Alan Soutar’s used to feeling the heat. His 17 years with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - preceded by eight as a commando serving in 27 countries - have seen to that.
Yet his 2022 started with grace under different pressure, as he blazed his way to the last 16 of the world professional darts championship (PDC).
Along the way, Alan stunned second-round opponent Mensur Suljovic in front of a packed, raucous Alexandra Palace - and an audience watching at home on Sky Sports. Coming back from two sets and two legs down, he completed the job in dramatic fashion, hitting a nerveless 144 to check out in a tie-break, before going on - returning home for a shift first - to knock out seventh seed Jose De Souza, where he coined the tack-sharp, work-related quip: “Jose A, or hose B?”
A fairy tale at the best of times, 44-year-old Alan’s story is more remarkable yet given that without Covid it might never have happened.
When not crewing shifts with his pals at Kingsway Fire Station in Dundee, he put his lockdown to good use, racking up hours of practice nailing those doubles and trebles. After qualifying for a prized tour card for the professional circuit last February, 12 months on, a lifetime’s passion that began with the triathlon - ‘dominoes, darts and pool’ - with his brother Garry, on visits to his grandparents’ pub in Arbroath has been handsomely rewarded.
Still pinching himself at the bizarre scenarios in which his new-found acclaim finds him, Alan laughs recalling a recent trip to get a new phone. “The guy kept looking at me, but he didn’t say anything,” he says. “We went right through the procedure, then when I mentioned the discount for being a firefighter, he said: ‘YES, it is you!’ and disappeared to get his mate from out the back for some selfies.”
It's like a family
Alan is revelling in the good PR it brings to the day job and has no desire to hang up his PPE.
“I’m a firefighter,” he says. “I want to be in the back of the fire engine, putting the BA on, putting out fires - that’s what I want to do. And I love the lads at work - it’s like a family.”
The practical, all hands-to-the-pump approach has been with Alan as long as he can remember.
As a schoolchild, he recalls being advised to narrow his interests because he’d try every sport and pastime going. He listened - or at least, partially. He’s still a man of action.
When not fighting fires or playing darts, he’s one of four ambassadors at his beloved Arbroath FC, currently enjoying their finest season in nearly half a century. He’s also looking forward to restarting his own darts academy, which attracts 70-plus youngsters every Thursday in Arbroath.
Then there’s the guide-dogs. Alan and partner Amanda - also a keen darts player - help raise puppies before they are allocated owners. It’s all of a piece with a relentless hunger for public-spirited deeds.
On the day we talk, Alan had finished his night shift, returned home, taken the dog for a six-mile walk - and got a booster jab. “The feeling you get giving a dog back, knowing it’s going to a nine-year-old boy - helping to change a life, that’s special,” he says.
Not getting carried away
His flights of fancy may propel him to greater things on the darts circuit, but the world no.51 is not getting carried away. Back at the station, he’s still ‘Soots’ - and that’s the way he likes it.
“Life’s not much different - apart from the attention,” he says. “I think my story has caught on because we’ve all had two years of absolute rubbish. Everyone wants to share in good news, and I guess I’ve got a decent back story.
“I get so many emails from different stations, watch commanders and firefighters telling me they’ve watched me,” he adds. “Those sorts of things are brilliant. And the SFRS chief sent me a ‘good luck’ message, so that’s great.”
Newcomer of the year on the PDC circuit, it looks as if the affable Alan will be playing both the flame and the fame game for a good while yet.
