Chris Dobey admits it would be ‘a dream’ to triumph on home soil in the Cazoo Premier League, as he prepares to headline Thursday’s Night Eight action in Newcastle.
Masters champion Dobey will be the star attraction at the Utilita Arena, with World Champion Michael Smith awaiting the home favourite in Thursday’s quarter-finals.
The Bedlington thrower defeated Smith en route to reaching Nottingham’s Night Seven final last week, and he’s targeting a repeat performance ahead of his highly-anticipated homecoming.
“Everybody knows this is the big one for me, playing in front of a home crowd,” admitted Dobey, who featured in Newcastle as a contender during the 2019 Premier League.
“It’s going to be surreal. I will have a lot of friends and family there. Any game where you’ve got a home crowd on your side is something special, so I’m going to enjoy every moment.
“It would top it all off if I could get that win on Thursday. It will be the one that I’ve dreamed of.
“Fingers crossed I can do that. I will knuckle down and hopefully I can perform on the night.”
Dobey made his entrance to Newcastle United anthem ‘Local Hero’ in his previous appearance on home soil, a moment which remains one of the most iconic in Premier League history.
The 32-year-old insists the famous anthem will get another airing on his North East return, as he bids to steal the show in front of a capacity crowd on Thursday night.
“Everybody in the North East knows how much Local Hero means to myself and the city of Newcastle,” added Dobey, a season-ticket holder at St James’ Park.
“It went down a treat last time I played in Newcastle, so it’s got to be done!”
Dobey has received plenty of plaudits since lifting his maiden televised title in January, with Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer among those following his progress.
“I woke up with a text message [from Shearer] saying congratulations on winning your first big one. I couldn't believe it," revealed Dobey, who defeated Rob Cross to prevail at the Cazoo Masters.
“I didn't believe it at first, then I put it on social media and he retweeted it and liked it so I thought it must be him! He followed me on social media as well, which was a bonus.”
Dobey made a dream start on his Premier League bow in Belfast, defeating Peter Wright, Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen to claim the spoils on Night One.
The debutant then suffered a sequence of five successive quarter-final defeats, despite posting ton-plus averages in three of those matches.
However, he returned to winning ways in Nottingham, edging out Smith and whitewashing Van Gerwen before succumbing to Gerwyn Price in the Night Seven showpiece.
“It gave me a lot of confidence. I’ve been playing well in the last few weeks without getting results,” claimed Dobey, the first player in Premier League history to whitewash Van Gerwen.
“I think there was one game against Michael [van Gerwen] in Dublin where I didn't feel great. That’s the only game where I felt I played badly.
“Michael [van Gerwen] has beaten me many times before so it was just nice to get the win [in Nottingham], but he’ll be gunning for me the next time I play him, that’s for sure!”
The pair could collide in Newcastle’s Night Eight decider, but Dobey’s first assignment will see him take on Smith for the second consecutive week.
Dobey defied a late rally from the St Helens star to a close out a 6-4 success last Thursday, and he is relishing the prospect of his renewing his rivalry with the world number one.
“I’m delighted with the way I’m playing, and hopefully I go one better in Newcastle,” added Dobey, one of four players to claim nightly wins across the opening seven nights.
“I normally have great games against Michael [Smith]. You often relax when you play your friends, but you have to switch off that friendship and just play the board.
“My averages are showing [what I can do], so it’s all about grinding the results out. Fingers crossed Thursday will be my night!”
The 2023 Cazoo Premier League will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN, Viaplay and VTM, and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.
Night Eight - Thursday March 23
Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright
Nathan Aspinall v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gerwyn Price v Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith v Chris Dobey
Semi-Finals
Van Gerwen/Wright v Aspinall/Van den Bergh
Price/Clayton v Smith/Dobey
Final
v
All matches best of 11 legs