I have often been asked why there are 2 Darts World Championships and who do I think is the “real” World Champion. I can answer the questions to the best of my ability but this is my opinion, the opinion of a player who has been involved at different levels of the game for many years.
The split was caused by a dispute between the people governing the game and the top professional players. The dispute snowballed and both sides became stubborn. There were court cases, personal verbal assaults, exaggerations and general bitterness from both sides that ultimately has left the game in disarray.
I do not have a favourite side, I love playing and watching the game. I would like the 2 sides to join but I know it will never happen.
In 1994 the top players wanted “more” out of the game. More what? It depends who you talk to – more money, more TV exposure or more of a say in moving darts forward.
The British Darts Organisation (BDO) had been the games governing body since forming in 1973. Their biggest mistake was not to listen to the “rebels” or take them seriously, they expected them to return to the fold with their tails between their legs once defeated. At the time the game was in decline and some thought that the BDO were not acting quick enough to stop this decline. The BDO members recognised a similar decline and voted out the old committee and replaced them with an almost entirely new one recently, if this had happened in 1994 this split may have been avoided.
16 players split and formed their own governing body – The World Darts Council, later to be renamed the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The first contract won was for 3 competitions screened by Sky TV. The 16 who split were:
This list includes all the past world champions except Leighton Rees who had stopped playing tournament darts.
Instead of talking and sorting out the differences to ensure the public got the best out of darts, the 2 groups argued until the gap widened into such a position as it is impossible to close. We now have 2 sides with their own world championships and neither side will relinquish theirs for the good of the game.
Which is the best? As a spectator the more thrilling spectacle is put on by Sky TV. Top quality darts shown with great pictures with knowledgeable commentary. The BDO competition is screened by the BBC and is dull to the uninitiated, only darts players watch it; it will not win new fans.
As a dart player I like the BDO version, I know a lot of the players and officials. I know there is a better chance of a grassroots player winning through to the TV stages and even winning the competition. There is also a women’s world championship with the BDO.
Who is the real champion? Most will say the PDC winner because overall the competition his of a better standard. The truth is that there are a lot of players in the BDO who could beat anybody on their day, Scott Waites proved that by winning the 2010 Grand Slam – the only top competition open to players from both sides of the divide.
I would like the gap to close and bring the sport together, as would about 80% of darts people. Barry Hearn offered to buy out the BDO recently but was turned down by a vote of the BDO members – I was there. It was the correct decision as the grassroots player would not be looked after in that proposal. You can’t have a top class sport where only the best players and best counties are looked after.
The only way the 2 sides could start closing the gap would be for both sides to formerly recognise the role of the other. Follow the football route with the PDC becoming the Premier League and the BDO the FA.
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