It's 'Strictly Come Darting' at a city pub

Colourful characters Wayne Mardle and Dmitri van den Bergh will take to the oche in the Black Country on Wednesday February 8.

The two throwers will play legs against members of the audience and then each other in a head-to-head duel at the Cleveland Arms Sports Bar, Stowheath Lane.

Their walk-on music will call for a boogie, with Mardle jumping around and imploring fans to do the same to his Hawaii Five-0 by the Ventures, his signature tune.

Dubbed 'Hawaii 5-0-1' with the shirt and garland to match, the 43-year-old Londoner knocked on the door of the biggest game in world darts more than once.

Mardle reached four PDC World Championship semi-finals between 2004 and 2008, but was thwarted on each occasion.

His most-famous worlds tie came in the 2008 quarter-finals, where he came from 3-0 down (sets) to beat then-nemesis Phil Taylor 5-4. He later lost 6-4 to Kirk Shepherd.

Peaking at No 5 in the PDC world rankings, Mardle also featured as a wildcard in the 2008 Premier League before sliding down the rankings.

His only major finals were the 2002 World Matchplay and twice the Las Vegas Desert Classic. He won two non-televised ranking titles in the Players Championship.

He retired in 2012, after making his commentary debut on Sky Sports for the 2011 worlds. He worked alongside the legendary Sid Waddell, before the latter's passing the following year.

Mardle's career as a pundit has since blossomed and he's a mainstay, developing into an on-screen analyst for all PDC coverage on Sky Sports.

Dancing Belgian van den Bergh is a rising star in the PDC, after breaking into their top 64 for the first time during 2016.

He had only himself to blame for his first round exit at the last worlds, fluffing two darts at a double in a deciding set to lose 3-2 to Cristo Reyes.

He reached the second round of the 2016 worlds, as the underdog who stunned Ian White 3-1 before going down 4-2 to Benito van de Pas.

He also came off second best to Robert Thornton of a nine-dart shoot-out during the last Grand Slam at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, after both were tied for second place in the group stages.

His jive to entrance song 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams before the White clash was the stuff of legend and has endeared him to the darts faithful.

Tickets are available now with standard entry costing just £10, which is payable either in advance or on the door.

VIP packages are £25 including priority seating, a buffet and a professional photograph with Mardle and van den Burgh. There will be photo opportunities for standard entry on the night.

Tickets can be purchased online, at either www.clevelandarms.com or www.sportstalkevents.co.uk. For more information, call in at the venue or dial 01902 451 021.