Barney: Five Titles and Darts' Greatest Final

Six sets each, a sudden-death leg for the 2007 world title, and across the oche stands Phil Taylor — the greatest player the game has ever known. Raymond van Barneveld, a former postman from The Hague, doesn't blink.

Who Is Raymond van Barneveld?

Van Barneveld — "Barney" to everyone in darts — is a Dutch professional and five-time world champion. Four of those titles came with the BDO in 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005, and the fifth with the PDC in 2007.

Before darts paid the bills, he delivered mail in The Hague. That everyman backstory made his rise feel personal to millions of Dutch fans.

Raymond van Barneveld's Nine-Darter Is Pure Theatre

Barney builds the tension one dart at a time before delivering the perfect finish and a classic arena eruption.

The BDO Years

His first world title in 1998 was a national event in the Netherlands. Televised matches drew enormous Dutch audiences, and darts exploded in a country that had never been a darts power.

Three more titles at the BDO World Darts Championship followed, making him the defining player of its era. By 2005 he had nothing left to prove on that side of the sport.

The Switch and the Greatest Final

In 2006 he moved to the PDC — the code Phil Taylor ruled. The question was whether the Dutch master could beat the best player in history on his own turf.

The answer took a year. In the 2007 PDC World Championship final, Barney beat Taylor 7-6 in a sudden-death leg, capping one of the highest-quality matches the sport has ever seen.

That win made him one of the very few players with world titles in both codes. It also handed the Taylor era its greatest rivalry.

The Secret Behind Raymond van Barneveld's Legendary Throw

A close look at Barney's distinctive technique reveals why his throw has remained so recognizable and effective.

How He Plays

Barney's throw is classically smooth — an unhurried, flowing action that coaches love to point at. At his best he paired heavy scoring with beautiful finishing, all wrapped in a calm stage presence.

His battles with Taylor were a study in contrast: machine-like relentlessness against touch and timing. When both were on song, the standard was untouchable.

Legacy

His biggest legacy might be geographic. He made the Netherlands a darts-mad country, and Michael van Gerwen's generation grew up watching him.

Viper Shot King Set: Regulation Sisal Board With Six Darts Included

• Regulation compressed sisal surface heals around steel tips for a long playing life
• Rotating number ring spreads out wear to extend the board's lifespan
• Includes six steel tip darts so you can start playing right out of the box

Buy on Amazon

The career highlights stack up:

• Five world titles across the BDO and PDC
• The legendary 2007 final win over Phil Taylor
• Multiple major titles and Premier League appearances across two decades
• The Dutch darts boom that reshaped the professional game

He retired in 2019, then couldn't stay away — he returned to the tour and kept competing at Alexandra Palace. Few players have been loved by crowds for so long.

How many world titles does Raymond van Barneveld have?

Five: four BDO titles (1998, 1999, 2003, 2005) and the 2007 PDC crown. That makes him one of the rare champions in both codes.

What is Raymond van Barneveld most famous for?

The 2007 PDC final against Phil Taylor, won 7-6 in a sudden-death leg. It's still widely called the greatest darts match ever played.

If your throw ever feels like a fight, queue up a Barney leg and let smooth reset your tempo.