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Phil Taylor Is Improving By Degrees.

At the beginning of 2007 Phil decided that his lack of physical fitness was largely to blame for his loss against Raymond Barneveld in the World Title match. So, he consulted Staffordshire University’s Sports Department, who put him on a 12 week fitness programme. He wanted to lose 6 stone and he hasn’t achieved this yet but fully intends to carry on with the programme because he believes his stamina is improving. The University and Phil's fitness campaign received a lot of publicity on the Television which may have played a part in the Universities decision to present him with an honorary degree.

  Staffordshire University bestow honorary doctorates, (PhD’s) at their annual degree awards ceremony to mark the successes of the current year's graduates and this year Phil Taylor, along with another local personality, BBC Inside Out presenter Ashley Blake, received an honorary degree in recognition of their achievements. Phil was given his degree for his unparalleled success in darts and promotion of the game and Ashley for his work in television journalism. The two collected their awards along with several other personalities on Thursday 19 July at Trentham Gardens, Stoke-On-Trent. 

On the day of the award Phil said, "It's an honour to be honoured, if that makes sense. It's been a lovely day as well, so that's an extra bonus. It is a bit of a different experience for me. I'm excited and a bit nervous as well. I feel a bit like Harry Potter in these robes. I never thought I'd get a doctorate. It hasn't really sunk in yet. I think I might have the Mickey taken out of me by my fellow professionals. I found out about this a few weeks ago. At first I thought it was a wind-up. But then we did a bit of research and we found out it was true. It's a great honour for me to be here. I didn't realise there were so many clever people in Stoke-on-Trent. The thing you've got to do is set yourself a target, and when you've achieved that, set yourself another target."

Some unkind “fans” said that Phil’s degree was merely a token and had no significance but most were pleased to congratulate him via the internet with praise coming from so far a field as Johannesburg, South Africa. Even the most critical “fan” grudgingly had to admit that he and Robbie Williams had done more to put Stoke-On-Trent on the map than any one else. 

Phil Taylor's degree now makes him a Doctor of Darts. On other darts web-sites the self appointed experts offering advice often call themselves the “Dart Doctor,” but Patrick Chaplin is the only person to actually gain a doctorate degree in “Darts,” by actually studying and qualifying for the title. When he received his PhD in “Darts Social History of The Inter War Years,” from one of the Cambridge Universities, in December 2006, there was a lot of comment in the newspapers, but he certainly seems to know "his stuff "and if you want to visit his web-site click on the following address; http://www.patrickchaplin.com