Bankrupt former World Darts semi-finalist, 59, stuns Gerwyn Price to earn timely Players Championship prize money boost
The Ipswich ace toppled former Ally Pally champ Gerwyn Price on the way to three impressive wins at Players Championship 18.
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It could not be more timely for King who feared losing his home after saying he owed 'north of £500,000' to HMRC.
The one-time BDO world no. 1 exclusively told SunSport in March he even worried about how he could look after his three dogs.
The ex-PDC World Championship semi-finalist said he "hid my head in the sand' as his debts soared over the past two decades.
But King was in scintillating nick at Leicester's Mattioli Arena on Wednesday.
And top billing went to his opening performance.
The current world no.147 dismantled Premier League Darts star Price 6-2.
Averaging nearly 100, King bagged six of his nine attempts at double to clinch a 6-2 victory.
His Welsh victim Price, 40, is world-ranked 11th and has seven PDC majors to his name, including the ultimate prize at the Ally Pally in 2021.
King went onto beat Glastonbury thrower Justin Hood 6-3 before pipping Dutchman Wesley Plaisier 6-5.
But resurgent Morecambe hurler Dave Chisnall ended the veteran's surge by inflicting a 6-2 defeat.
Darts star Daryl Gurney screams X-rated rant about his 'b------s' on stage at World Cup
But for King just being at the oche might be a joy after he was made insolvent at the High Court of Justice in London earlier this year.
It left he and wife Tracey anxious about the care of their three large pets — a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, a Pyrenees-Newfoundland cross and a Golden Retriever - should the couple have to move home.
King picked up most of his darts' prize money at his peak from the late-90s to early 2000s.
However, he mistakenly thought that income was "winnings" rather than "earnings" - and he didn't make it known to the tax authorities.
Two decades later - during Covid - King began delivering parcels for Amazon — and realised he could be near to becoming bankrupt.
He also started a construction business but 'got rid of it' as he could no longer be a company director.
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