PHIL TAYLOR will relive one of his fondest memories when he plays Ian White in the Betfair World Matchplay on Wednesday - having last played the Stoke ace on television back in 1997.
Taylor and White clashed in the final of the famous old News of the World Championship at Villa Park back in 1997, with the nationwide knockout tournament having been revived for that one year.
The News of the World Championship had begun in 1927 and was held on a national level from 1947-1990, with many of darts' famous names - including Eric Bristow and John Lowe - having lifted the trophy.
However, with Taylor only emerging around the time that the event slipped from the darting calendar, the 1997 event gave him the chance to take the title - which he did by defeating White 2-0 in legs in the final.
Whilst Taylor has gone on to claim 15 World Championships and 12 World Matchplay titles, White has only turned professional in the past two years but defeated Vincent van der Voort 10-5 on his Winter Gardens debut on Monday night to set up a showdown with the Stoke legend.
"Ian's worked really hard and dedicated himself in the last two years and it's paying off for him now," said Taylor. "He was brilliant against Vincent but his performance wasn't a surprise to those of us who know him.
"I've known him for a long time and it's amazing it's 15 years since we last played on TV in the old News of the World final at Aston Villa. It was a special day for me to win that title because it was such a famous old competition.
"We've both had different careers since then but it's been great to see him come through. We've practiced together a bit in recent years and he's a lovely fella - but I've got to forget that when we play on Thursday."
White had been encouraged to join the professional circuit by another Potteries, World Champion Adrian Lewis, and admits that his all-Stoke clash with Taylor is a dream.
"I'm looking forward to it," said White. "I had long hair and a moustache the last time we played on TV, and it will be nice to try and get my own back on him!
"He won the top prize then and I was just a novice, so we'll see what happens now I'm here. I've had a lot of hard graft in the last two years and it's amazing to be here."
Taylor was pushed all the way by Mervyn King in the first round before taking a 10-8 victory, as he bids to win an unprecedented 13th Betfair World Matchplay title and to equal his own record of five straight Winter Gardens wins.
"It's a massive tournament, right up there with the World Championship and the Premier League, and it's something every player would love to win," added Taylor. "I'm fortunate to have won this 12 times but I don't want to stop there.
"Hopefully I've got over any first round nerves and I can relax a bit now with the longer format. It's a great event to be involved in, the arena's beautiful and the crowds are fantastic."