HISTORY will be made in the final of the 2008 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship on Tuesday night, as rookie Kirk Shepherd seeks to continue his incredible run against John Part.
The 21-year-old has defied odds of 500/1 from Ladbrokes.com and 13 missed match darts against him on his run to the final of the tournament.
Should he follow up wins over the likes of Terry Jenkins, Peter Manley and Wayne Mardle in defeating Part, he would become the youngest ever World Champion.
Jelle Klaasen was 21 years and 90 days old when he won the Lakeside Championship in 2006, and Shepherd is two days younger than the Dutchman.
He is also guaranteed £50,000 for reaching the final - with the winner on New Year's Day taking home £100,000 - and he will also move into the PDC's top 32 after starting the event at 140th in the Order of Merit.
"I know I'm in the Grand Slam of Darts and hopefully I have pushed into the top 32 of the world," said Shepherd.
"The £50,000 means a lot to me and it could change my life for the better.
"I'm playing in Gibraltar during January but hopefully I will have a relaxing holiday for a week somewhere with my mum, dad and girlfriend to chill out - after I win this!"
Shepherd is also considering becoming a full-time professional in 2008, having continued his job as a sheet metal worker for Ramsgate firm FK Moore & Son for the past 18 months since joining the PDC circuit.
"I'm not sure what I'll do," he said. "All I am thinking about is winning this competition at first, and then I'll worry about what happens after.
"They've been pretty good over the year. When I've needed time off and my holiday is gone, they have given me time off without pay.
"I work 8-5 and then practice for two hours. I try and fit in as much practise as I can around it, but hopefully I won't have to go back there after the final.
"I'm supposed to be working at 8am on Wednesday but if I can win it, this will be my future and I won't have to set foot in there again!"
Should Part win, he would become only the fifth player, alongside Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Eric Bristow and John Lowe, to win three World Championships.
However, he refuses to look at any potential consequences of victory, adding: "I just want to win.
"If you're trying to do anything other than just play good darts and win you probably won't."
Part admits that he has been impressed by the World Championship debutant's performances throughout the event at Alexandra Palace.
"My experience may help me in the final but Kirk has gone deep in a lot of matches," he said. "Perhaps he's been a little lucky but he's hit the shots.
"Maybe there's more pressure if you're a bigger favourite but it doesn't matter to me.
"Just to be in the final is fantastic, and to be in position to close out another title is really exciting."
Part has also moved back up into the top six on the PDC Order of Merit following his success - but he added: "It's a double-edged sword.
"The money is great and it puts you way back up there, but eventually you have to defend it.
"I've learned that lesson - I was ranked 16th after last year's World Championship and it's a bit hard to take when you were first a couple of years before that.
"It's great, but you always have to defend it."
Part prepared alongside friend John Morrison in Canada during December before travelling to England, and paid tribute to the forklift driver's help.
"He's a great player," said Part. "He lives in Oshawa and plays in a lot of tournaments in Canada.
"We practised for most of the month before I came over, he was off work and it worked out well for me.
"We were doing two matches a day over the best of five sets, and throwing some Cricket matches too to make it two or three hours.
"He has a good head on his shoulders; if I come up with some special darts for a while he doesn't let it get to him and he hits back with something and forces me to come back with something."
Shepherd has also had assistance in his preparations - from Kent-based Mick Norris.
Ironically, Norris was the winner of the last News of the World Championship staged at Alexandra Palace, in 1977, and will be in the crowd to watch Shepherd's bid to be the first PDC World Champion at the venue.
Routes To The Final
Kirk Shepherd
PDPA Qualifiers (Wolverhampton, 16 Nov)
| First Round | def Martyn Turner 5-4 (legs) |
| Second Round | def Ian Branks 5-3 |
| Third Round | def Andy Callaby 5-2 |
| Fourth Round | def Mark Stephenson 5-2 |
| Fifth Round | def John MaGowan 5-4 |
| First Round | def Terry Jenkins 3-2 (sets) |
| Second Round | def Mick McGowan 4-3 |
| Third Round | def Barrie Bates 4-2 |
| Quarter-Finals | def Peter Manley 5-4 |
| Semi-Finals | def Wayne Mardle 6-4 |
John Part
| First Round | def Charles Losper 3-1 |
| Second Round | def Mensur Suljovic 4-1 |
| Third Round | def Alex Roy 4-0 |
| Quarter-Finals | def James Wade 5-4 |
| Semi-Finals | def Kevin Painter 6-2 |