Shame.
They elevated darts from a pub game in the late 70s and eighties, then after the hard work was done, the PDC was formed in the interests of big money.
IMO without the BDO there would be no PDC.
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https://www.dartsworld.com/bdo-set-t...-its-all-over/
An announcement is imminent, apparently.
Shame.
They elevated darts from a pub game in the late 70s and eighties, then after the hard work was done, the PDC was formed in the interests of big money.
IMO without the BDO there would be no PDC.
Same is happening with the origami company
You're right in that the BDO has been essential in terms of nurturing talent that then switches to the PDC.
The PDC was formed by the top players at the time being frustrated at the lack of big TV tournaments and the opportunity to become full time professionals. They were right to do so and did so at their own personal financial risk. The BDO could easily have admitted it was wrong in not looking after its best players and done more, but they chose to be stubborn. Since the split the BDO have been the party least interested in working with the other, even as the divide grew ever wider. Their demise is their own stupid fault.
I think those at the top of the BDO never got over their bitterness over the split and they could have worked with the PDC and probably survived.
They also came across as a bit shambolic and small time in their organisation.
mportant for darts at the time, but it has moved on.
When I was a kid I remember them on tour around the clubs in the valleys , Leighton Rees, Nikki Virashku (Yank) Alan Glazier and my favourite of all time Jocky Wilson.
Wasn't their most recent world Cup a disaster? Poor sales, moved from lakeside to the o2 I think, row over prize money.
Yes. Absolute joke. The winner didnt even know how much prize money he was going to win until AFTER he had won.
Welsh fella, Wayne Warren, won it and it was a pittance compared to previous years.
Edit. Just read he had 23k compared to 100k for the previous years winner. Lowest amount a BDO world champ won since 1989.
Sludge wont like it but the Sky coverage of the Darts is great.
Yep. Someone ranked 60th in the world has won over £50k over 2 years, not forgetting sponsorship, exhibition work etc. It's no surprise that so many players try and qualify through Q-school. I think Q-school is a harsh environment for getting a tour card, though. Several hundred very good players all battling for something like 20 places, so no matter if you've had a great year, you have to be superb for a few days to get in. Glen Durrant very nearly failed to get a tour card, now he's made a few semi finals and finished top of the Premier League. It's very cut-throat, trying to get into the PDC, whereas I liked the idea with the BDO that if you improved and developed over a season or two, you could gain enough ranking points to play the big names regardless of the nightmare of Q-school.
If it proves correct that the BDO has gone under, I think the PDC challenge tour should offer greater promotion and relegation to the main tour, to reward those who play very well over 12 months, rather than peak over a few days. I'd scrap tour cards for those who finish in the top 2 of the development tour and offer those younger players places on the challenge tour instead. Underneath that, keep the current amateur set up with opportunities to join the challenge and development tour from within as well as for outsiders.
Yes it does seem a tough gig to get in. In football terms I suppose its like promotion based on cup performance rather than league performance.
I just read there a couple of newer organisations - UKPDA and MAD - so maybe they will be able to forge closer links with the PDC than the BDO managed.
I find darts , entertainment wise , on a par with hockey or tiddlywinks
My mate went from BDO to PDC and was doing well and beat some decent players, White, Cullen, King, Klaasen, but then they changed from open to seeded competitions, so from getting to 2nd / 3rd, he was going out in the 1st round at most events and making no money, so he went back to BDO/County after he'd served his penalty time, 12 months if I remember correctly
Penalty time/What the feck is that about?