved this amazing feat many times on TV!

Raymond van Barneveld's televised nine-dart finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	How he did it	Prize
23 March 2006	Peter Manley	Premier League Darts	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 20, Triple 19, Double 12
2 January 2009	Jelle Klaasen	PDC World Darts Championship	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 20, Triple 19, Double 12	£20,000
28 December 2009	Brendan Dolan	PDC World Darts Championship	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 20, Triple 19, Double 12	£25,000
29 April 2010	Terry Jenkins	Premier League Darts	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 20, Triple 19, Double 12
17 July 2010	Denis Ovens	World Matchplay	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 20, Triple 19, Double 12	£5,000

High Averages

In darts, an "average" is the score a player gets per three darts thrown. A higher average means a player is throwing very well. Barney has achieved some incredibly high averages in televised matches!

Raymond van Barneveld televised high averages

Average	Date	Opponent	Tournament	Stage	Score
113.38	3 June 2018	Dimitri Van den Bergh	2018 PDC World Cup of Darts	Semi-finals	4–2 (legs)
113.04	20 September 2012	Terry Jenkins	2012 European Championship	Round 1	6–1 (legs)
112.28	5 April 2012	Kevin Painter	2012 Premier League	League	8–6 (legs)
110.15	12 November 2016	Nathan Aspinall	2016 Grand Slam of Darts	Group stage	5–1 (legs)

Images for kids

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  Van Barneveld in 2006

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  Van Barneveld in 2007

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  van Barneveld walking on in 2007

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  Van Barneveld in 2016