JAMES WADE COLUMN: ‘View From the Oche with OOONO’ is back as the darts star talks about his Grand Slam of Darts campaign which ended in the group stages
09:00, 13 Nov 2025
James Wade’s column, in collaboration with OOONO – a screen-free traffic camera alert device, for safer driving
I don’t know where to start with my Grand Slam of Darts campaign. Preparation was fine, and I’m comfortable at Wolverhampton after several years at the venue, along with a reasonable amount of success, including reaching the semi-finals a couple of years ago.
I got off to a flying start on Saturday against Stefon Bellmont, scoring 180 on my first throw and playing well in the first three legs. I had a solid start in my fourth leg as well, but when it came down to it, I had three darts to win the leg but ended up shaving the wire.
Instead of going up 4-0, it became 3-1, which affected my game. For some reason, I struggled with my doubles, and after going to a last-leg decider at 4-4, I missed three darts that cost me dearly.
Last week, I mentioned in my column that it might be best to lose the first game to focus on winning afterward – scratch that. I know Gerwyn Price is a fantastic player and hard to beat on his day. I believe he’s on par with Luke Humphries and Luke Littler – high praise indeed.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t at my best when I played Gezzy; in fact, it was the complete opposite. I played terribly. Everything felt wrong, and sometimes, unfortunately, my condition affects my performance. Recently, I’ve been coping well and strategising, but for whatever reason, I didn’t handle it well this time.
James Wade exited the Grand Slam of Darts at the group stage(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
It felt embarrassing for me, and I worried it might be embarrassing for the crowd too, even though Price put on a professional display, winning 5-0.
I wanted to go home, but there was still one game to play on Monday, and I was already out of the tournament. It felt strange to play without real motivation; however, I wanted to prove to myself that I was over the disappointing result from Sunday. After training hard, I ended up winning my final game 5-2 against Ricky Evans, and I felt a bit proud of that.
Now, I’m back home with my kids and Samantha, and I have no desire to watch the darts. It’s not because I’m bitter; I just don’t have any interest in it at all, especially seeing top players making money while I sulk at home.
Legends of Darts special edition ON SALE NOW
Way before the stunning emergence of Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Humphries – plus the razzmatazz, sell-out crowds and wall-to-wall TV coverage of today – we had the first golden era of darts.
And what a truly wonderful, halcyon period it was, too.
And with the World Championship now just around the corner, this special edition takes a look back at the legends of the game.
Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson, John Lowe, Bobby George, Keith Deller, Cliff Lazarenko… The names, and many more on top, just reel off the tongue for sports fans of a certain vintage.
On sale now in participating retailers or purchase online and have it sent direct to your home.
Fortunately, I won’t have time to sulk. Next week, I’m off to Minehead for the Players Championship Final, a tournament I’ve won before. Last year, I reached the quarter-finals, and it’s crucial for me to get a run going as I prepare for the World Championships.
While I’m focused on the Players Championship, I’m already thinking about the World Championship and working on improving my game. It’s been a really good year so far, but I want to do much better at Ally Pally. The past two years at the World Championship have been disappointing for me, so I’m determined to perform at a much higher level this time around.
Take care,
Wadey
OOONO is a screen-free traffic camera alert device, for safer driving – https://ooono.com/en-uk/
James Wade’s column, in collaboration with OOONO – a screen-free traffic camera alert device, for safer driving
