AMERICAN darts star Gary Mawson says that Bolton is his home from home.

The 46-year-old, who plays Darren Weaver in the first round of the Blue Square UK Open tonight, has strong roots in the town and was adopted by the Reebok crowd on his way to the final of last year’s competition.

Mawson’s father was born in Bolton and his mother is from Farnworth, before the pair emigrated to Canada in 1956.

He has, however, retained his links to the town and lived here for two years in the 1960s before returning in 1989 for eight months to try and establish himself as a professional.

He classes Bolton as his second home and the man nicknamed Rafa, for his resemblance to Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, said: “I love Bolton — it has changed quite a lot over the years, it was not as rowdy at the weekends as it is now, but it’s still a lot of fun.

“Bolton is a great town and has a great football team. You can’t beat it.

“I watch out for Wanderers to see how they are doing and I would like to see them win the title one day, but there are lots of good football teams over here. I like the fact they always stay in the Premier League but I want them to win something.”

Mawson, fresh from finishing in the top eight at the North American Darts Championship, hopes to go one step further in this year’s UK Open as he looks to build on his last visit to the Reebok. He said: “I am feeling great. The darts is going well. I know I am drawn against Darren Weaver, and he’s a qualifier, but I am looking forward to just playing.

“I know we are on the main stage, so I don’t know how much experience he has of being in front of the television cameras and whether that is to my advantage.

“Darts is a funny game — it can be going your way and then change all of a sudden.

“Last year, I have never felt better in all my life playing darts. I felt like I belonged there and everything was just going right. Every day I felt better than the next day.”

He added: “It would be amazing to win a major on TV and it would help in the rankings and secure me on future events.”