HE is the new BDO world darts champion but how much do you really know about Scott Mitchell? Here are eight facts about the likeable lad from Bransgore that you might not have picked up on.

LATE STARTER

Although he threw his first arrow at just eight years old, it wasn't until he was 24 that he swapped his other hobby, motorcross, to take up darts seriously. At 29 he was called up to play for Dorset but struggled with nerves to the extent that the manager told him to give up and stop embarrassing himself.

HYPNO-DARTS

As a result, rather than just limiting himself to regular practice at the oche, Mitchell has undergone hypnotherapy to help him improve his game and steady his nerves. It doesn’t seem to have done any harm...

SUPERSTITIOUS

“I am a little bit superstitious,” he told us. “For the first three years I wore a pair of pink boxers that Trina Gulliver had signed on the backside and lost every time." Now he has a pair of lucky England boxers which he wears for every game.

SPEEDWAY FANATIC

Mitchell is a huge fan of Poole Pirates and regularly attends meetings at Wimborne Road. Such is the extent of his fandom that he had the Elite League champions’ logo emblazoned on his left shirt sleeve for the world championship. He is also a big supporter of Cherries.

AGAINST THE ODDS

Although Mitchell was the number four seed, he had previously had very little success in the Frimley Green tournament. Between 2010 and 2014 – the first five years he qualified – the Dorset thrower only reached the second round twice.

WHAT AN ENTRANCE!

Mitchell’s nickname is “Scotty Dog” and his entrance music is “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baha Men. The track was named number one on Spinner’s “Top 20 Worst Songs Ever” list. Obviously, Scotty Dog doesn’t agree.

DAY JOB

Although often referred to as “a farmer from Bransgore”, Mitchell is a landscape gardener by trade. Poole Pirates star Chris Holder has made use of Mitchell’s professional expertise before and the pair are good friends.

LOYAL

Although he has admitted that the switch from the British Darts Organisation circuit to the lucrative Professional Darts Corporation equivalent is a long-term option, Mitchell will stay with the BDO for the foreseeable future. This afternoon he confirmed that he won't be taking up a spot at the PDC Qualifying School.