1. Raymond Van Barneveld vs Phil Taylor World Championship Final 2007.

This match is regarded by many as simply the greatest game ever played, and I echo those sentiments as I could look no further than this titanic showdown as the number one moment in the history of this great sport.

The scene was set perfectly as on one side you had the all conquering Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor who dominated the game with an iron fist, with his staggering sixteen world titles a testament to that fact.

Whilst on the other side you had the four time BDO World Champion Raymond Van Barneveld, who had crossed the divide between the two rival federations in search of new challenges and a desire to test himself against the greatest player the game has ever seen.

The unrivalled King of the PDC had a new challenger in the shape of the current BDO Champion and it was a fascinating prospect for these men to possibly meet in the 2007 final.

With both players being drawn in opposing sides of the tournament, the prospect of the fantasy final was a reality.

Both men displayed majestic form in the match ups that followed, and we the fans got what we wanted as the two world champions would meet in what was the last ever final to be held at the Circus Tavern, which had been the spiritual home of this competition since 1994.

What played out in those halls was a night of pure tension, drama, and sporting excellence that gripped every single fan in attendance and those of us watching at home.

Both men delivered immense skill and guts in spades, in a match that ebb and flowed one way and then the other. With Taylor battling to hold down the pretender to his throne, whilst Barney refused to wilt under the pressure after sliding to an early 3-0 deficit on sets.

RVB responded with a majestic display of scoring that saw him land twenty one 180’s to Phil Taylor’s ten, as he fought back from the canvas. Eventually taking The Power all the way to a sudden death leg as neither man could be separated with the scores sat at 6-6 on sets and 5-5 on legs.

With the nerves of every spectator shredded, it was a sight to behold for both players to keep their composure in such a pressure cooker setting as neither man refused to falter, and only a final shootout for the bull could separate these two giants of the game.

With Barney winning the said shootout, it was he who begun the final leg with the darts, landing a solid ton to commence the final proceedings.

Taylor would reply in earnest with a cold maximum that would surely be the knockout blow to the seemingly unflappable Dutchman.

Raymond somehow conjured up another 180 of his own in riposte, much to the disbelief of his opponent and everyone else, as we had seen so many men crumble under the might of the machine that is Phil Taylor.

Barney would go on to take control of the sudden death leg, and with three match darts and destiny in his own hands he would land double tops for the championship in his very first foray into the PDC’s flagship event.

It was a fitting finale as everyone watching at home and in attendance were completely engrossed from start to finish as the PDC said an emotional goodbye to the Circus Tavern.

With that chapter closing in the games history it was Phil Taylor who opened up a new page in his own career as he reeled off another three world titles at its new home of Alexandra Palace.

For Raymond Van Barneveld, it is scarcely believable that this was his first and only PDC World Championship.

Yet it is this moment that still stands proudly in the annals of time as the greatest match ever played in the history of this sport, and in my opinion, it is rightly so.

Therefore, the gravity of his extraordinary victory that night in 2007 should never be forgotten.

I hope you enjoyed the countdown!

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Phil.

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