I’m a darts star who shocked everyone at World Championships – but I’m a firefighter and a guide dog trainer by day

DARTS star Alan Soutar is a firefighter and guide dog trainer by day when he is not on the oche.

The Scot is no stranger to providing a shock either after almost four years on the PDC tour.

Taylor Lanning

Scottish darts star Alan Soutar is a firefighter by day when he is not at the oche[/caption]

instagram / @soots180

Soutar and his family also train guide dogs and have qualified six puppies so far[/caption]

After starring on the BDO and WDF circuits, Soots secured a tour card at the first attempt in 2021.

He has since reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts and made the last 16 on both his appearances at the World Championships.

However, darts is not the 46-year-old’s only passion as he juggles two jobs as well as a love for local football club Arbroath.

Soutar works as a firefighter in Dundee, which has seen him work on Christmas Day in the middle of the World Championships at Alexandra Palace.

He told Sky Sports in 2021: “I’ve done it my whole life. I’ve been a firefighter for 17 years, so I’ve learnt to deal with the adversity of my job but also to try and balance it and put enough hours in on the dart board.”

Meanwhile, Soutar and his family also train guide dogs at home when he is not fighting fires or hitting 180s.

The family recently qualified their sixth guide dog puppy, Quilla, in August.

He wrote on Instagram: “We are proud as a family of our small part in changing and enhancing someone less fortunate’s life.”

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Soutar has also had success on the board in 2024 after winning his first ProTour title back in June.

He beat Daryl Gurney in the final of Players Championship 11 in Hildesheim and is currently 41st in the PDC Order of Merit.

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Soots picked up shock wins at the PDC World Darts Championships in 2021 and 2022[/caption]

That win is set to help him make a return to Ally Pally later this year as he sits 35th in the ProTour Order of Merit at present.

After picking up shock scalps of Jose De Sousa and Gurney on his first two appearances, Soutar failed to qualify last year.

Despite being ranked 34th in the world ahead of the tournament, he lost in the final qualifier and had to settle for being first reserve.

Reflecting at the time, he said: “I’m not actually that disappointed by it. Because if you haven’t had a good year and you’re relying on a qualifier, it shouldn’t come down to that. 

“If you are 33rd or 34th in the world, the qualifier is not where you should be.”

After failing to qualify last year, Soutar is on course for a return to Ally Pally in DecemberRex