ALAN SOUTAR says he can survive the Ally Pally cauldron after having to roast a RABBIT while a commando in Kosovo.
The Arbroath firefighter faces red-hot Dutch ace Gian Van Veen in a mouthwatering World Championship second round clash at the Ally Pally on Monday afternoon.
Soots, 47, believes he can continue to deal with the tough crowds chanting ‘Scotland get battered everywhere they go’ because of his army background.
But he also admits his pet hate is rubbish SHOWERS and knows he’ll have to turn up the heat against Van Veen.
On the fans boos, he said: “I think you’ve just got to switch off. You’ve got to not think about what’s happening, the situation.
“What I’ve done before is night and day to that. It’s not about precision when you’re in Kosovo or Northern Ireland or wherever. That’s about precision. And it’s millimetres.
“And survival, yeah. But normal survival is eating a rabbit on a spit and being in the field. That [up on stage] is not survival.
“I’ve been in survival situations which is very different to that. Do you know what? I’m lucky and privileged that I can do what I’ve done already and still do this and everyone loves you for it in Scotland.”
Soutar confesses his military precision preparation is vital – even down to the quality of the showers!
He added: “My manager looks after me massively and that’s five years now we’re in and he knows what I want. Even down to a little thing about the shower in the house. I’m very fussy about it. It needs to be a good shower.
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“Pressure as well. I spent a lot of time playing for Scotland and the water would run down the showerhead and down the wall.
“So we stay in nice places. The PDC affords you that opportunity to feel good about yourself and stay in nicer places. Take the full advantage.
“The worst shower? I’ll shout them out. I played for Scotland and it was my first cap as captain. Merthyr Tydfil. The Castle Hotel and that’s where it ran down the wall.
“I’m looking at the tiles going: ‘That can’t be right’. Went to try and get another hotel room. Nah, there’s no more.
“And I’m like face against the tiles trying to get a shower thinking: ‘Come on, man’. I had shampoo in my eyes and everything!
“Those days were amazing, but the PDC has afforded us to be in a better place, so I’m appreciative of that.”
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Soutar believes he will be an even bigger threat on the world stage when he retires from firefighting in a couple of years.
He added: “I’ve got two years left in general. I’ve got to keep the tour card. That’s the biggest part of this experience.
“That’s five years I’ve done it, mixing both. So if I can keep my tour card for the next two years, then I can be a professional dart player and maybe practice more.
“If you think about World Cup teams, in the next five, six, eight years, I’m a bit older than Cammy (Menzies) and a bit older than Daz (Beveridge), but those two could potentially be a World Cup team that can do a bit of damage.
“I’d love to play in it, but I’m in that middle ground of a wee bit older and not as good as Cammy and Gaz (Anderson) and Pete (Wright).”
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