Alan Tabern

Alan Tabern (born 29 September 1966) is an English darts player who plays in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He is nicknamed "The Saint".

Alan Tabern
Personal information
Nickname	"The Saint"
Born	(1966-09-29) 29 September 1966 (age 58) St. Helens, Merseyside, England
Home town	St. Helens, Merseyside, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1985
Darts	Target Darts
Laterality	Left-handed
Walk-on music	"The Saints Are Coming" by U2 and Green Day
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	2004
PDC	2005–
WDF major events – best performances
Int. Darts League	Preliminary round: 2007
PDC premier events – best performances
World Championship	Quarter-final: 2007
World Matchplay	Quarter-final: 2008
World Grand Prix	Last 16: 2007. 2011
UK Open	Semi-final: 2006
Grand Slam	Group stages: 2008
European Championship	Quarter-final: 2008
Ch'ship League	Winners group, semi-finals: 2008
Desert Classic	Quarter-final: 2008
US Open/WSoD	Semi-final: 2009
PC Finals	Last 16: 2009
Other tournament wins
Atlanta Players Championship 2008 Midlands Open 2008 PDC Challenge Tour England 2014 (x3), 2017 Southport Open 2009 Players Championships Players Championship (NWE) 2008 Players Championship (WAL) 2008 UK Open Regionals/Qualifiers UK Open Regional (NWE) 2006

Darts career

A left-hander, Tabern made his PDC World Championship debut in 2006 with a surprising win over Alex Roy. He was beaten in the second round by Mark Dudbridge. Tabern reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship, where he was beaten 0–5 by eventual winner Raymond van Barneveld. In the 2008 World Championship, Tabern defeated Denmark's Per Laursen and Andy Jenkins, before losing 3–4 in the third round to Phil Taylor. Tabern caused a major shock in the 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic by beating No. 2 seed and reigning champion van Barneveld 8–4 in the second round.^[1] In the 2008 World Matchplay, Tabern reached the quarter-finals, knocking out current World Champion John Part before losing to Dennis Priestley.

Following this great run of form, Tabern attracted a new sponsor in Target Darts. In August 2008, he claimed his second PDC Pro Tour victory in the Peach Tree Open in Atlanta, Georgia, by defeating Andy Hamilton 3–1 in the final, and the next month Tabern claimed another Players Championship win in Wales. This put him in the top 10 in the PDC Order of Merit for the first time in his career. He played in the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts, where he was involved in the first televised nine-dart shootout after he and Hamilton had finished level on points and leg difference in their group. Tabern lost 265–169 in it, with only one of his nine darts hitting treble 20, with three others in either five or one beds, contrasting with Hamilton's four treble 20s from six darts.

Tabern suffered a second round exit in the 2009 PDC World Championship, losing to Co Stompé.^[2] The following year, he suffered another second round defeat, this time losing 3–4 to Mark Dudbridge, having missed six darts to win. Tabern once again missed six match-darts in the second round of the 2011 tournament against Mark Walsh.

On the second day of 2018 Q School in Wigan, Tabern managed to regain his tour card for 2018–2019 after beating Steven Kirkby 5–1 in the final.

World Championship results

PDC

• 2006: 2nd round (lost to Mark Dudbridge 0–4)
• 2007: Quarter-final (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 0–5)
• 2008: 3rd round (lost to Phil Taylor 3–4)
• 2009: 2nd round (lost to Co Stompé 1–4)
• 2010: 2nd round (lost to Mark Dudbridge 3–4)
• 2011: 2nd round (lost to Mark Walsh 3–4)
• 2012: 2nd round (lost to Paul Nicholson 0–4)
• 2019: 2nd round (lost to Michael van Gerwen 1–3)

Performance timeline

Tournament	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
PDC World Championship	DNQ	2R	QF	3R	2R	2R	2R	2R	Did not qualify						2R	DNQ
UK Open	2R	SF	4R	QF	QF	5R	3R	3R	DNQ	Prel.	2R	1R	5R	DNQ	3R	5R	2R
World Matchplay	DNQ	1R	1R	QF	2R	2R	1R	Did not qualify
World Grand Prix	DNQ		2R	1R	1R	1R	2R	Did not qualify
European Championship	Not held			QF	DNQ	1R	1R	Did not qualify
Grand Slam of Darts	Not held		DNQ	RR	Did not qualify
Players Championship Finals	Not held				2R	1R	1R	Did not qualify						1R	DNQ		1R
Championship League Darts	Not held			SF	RR	RR	RR	DNQ		Not held
Las Vegas Desert Classic	DNQ		2R	QF	1R	Not held

Performance Table Legend
DNP	Did not play at the event	DNQ	Did not qualify for the event	NYF	Not yet founded	#R	lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)
QF	lost in the quarter-finals	SF	lost in the semi-finals	F	lost in the final	W	won the tournament