The Future of Darts

Mark Webster is the current BDO champion and is undoubtedly a superb player. Then there is Gary Anderson who played so well at the Grand Slam Of Darts (taking Taylor to the limit in the semi-final). These two great players should be gracing the Premier League but while we continue to have two tours, governing bodies and world championships, darts can never reach it's full potential

Following an acrimonious split in 1992 we now have the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). They both run separate tours and world championships with players having the option of which tour to play on. This means there can never be a definitive world champion. I would like to think there is a way we can unify the sport for the good of all concerned while it is booming as there is now enough money around to keep everyone happy.

The PDC under the leadership of Barry Hearn has developed an exiting professional tour which runs all year round and provides generous prize money which is increasing year on year. The tour is also global with events being developed in such countries as Australia, South Africa, Germany, Holland and the United States among others. The PDC has taken professional darts to a new level and the game is getting stronger and stronger. The annual exodus of players from the BDO ranks each January is testimony to the strength of the PDC tour. In contrast the BDO which was formed in 1973 (ran by Olly Croft) can not offer a professional darter the same opportunity to make a full time living plying his trade. With the exception of the Lakeside World Championships where prize money continues to rise, the tour is stagnating. Without the BBC contract, I doubt whether the BDO could survive in the professional game.

Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking the BDO. This years final between Webster and Whitlock produced a wonderful final and the BDO continues to churn out great players. The fact players such as Barneveld and Part left the BDO and then won the PDC world championship within a few years is testament to the the quality of the BDO. This is in part to the excellent work they put in at the grass roots level and the county circuit which provides the opportunity for emerging players to hone their skills and gain valuable experience. It is time both organisations recognized their strengths and started to work in tandem for the good of darts. In theory it would not be that simple to integrate the two bodies but I believe there is a way it could work for the good of the game.

The BDO would have to step a side and allow the PDC to run the professional tour. The PDC tour is expanding rapidly so this would make sense. The BDO would need to be paid compensation and their players given the equivalent PDC ranking points their current positions merit. One stumbling block may be the current BBC contract and Lakeside venue which would lose out. The BBC could be offered a brand new event which could be played at the Lakeside. The Lakeside could also be used as a venue for the Premier League. Now that ITV has committed to screening the PDC run Grand Slam of Darts for a further three years, I think it will only be a matter of time before the BBC begins to look at PDC events, and this could eventually lead to them calling time on the BDO contract.

With the PDC running the professional game, this would free the BDO to concentrate on the county and junior game. This will in turn lead to a stronger professional game. The BDO could also devote more time on the woman's circuit, maybe expanding the world championship.

With this arrangement the PDC could pass down an agreed share of the profits they make to the BDO to help them continue to develop the game. I believe the advent of unification would lead to more interest, sponsorship and revenue for players and the governing bodies with the public being the real winners.

If you look at all the great games Barney and Taylor have played in the last two years including that incredible 2007 final. Just think how many great games we were denied in the previous years with the two greatest darters playing in different tours.

However I feel that with the current state of the relationship between the BDO and PDC, we are a million miles from unification. If only they could find a way to work together, what a sport we would have.

Chris Waddington is the publisher of the Dart Masters Coaching Course Ebook. This course is not just about how to play darts, it contains serious methods of learning designed to improve your game beyond your optimum level in around six weeks. For more details on the course and the opportunity to receive free snippets from the course visit playgreatdarts.co.uk

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