Tributes paid to St Andrews darts ace Danny Cunningham Jnr

Darts player Danny Cunningham Jnr, left, pictured with friend Wullie Burness during his final competitive season before retiring as part of the Ciswo A team

Cunningham’s death has prompted tributes from competitors and team-mates, as well as family and friends.

The Scotland international captained his country and played competitively in singles at elite level.

He had a great sense of humour, was a big friend to fellow Fife darts player Jocky Wilson and was respected by all in the game.

Cunningham’s son, also called Danny, told of days spent with his brother John watching his dad compete against some of the greats of the game at darts’ most iconic venues.

“I was really young when Jocky and all that were about,” said Danny.

“We were a very do-it-together family back in the day and I spent countless weekends before my teenage years sitting in pubs and clubs with the Fife team watching my dad playing darts.

“I’ve been down to the Lakeside watching him play in the home internationals.

“That was us. Everybody goes on about footballers nowadays, but when we were young, we were starstruck by guys like Gary Anderson, who was coming through, and Phil Taylor. They were all there.”

At his peak, Cunningham was one of the nation’s leading players. He played 66 times for Scotland, winning 37 of those matches, also representing his country at world and European cups.

Cunningham, also a passionate Liverpool fan, was encouraged into the game by his dad, Danny Snr, and played for numerous local league teams, but darts changed and the introduction of the PDC saw the game evolve into something else entirely.

New opportunities came up for Cunningham but he refused to go down that particular path, the family man instead deciding to remain in St An drews and work as a street sweep for Fife Council.

As well as his sons, he had nine grandchildren.

A tribute from Fife darts said: “At the time Danny played for Scotland, he was playing his county darts for Fife, where he played 217 times over a 31 year period.

"Without doubt, there will be many of his friends that will be sad but recalling many happy memories of their time with him.”

Cunningham, husband to Christine, will be laid to rest at Kirkcaldy Crematorium on Monday, November 1.