Shifnal's 'Real Flying Scotsman' gets a medal

His debut in the competition came among a four-man Scotland quartet who were defending team champions,

The Shropshire-based darter, who was born in Aberdeen, helped them to third place and bronze in the overall table, where England retained their crown.

Ritchie and Stevie Plank joined Ross Montgomery and Alan Soutar - the latter two part of that 2013 winning team in Canada - to make up the men's Tartan Army.

This time, their team challenge ended at the quarter-final stage, after topping Group One, with a 9-5 defeat to the Republic of Ireland. However, there was plenty else to keep them ticking over.

Ritchie and Plank got to the last 16 of the men's pairs, where they were beaten 3-1 to Finland's Kim Viljanen and Uki Takkinen.

Montgomery and Soutar kept the challenge rolling as they reached the semi-finals, losing 5-2 to England's Scott Mitchell and Mark McGeeney.

Another last 16 run saw Ritchie come within a game of winning group Group 3-A, but he lost his board final 4-0 to Marko Kantele.

Montgomery got to the final, but Wales' Jim Williams proved too much in a 7-4 defeat. Had the result gone the other way, Scotland would have landed overall silver.

Throwers from a total of 38 nations were at the Limak Limra Hotel in Antalya for all of last week, with Greece walking out halfway through.

They withdrew after the Germans filed a complaint about Greek John Michael, who was disqualified for not playing in 65 per cent of home internationals.

But there was no spoiling Richie's enjoyment of the biggest tournament he's been a part of in over 20 years of playing darts. And, when the World Cup rolls around in 2017, it's in Japan!

He said: "All we talked about on the way home is about how much we'd love to be a part of the next one. Turkey was a fantastic atmosphere, from start to finish.

"I've spent a week away with the darts before, I went to Romania with Scotland for the European Cup last year. We missed out on a medal by two points then.

"To come home with something this time is brilliant, for me, although it could have been better for the team. I was just chuffed to be there.

"I'm proud of being from Scotland, we all wore kilts at the various banquets we had to go to and everyone from the other countries were really friendly.

"I played a lot of games and I was reasonably happy with how I did. I even went up against someone from Trinidad & Tobago. I didn't realise how many people around the world play darts."

The 46-year-old moved to Shropshire when he was still in the Royal Air Force, who posted him to Cosford. He served 22 years in the forces, the last couple as an instructor.

The married father-of-three is now firmly grounded and works in Wolverhampton, as a fitter tester for UTC Aerospace Systems.

But he claims to be the 'Real Flying Scotsman,' in response to PDC world champion Gary Anderson using the nickname.

He now throws his county darts for Montgomery & Radnor, having switched from Shropshire at the start of last season. He still plays Super League, too, out of the Beehive in Shifnal.

He now has 15 caps for Scotland, but his ultimate dream is still to feature in the BDO World Championship at Lakeside.

He said: "I just want to walk out onto that stage, even if it's just the one time, but I haven't been in enough ranking tournaments to do it.

"Hopefully, I won't be as busy with work next year and I can get to a few more."