When the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to sport across the country, Mervyn King opted to take on a new venture.
The darts star, who dons the nickname ‘The King’, has reached seven finals on the Professional Darts Corporation [PDC] circuit.
King normally plies his trade behind the ocheGetty
King won the 2004 World Masters and also reached the final of the BDO [British Darts Organisation] World Darts Championship that same year, as well as in 2002.
But when the United Kingdom went into lockdown as a result of COVID-19, he put the darts aside and became a delivery driver.
The 58-year-old earned £120-per-day by delivering up to 200 packages for online shopping giants Amazon, as reported by The Sun.
“It was quite a shock seeing such a well-known sports star packing up his van with parcels,” a colleague of King’s told the outlet.
“I imagine there will have been a few punters doing a double-take when top darts pro Mervyn King rings their doorbell with a delivery. But fair play to him.
“It would have been easy to sit around doing nothing but he obviously likes the idea of getting out of the house and earning some money and doesn’t care who sees him.”
King played it down though as he said: “I don’t really think it’s news, do you? I don’t really see it’s anyone’s business what I do to be fair. I mean, at the end of the day, we are all trying to make a living.”
He then revealed in 2021 that he brought a halt to his delivery work and took up a new opportunity away from the oche, this time in the construction business.
Speaking on PDC Europe’s Not So Late Night Darts Show via Dartsnews.com, he said: “A bit different now, I was a delivery driver.
“But now I’ve knocked that on the head in the last couple of months I’ve had a construction company. I formed that with a friend of mine.”
King played a key role during the pandemic by delivering packages for AmazonThe Sun
One of his co-workers said it was a ‘shock’ to see him in the roleThe Sun
King has spent 30 years in professional dartsGetty
King’s professional debut came at the World Masters in 1994 and his tournament victory ten years later was the first of three major BDO titles.
He then completed a switch to the BDO’s rival organisation PDC at the beginning of 2007 and has played in their competitions since.
With an average of 92.61 and his world ranking sitting at 62, King’s total career prize money takings are £2,109,367 according to the Professional Darts Players Association.
