Split in darts - Knowledge (XXG)

917:(PDPA) members a one-year contract to appear in the PDC's three televised major tournaments at the time: the World Championship, the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix. Players who rejected the contract in order to compete in a different tournament would not be eligible to play in the remaining majors that year. It effectively meant that players who wished to play in the Matchplay and the Grand Prix would also have to commit to playing in the PDC World Championship rather than the BDO version. However, any player could apply for PDPA membership, and there would be no restrictions on entering other PDC events. Entry to most PDC majors is now restricted to members of the PDPA. 336:, a BDO sponsor, on his shirts for free even though he was sponsored by Unicorn, a competitor of Winmau. Eric Bristow argued that the players did not receive a fair share of the money now coming into the game, and that while the BDO excelled at bringing through amateur players, it was ill-equipped to support the top-32 professionals. When told by Olly Croft that "the BDO put you where you are today", Lowe replied: "Have you ever considered that I and the other professionals all helped to put the BDO where they are today?" Meetings were held in which the players aired their concerns, but little changed. 1304:, the BDO made the decision to modify their eligibility rules. All PDC tour card holders were now permitted to enter BDO events, with the rule changes coming into effect on 1 October of the same year. The decision was made to allow female players to enter the PDC Ladies play-offs (for two spots in the PDC World Championship) without the loss of status in the BDO. This rule change also allows all players that compete in the BDO to enter the PDC Q-School without penalty. The PDPA still retains all streaming/television restrictions on PDPA tour card holders in non-PDC sanctioned events. 684: 1013:

of the legal action in June 1997, few players were willing to defy BDO sanctions and play in WDC events, so they had to make up the numbers in their early tournaments with American players of varying quality and experience. The BDO boasted a much larger worldwide pool of players and also ran women's and amateur events. The BDO world championship was the older and more established event and as it was still shown on BBC, it could reach a wider audience than the Sky-televised PDC event.

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professional circuit. The BDO continues to do a fine job promoting amateur darts, but its professional game is lacklustre, kept afloat only by Bob Potter's largesse and some half-hearted BBC TV coverage. It's a dated, muted relic of the vibrant, raucous tournament it once was. The BDO try to offer their professionals and top-end players tournaments and opportunities to compete, but even they know the game is up and that the flow of talent to the PDC is a tide that can't be turned.

152: 613:, "The BDO's use of the phrase 'associating with' WDC people had become a licence for every little witch-finder in every nook and cranny of their organisation. Whatever Croft and his allies in Muswell Hill intended, between the Finchley meeting in spring 1993 and the pre-court case proceedings in 1997 some terrible things were being reported." Pub teams were warned they faced a ban from competitions if their pubs hosted exhibitions by the rebel players; Phil Taylor's cousin, a 391:(PDPA) was formed to represent the players, but the BDO refused to recognise the body. In August 1988, a pressure group named the Darts Council was formed by a group of players and their agents. In January 1992, 16 professional players, including every previous BDO World Champion who was still active, created their own darts organisation named the World Darts Council (WDC). They wanted to appoint a 279:, which had shown darts on a regular basis. However, 1988 was "cataclysmic" for the sport. At the start of the year there were still 14 televised events, but then the BBC decided to cut down on "minority" sports like darts and consequently reduced its darts coverage to just one tournament. Then, shortly afterwards, ITV cancelled all of its darts coverage, which had included the 83:. It gradually superseded the existing National Darts Association of Great Britain (NDAGB) as the governing body of darts in the UK and by the early 1980s had established a monopoly on organised darts in Britain, running super league darts, county darts and major tournaments, including the annual World Championship. The BDO became a founder member of the 890:. However, no player could compete in both versions of the world championship in the same season and players who reached the last-16 of the world championship could not play in the rival event the following season. Players who accumulated enough ranking points to qualify for both world championships could choose which one to play in. 597:, were the only two countries whose WDF affiliates refused to sanction the ban even after the vote, saying that what they were being asked to do was against their countries' constitutions, and would therefore be breaking the law. The WDC took advantage of this to invite 7 American darts players to play in the 204:, a qualifier and 66/1 tournament outsider, defeated the heavily-favoured Eric Bristow 6–5 in an epic match. Described as the sport's zenith in its first boom period, it was watched by a Saturday afternoon audience of 8.3 million, a record for a darts match. Darts was also the centrepiece of a new gameshow, 437: 1017:

eight, most of whom would have been seeded in a unified game. But where the BDO had the edge was in depth of talent: players who had qualified for the Embassy and were excellent performers in county and international darts, who made the tournament tougher than the WDC equivalent for the higher seeds".

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were added to the circuit. Total prize money increased from £500,000 per year in 2001 to over £10 million per year in 2021. In 2002, the PDC world championship overtook the BDO event as the richest darts tournament in the world. By 2015, the PDC's world championship prize fund was £1.25 million, with

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On 18 October 1993, at a WDF meeting in Las Vegas, the BDO sought to have their bans on the WDC players officially ratified and set in stone on a world scale in the WDF rules, and the Welsh WDF representative moved the motion that the WDC players be referred to as the "former top players". The motion

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was the last time that all the players played in one unified world darts championship. The WDC players wore their new insignia on their sleeves during the tournament, but were told to remove them by the BDO. The WDC players decided that if they were not going to be recognised by the BDO they would no

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As BDO and PDC-affiliated players only faced each other infrequently, the strength and standing of the two organisations was ambiguous. Both organisations continued to claim that their world championship was the best version. The PDC was generally felt to have the best players, but prior to the end

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switched to the PDC, the tournament organisers insisted on inviting PDC players. An agreement was made with the BDO to allow a number of PDC wildcards for each event. Three more top Dutch players joined the PDC in January 2007 which added more confusion to player eligibility rules for these events.

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While the decline of television coverage was partly due to policy changes at the BBC and ITV, the BDO were also blamed for allowing the game to stagnate and not doing enough to improve its image. Dick Allix, manager of Eric Bristow, said "If the BDO wants to accept the accolades of success, it must

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in 1997. The BDO lifted the ban and formally recognised the WDC and the right of players to freely participate in darts competitions. In return, the WDC dropped its claim to being a world governing body and renamed itself the Professional Darts Corporation. Thereafter, each organisation had its own

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After the worldwide ban was imposed, the WDC sued the BDO for lost earnings and restraint of trade. They argued that the BDO enjoyed an unfair monopoly on organising events, and that the BDO's actions were "unlawful imposed unfairly, in breach of the BDO's own rules". They further argued that the

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wrote in his autobiography: "Mike's decision to leave hurt us badly because he was a good player and the good players really did need to show solidarity. When he defected back to the BDO we were down to fourteen and panic was setting in." Gregory's defection also threatened the WDC's deal with Sky

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All member counties shall refrain from attending, or assisting in, any exhibitions involving the 16 players named in the World Darts Council statement of 7 January 1993, any players who have affiliated to the World Darts Council since that date, and any players who may affiliate to the World Darts

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On 25 April 1993, at a meeting in Finchley, the BDO took the step of turning the suspension of the WDC players from playing in any BDO-run tournaments on British soil, into a full-scale ban on the WDC players from being able to play any BDO-sanctioned darts, even down to county level. The BDO also

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Several players had longstanding grievances with the BDO and its running of darts, such as why players had no say in how events were run and why players lost money when they played in international matches. Players were not allowed to wear personal sponsors when playing in competitions, but had to

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The Great Darts War is now over. The PDC stands victorious. Their "brand" sells out arenas designed to host stadium-swallowing rock bands, they have the best players in the world under their banner and quickly attract the best newcomers from across the divide who see a chance to make money on the

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Speaking afterwards, Eric Bristow called it "a great day for the sport of darts". He added, "for the first time in four years I am free to play darts in competitions all over the world... this action was never about money but our freedom to play who we liked on a local or international level, and

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summarized: "the BDO lost its case". The judge agreed that the right of the WDC players to carry out of their profession as darts players had been unreasonably restricted. The BDO lifted the worldwide ban on the WDC players, recognized the WDC and its right to stage professional competitions, and

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However, there was no serious player unrest until darts' popularity started to wane in the mid-1980s. As major tournaments disappeared, this meant reduced prize money, sponsorship and television exposure, which in turn led to fewer bookings for exhibition matches. Players who had become full-time

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Any British Darts Organisation official, or British Darts Organisation player, who is associated with the activities of the World Darts Council shall forfeit the right to organise, attend or participate in any events under the jurisdiction of the British Darts Organisation, or its members, until

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Darts had boomed as a televised sport in Britain the 1980s, and the resulting influx of sponsorship and prize money allowed many players to turn professional. But by the end of the decade, television coverage had dropped to just one tournament. In 1993, 16 top players, disillusioned by the BDO's

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Meanwhile, the BDO stagnated and began to lose ground to the PDC; annual profits stood at £16,929 in 2008, compared with over £1 million for the PDC. They were the subject of a failed takeover bid by the PDC in 2009. In 2011, the BDO board were criticized by the membership in an open letter for

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Dan Waddell wrote: "for a number of years after the split and beyond, the issue of which code was the strongest and which World Championship was best was a source of passionate debate among darts and sports fans. In those first WDC worlds, there is no doubt they had the finer, more talented top

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Croft himself also received criticism. Some players and managers resented the level of control he and the BDO had over darts; his attitude was variously described as "dictatorial" or "autocratic". In response to player concerns, Croft said: "It’s like your children. They say: ‘can I have an ice

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and remain eligible for the BDO World Masters and World Championship, which effectively meant not become a member of the PDPA. Players therefore usually had to choose whether to be affiliated to the PDC or the BDO and stay within the jurisdiction of that organisation. Players who reached the

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lagging behind the PDC in terms of sponsorship, television coverage and new ideas. Its perceived lower standard of play was also the subject of derision from some quarters. In 2016, the BBC ended its coverage of the BDO World Championship, replacing it with a new PDC tournament, the

671:, held from 1996–97. As the tournament was independently run with no official WDC or BDO involvement, players were advised that they could participate in the event without penalty. Ultimately, the final was contested by a WDC representative (Phil Taylor) and a BDO representative ( 2899: 699:

After the worldwide ban was imposed, the sixteen WDC players were "cast into the darting wilderness, able to play only amongst themselves, their future uncertain." Banned from the Embassy World Championship, they resolved to stage their own version. Moreover, the emergence of

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professionals during the boom years were no longer able to make a living from the sport and began to voice their concerns. They felt that not enough was being done by the BDO to encourage new sponsors and increase television coverage from more than one event per year.

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made a bid of £1 million to purchase the BDO. The offer included a further £1 million for grassroots darts. It was the first time that a formal offer had been made public to end the 17-year split between the two organisations. However, later in the day, BDO founder

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felt it "didn't do the sport any favours, especially with the media luvvies who ruled the BBC and the other channels." According to darts historian Patrick Chaplin, it "indelibly seared the 'fat belly' image of darts players into the minds of the nation forever."

1211:£250,000 for the winner, compared with the BDO event's total prize fund of £339,000 with £100,000 for the winner. Hearn also introduced new eligibility rules, effectively meaning that players wishing to play in most major PDC events had to switch to the PDC. 870:

where we liked." Olly Croft said he was "not disappointed" by the result. He confirmed there would continue to be two world championships, but "our champion will be champion of half a million players throughout the world. Theirs will be champion of 20-odd."

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county player, was warned not to associate with him; some officials lost their jobs after taking part in WDC events. WDC players were prevented from playing county matches. One zealous BDO official tried to document members of the audience at a

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semi-finals of the BDO world championship were contractually obliged to appear at the event the following year. This condition was later violated when Raymond van Barneveld joined the PDC in 2006 shortly after appearing in the BDO world final.

306:, ITV's director of programmes, wanted to attract younger and more affluent audiences to the channel. He associated darts with older people and lower income groups, saying: "It's all about image. Young viewers are just not interested." 1130:, the 1994 BDO world champion, won the PDC world championship with a 7–6 final victory over Taylor, becoming the first player to win both versions of the world title after the split. Raymond van Barneveld became the second in 2007. 318:

accept the responsibiity of failure." The BDO banned smoking on stage during matches in 1988, which was followed soon afterwards by a ban on alcohol. However, it had little impact and more televised darts did not materialise. As

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agreed that all players could freely participate in tournaments and exhibitions. In return, the WDC dropped their damages claim for loss of earnings and agreed to remove the word 'world' from their name, renaming themselves the

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Phil Taylor was generally regarded as the best player across both organisations in the 1990s and 2000s, and by some as the greatest darts player ever. In a special "Battle of the Champions" event in 1997, Taylor beat

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if it came under the auspices of the WDC, and that they only recognised the WDC as having the authority to sanction their participation in darts tournaments worldwide. On 24 January 1993, a couple of weeks after the

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and was runner-up to Taylor in the 2009 event. Waites was the only BDO representative to reach the Grand Slam final. When Waites played in the 2016 edition as reigning BDO champion, he lost all three group matches.

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However, there are notable exceptions. PDPA Players Championships and Open events often allowed residents of the host country to participate regardless of being a PDPA member or not. This leads to anomalies such as

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passed a motion which said that any BDO players who participated in exhibition events with WDC players, would also be banned from the BDO. The BDO passed the following motions at the 25 April 1993 Finchley meeting:

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became household names. The abundance of prize money, sponsorship and television coverage, and with it the increased demand for exhibitions, meant that many top players were able to become full-time professionals.

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Sports, as the contract stipulated that all WDC players were to participate in the World Championship. Ultimately, Sky agreed to honour the deal, on condition that no other players withdrew from the tournament.

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summarised the players' issue: "The trouble with the BDO is that, after the world championships and its great prize money, there is virtually nothing. The top players simply can't earn a living on one event."

384:. Neither the players, nor their representatives, were consulted in advance or offered payment; the BDO argued that the players had signed over all their rights and so were not entitled to notice or payment. 322:

put it: "It made no difference at all to the fading interest in the game... They thought if beer and fags were banned, everything in the garden would be rosy again, but that didn't turn out to be the case."

287:. Tournaments shown on ITV regional channels were dropped too. The only televised event that remained by 1989 was the Embassy World Championship. John Lowe called this "the darts world’s equivalent of the 2900:"Darts: Bristow leads the dance to a new beat: Greg Wood sees the breakaway World Darts Council embark on its first world championship in riverside Essex in an atmosphere more familiar at ringside" 2771: 43:

running of the sport and what they saw as its inability to reverse the decline in television coverage and sponsorship, left the BDO to run their own tournaments as the World Darts Council (WDC).

122:"Twelve thousand darts fans turn up at the Ally Pally drunk as skunks. They cheer on their heroes just like a football crowd. They have banners, gonks, rattles, the lot. It will be great telly." 257:) narrates the action ("single pint... double vodka...") as they get progressively more drunk. The sketch is often blamed for damaging darts' public image and reducing it to a laughing stock. 177:, in part because it was "a cheap way to fill the schedules at a time of year when the rest of the sporting programme was decimated by weather." Other major events which emerged included the 997:

agreed: "though the event has much the greater pool of competitors, it is the which involves just about every darts player you have ever heard of." However, some of these players, such as

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decided to return to the BDO to play in a Welsh international match before the Sky deal was announced. Then, in November 1993, just weeks before the WDC world championship was due to start,

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After the Tomlin Order, all darts players were eligible to enter any darts competition run by the PDC, the BDO or the WDF. From 1998-2001, some BDO-affiliated players competed in the PDC's

656:. Waddell himself, who was sympathetic to the WDC players and helped them set up some of their early tournaments, recalled being treated "like a pariah" at the 1994 BDO world championship. 62:

took over control of BDO events, so the split in darts remains. The WDF subsequently established its own version of the World Darts Championship and the inaugural event took place in 2022.

632:, a semi-professional player who qualified for the WDC's inaugural 1994 World Championship was blacklisted from all levels of BDO darts for participating in the rebel tournament. In 1997, 581:

All member counties shall exclude any players who are affiliated to the World Darts Council from darts events under their jurisdiction. Motion passed by 60 votes for to 0 votes against.

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also thought there was "genuine parity" between the codes for the first decade after the split, noting that while the PDC had some outstanding players, it lacked strength in numbers.

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The BDO responded by imposing a worldwide ban on the rebel players and anyone who associated with them. A costly four year legal battle ensued, culminating in a compromise

1246:- moved to the PDC. By 2015, the BDO was described as "mostly an unwilling feeder to the PDC: most of its biggest stars... jump ship given the chance." In January 2019, 928:

Another exception is made for major Dutch televised tournaments. They were previously staged under BDO / WDF qualification rules, but when the most famous Dutch player

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which showcased various indoor sports and games; one of its features was a darts tournament involving some of the world's best players. Initially only shown in the

960:. Players who reached the latter stages of all the major PDC and BDO tournaments over a two-year period were invited, and all but one (the then BDO World Champion 235:

Darts players smoked and drank alcohol on stage, a reflection of the game's origins in pubs. In 1980, this was mocked in a sketch on the satirical BBC comedy show

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written undertaking is given that they are no longer associated with the World Darts Council or its activities. Motion passed by 57 votes for to 0 votes against.

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However, the ban was not enforced universally and was not applied at all in America and Canada, whose WDF delegates had voted against banning the WDC players.

210:, which aired from 1981 to 1995 and attracted audiences of 20 million at its peak; virtually every darts player of note would appear on the show. Players like 803:

produced a resurgent performance to reach the final. The BDO event kept its contract with the BBC and began to bring through a new generation of players.

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longer play in the Embassy tournament. The BDO did not allow the WDC players to set up their own tournaments and the players decided to go their own way.

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joined the PDC in 1997, becoming the first world champion after the split to switch codes. In 2001, six prominent BDO players, among them 1996 champion

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According to Bristow, he approached Croft on behalf of the WDC players shortly before the 1993 Embassy World Championship to air the players' concerns.

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consultant to improve the image of the game and to get more tournaments on television. The WDC staged their first televised event in October 1992 (the

273:(ATV) and British Matchplay (ITV) were all dropped from television schedules. A bigger blow came in September 1985 when ITV cancelled its long-running 2649: 3278: 1230:

moved to the PDC. Van Barneveld said he was switching for the challenge and to "compete against the best players in the world, including the best,

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The first WDC world championship in 1994 featured most of the top ranked darts players, including seven former world champions. Paul Haigh of the

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and seven Americans. The latter were invited after the American WDF delegates voted against the worldwide ban and refused to implement it. The

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Unfortunately, Ollie Croft had proven to be a poor negotiator in securing more televised tournaments. Either that or he had some bad advisors.

1226:, announced they would be playing in the PDC version of the world championship that year. In 2006, in what was described as a "massive coup", 644:

all received a ban from BDO competitions for playing in a special "Battle of the Champions" event broadcast on Sky Sports against WDC players

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insisted that most of the WDC players were "has beens", though in response John Lowe pointed out that he had been world champion in 1993.

3930: 2839: 1068:, the 2002 BDO champion, 4–0 in sets, and beat Fordham 7–1 in the final. In 2006 and 2007, PDC players were invited to the BDO/WDF-run 3547: 3072: 2967: 2716: 2678: 2598: 2550: 2500: 2475: 2398: 2364: 2323: 2270: 2240: 2198: 2164: 2137: 2107: 2077: 2029: 1963: 1900: 1868: 1841: 1814: 1787: 1670: 1595: 1568: 1516: 1467: 1415: 1378: 1289: 796: 780: 598: 458: 453: 445: 381: 353: 186: 35:(BDO), resulting in the creation of a rival darts circuit under the banner of the World Darts Council, which eventually became the 952:

to feature players from both sides of the darting divide. Inaugurated in 2007 it also featured a return to darts broadcasting for

3616: 1103:, established in 2007, was the first major darts tournament held in Britain to feature players from both the PDC and BDO. In the 866:(PDC). The PDC recognized the WDF as the governing body for darts worldwide, and the BDO the governing body for darts in the UK. 3645: 1085: 1487: 3805: 1292:, it was revealed and understood that the county organisations had asked the BDO board to consider the offer more seriously. 894: 863: 36: 3149: 1532: 683: 148:

from the second series onwards. Its venue, the Leeds Irish Centre, was recognised in 2010 as "the birthplace of TV darts".

3940: 1167: 825: 275: 2516: 3893: 3883: 3876: 3869: 2045: 1483: 1251: 1081: 713: 237: 206: 3296: 2749: 1159: 1107: 760: 539: 504: 361: 418:"OK," I replied. Would you mind if we ran our own tournaments on TV, because our livelihood is being affected here?" 356:, when the BDO and the BBC released a VHS videotape featuring extended highlights of that year's world final between 3791: 1728:"Olly Croft, darts supremo who popularised the sport but presided over a period of turmoil and acrimony – obituary" 1231: 965: 934: 899: 756: 645: 544: 469: 357: 76: 32: 2818: 1259: 663:, who joined the WDC in 1994, claimed "the Canadians didn't give a toss about the split" and let him play in the 288: 1686: 3563: 3443: 1195: 1119: 1104: 883: 792: 764: 672: 590: 484: 369: 219: 2338: 2540: 3221: 1333: 1288:

rejected the proposal. A few months after the takeover offer and in the aftermath of the two organisations'

1077: 1073: 1034:, the 1995 BDO champion, 4–1 in sets. The same card featured a match between the respective 1994 champions, 879: 725: 461:

had ended, the BDO responded by suspending the 16 "rebel" players from all BDO tournaments on British soil.

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went ahead. Besides the 14 rebels, it featured two more English players willing to defy the BDO sanctions,

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would sponsor both events. Other new events were also established and shown in different ITV regions: the

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On 7 January 1993, the 16 WDC players released a statement saying that they would only participate in the

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Despite continued pressure and rumours of further defections, the remaining 14 players held firm and the

3830: 3239: 1982: 1323: 1318: 1243: 1227: 1043: 1042:(BDO). Priestley won 3–0 in sets. In a 1999 face-off dubbed "the match of the century", Taylor defeated 991:

wrote: "All the current top men except Gregory... are WDC and there's no getting away from that fact."

929: 887: 821: 664: 280: 270: 190: 166: 3132: 3493:"This clip of the most excruciating three darts ever thrown is a timely reminder of brilliance of PDC" 1639: 3846: 3474: 1348: 1207: 1135: 829: 749: 745: 701: 170: 141: 3492: 3088: 151: 3638: 2864: 2414: 1199: 1100: 945: 284: 178: 99: 3853: 3580: 3370: 3344: 2935: 1368: 1301: 1239: 1069: 938: 922: 103: 1214:

Consequently, a large number of the BDO's top players, including most of its former champions,

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https://www.live-darts.com/category/bdo-darts-news/bdo-lift-sanctions-on-pdc-players-20180822/

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In 2005, Taylor and van Barneveld, both reigning world champions, met again in the cross-code

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semi-finals; Taylor won 5–2 in sets. In the group stages of the same event, Taylor also beat

364:. It also included highlights of the 1983, 1985 and 1987 World Championship finals involving 3699: 2449: 1061: 1035: 987: 741: 649: 555:, the first world champion from 1978, who was not an active player when the split happened. 474: 392: 299: 242: 107: 95: 3537: 3318: 3185: 3106: 2957: 2188: 1890: 1804: 1660: 1585: 1405: 1096:. The event was won by Anderson, who beat two players ranked in the PDC's top 12 en route. 3745: 1328: 1203: 1143: 1139: 993: 784: 524: 519: 90:

Darts first appeared on British television in May 1937 when the BBC broadcast a darts and

3089:"Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld played out one of darts' all-time great rivalries" 893:

To play in a BDO / WDF tournament, a player had to agree to comply with the rules of the

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in 2024. However, other former Lakeside champions who switched codes had less success:

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and the players themselves all contributed their own money towards the legal expenses.

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Fear and Loathing on the Oche: a Gonzo Journey through the World of Championship Darts

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Fear and Loathing on the Oche: a Gonzo Journey through the World of Championship Darts

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did the same in 2007, leading to threats of legal action by the BDO, and subsequently

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in 1974. The BDO would preside over darts' rise from a pub game to a worldwide sport.

3919: 1235: 1155: 903: 788: 717: 629: 614: 552: 529: 489: 194: 3204:"Premier League: Glen Durrant says PDC switch 'worthwhile' after tournament success" 2569: 1704: 165:

Televised darts proliferated during the 1970s and 1980s. ITV began covering the new

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in the 1970s. The two sides would spend over £300,000 on legal fees. At one point,

800: 772: 653: 534: 514: 509: 499: 494: 373: 365: 319: 266: 258: 249:, but instead of throwing darts, they take turns drinking shots of alcohol while a 223: 215: 211: 201: 182: 133: 47: 24: 3731: 3713: 3692: 3396: 1280: 1183: 953: 610: 307: 145: 137: 3773: 3594:"Winmau - BDO Announce Lift on Player Restrictions - Winmau Dartboard Company" 3039: 1285: 1171: 1065: 1051: 1006: 907: 848: 833: 817: 768: 705: 641: 241:. The sketch features a match between two overweight darts players, played by 80: 3518: 3425: 3203: 1440: 551:

The list included every previous world darts champion, with the exception of

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promote the BDO's sponsors. John Lowe noted that he was obliged to advertise

3759: 3471:"Will anyone get a100 average in the Amateur Darts Round 1 at Frimley Green" 3304: 3168:"BDO to PDC: Hit or Miss of arrowsmiths that previously starred at Lakeside" 2757: 2734: 2616: 1916:

Yates, Robert (13 July 1997). "It's sexy. It's glam. It's now. It's darts".

1616: 1219: 1127: 1126:

Players who moved from the BDO to the PDC enjoyed varied fortunes. In 2003,

1111: 1039: 925:

winning the PDC Open Holland in 2006 whilst being a BDO player at the time.

851:, the BDO and the WDC representatives reached a compromise in the form of a 708:, who had recently purchased the broadcast rights to English football's new 637: 303: 246: 2650:"Issue 297: Darts Wars Settled. Was Justice Potts A True Saviour Of Darts?" 1046:, the 1998 and 1999 BDO champion, 21–10 in legs. In 2004, Taylor defeated 799:

took place with a largely unknown field, including 17 debutants, although

424:"OK, if we did run our own tournaments on television, what would happen?" 3766: 3752: 3678: 3279:"BDO world championship is a faltering relic that's worth clinging on to" 2918:"Darts: Bitterness at the oche: Breakaway players issue writ against BDO" 721: 688: 625: 589:

Two countries who voted against the motion at the Las Vegas meeting, the

377: 712:. In 1993, Sky and the WDC announced an exclusive deal to broadcast the 412:

I said, "Ollie, can you give us more than one tournament a year on TV?"

51:

pool of players and tournaments, and each staged its own version of the

3478: 1191: 578:

Council in the future. Motion passed by 54 votes for to 1 vote against.

250: 436: 1050:, the reigning BDO champion, in another challenge match broadcast on 594: 333: 295: 200:

By 1983, there were 23 televised events. In that year's world final,

3447: 948:(organised by the PDC) was the first major tournament staged in the 771:, who warned that he would lose his house if the WDC lost its case. 298:

era that did for us." He added: "they thought the audience was all

3593: 2001:"Timeshift: Bullseyes and Beer, review: 'darts had the last laugh'" 3654: 3519:"Champions League of Darts: BBC to broadcast inaugural tournament" 692: 682: 435: 150: 28: 1250:

switched to the PDC, shortly after winning his third consecutive

609:

The ban on the WDC players was enforced rigorously. According to

464:

The 16 WDC players who signed the 7 January 1993 statement were:

3706: 957: 729: 311: 3627: 2708:

Bellies and bullseyes : the outrageous true story of darts

2670:

Bellies and bullseyes : the outrageous true story of darts

2467:

Bellies and bullseyes : the outrageous true story of darts

2356:

Bellies and bullseyes : the outrageous true story of darts

836:

had to arrange an emergency £20,000 loan to cover legal fees.

1190:

was established, and major televised tournaments such as the

968:

won the competition in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. BDO member

169:

in 1974. The BBC soon followed suit; its first event was the

2493:

Everybody Gets Fifteen Quid: the Biography of Shayne Burgess

2287: 2801:"King threatened with legal action for switch of loyalties" 58:

The BDO folded into administration in October 2020 and the

1114:

10–2 in legs in their second round match. The BDO's

628:

was banned from WDF events after joining the WDC in 1994.

349:

cream?’ and you say: ‘no’. We don’t owe anyone a living."

3064: