CHRIS DOBEY used to put out traffic cones for a living — tonight he plans to put a roadblock on Phil Taylor’s career.
The world No 38 could bring the curtain down on The Power with a shock first-round win.
Incredibly it was only 13 months ago Northumberland-born Dobey turned to darts full-time after years working long hours on some of Britain’s busiest roads.
Dobey, 27, said: “Before the Grand Slam in November 2016, I finished work to concentrate on the TV competitions and I’m just doing darts now.
“I worked in traffic management, putting the cones out on motorways around the north-east.
“We would do 12-hour shifts, say 6pm to 6am.
“You would do that for a couple of weeks and then change shifts.
“It was messing with my darts too much, so I just had to give in in the end.
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“People would give you grief with the cones but it was our job, we cannot do anything else.
“One of my friends got cans of pop and apples thrown at him or Pot Noodles, something like that. It is a tough job.”
Dobey is appearing in his second PDC World Championship, having reached the last 32 on his debut 12 months ago. In just five majors, a Grand Slam quarter-final is his best return.
But he would go down in history if he beats retiring 14-time champ Taylor for the final time on the world stage.
Dobey said: “I can’t wait, it will be brilliant. Phil is a legend, it’s the draw I wanted.
“If I do beat Phil, it will be just the start for me. It is a win-win. Everyone will expect Phil to win and I’ll be the underdog again.
“But I have proved a few times that I am able to beat the favourites.
“What Phil has done in the game is phenomenal.
“You have to forget that if I win it will be his last game. I have to go up there, play the board and focus on my game.”
Dobey’s nickname on the oche is Hollywood and he walks out to Kanye West’s All of the Lights.
He laughed: “It all started off as a little joke. I used to play darts wearing what I wanted.
“Then someone shouted: ‘Who do you think you are — some kind of Hollywood star?’
“It just stuck. It is a stupid reason! Everywhere I went, everyone would say: ‘Hollywood, Hollywood’.
“I would wear shorts, or a baseball cap, whatever I felt comfortable in.”
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