So, fellow Darts fans, the 2013 participants have been revealed, and there is a nice little surprise...
We have the four players who qualified by their Order Of Merit positions
Phillip Taylor (1)
Adrian Lewis (2)
James Wade (3)
Michael van Gerwen (4)
Then we have SIX picks, based on both this years performances and previous Premier League campaigns.
Raymond van Barneveld (8)
Simon Whitlock (5)
Gary Anderson (11)
Robert Thornton (15)
Wesley Newton (7)
Andy Hamilton (6)
They will play each other in a round robin tournament over 9 weeks (Feb 7th - April 4th), then the bottom TWO players will be knocked out. Then there will be 5 more weeks of fixtures before the semi final and final night at the O2 on May 16th.
I think it is a good idea to expand the competition. They couldn't leave RvB out as he is a legend. His win at the Grand Slam, plus his spat with Taylor, made him a must.
Hamilton and Whitlock, 5 and 6 in the Order Of Merit, also got to the semi finals last season, Whitlock beating Hamilton 8-6, and thus deserve another season.
Anderson and/or Thornton HAD to be in, due to the fact that two games are played in Scotland. To go up there without Scottish representatives would have been an error, imo.
And then, to pick numbers 8, 11 and 15 in the Order of Merit, but leave out the 7th player would have been very harsh on Wes Newton. Unjustifiable really.
Given the standards of darts recently, expanding to 10 players also does not threaten the quality of darts. All 10 of those players are good enough to be competitive. Obviously form can be an issue, but on paper and on history, anyone of those can beat anyone else.
You could still pick 2 or 3 more who could have made it an interesting competition without dilution of talent (Chisnall, Huybrechts, Nicholson)
The next thing I would like to see is a trip to the Netherlands for one weeks fixtures.
Should be a great competition. Lets hope all 10 can put on performances and make it a truly competitive season.
Premier League 2013
posted on 5/1/13
This darts is like a flashback to the 80's... I love it
Oh here we are and here we are and here we go
All aboard and we're hittin' the road
Here we go
Rockin' all over the world
Well gidy up gidy up and get away
We're goin' crazy and we're goin' today
Here we go
Rockin' all over the world
And I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it
I li-li-li-like it, li-li-li-li
Here we go
Rockin' all over the world
posted on 6/1/13
DJ
http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh528.sht
posted on 6/1/13
Watched some of the BDO and it really is a terrible standard. Nothing on the PDC; everything about it is inferior, even the venue and the score announcer.
posted on 6/1/13
The audience in BDO is far better. None of the "footy hooligan" antics, far more respect and far less pantomime booing and cheering.
Also, the standard isn't that much lower than the PDC, bar the elite 10 or so players. Averages in the first round of PDC and BDO ain't all that different tbh.
The grand slam of darts proved that the best BDO players can stand in the company of the best PDC players and hold their own.
The gap does grow every year though.
posted on 6/1/13
Imagine it's each to their own on this one and I prefer the atmosphere of the PDC. At the end of the day it is just darts so the creation of such a good atmosphere at the PDC tips it for me.
Your point about averages is fair but the round of 16 games I were watching today were terrible in all honesty.
posted on 13/1/13
Got my tickets for week 2 at the AECC !!
Highlight defo gonna be Lewis v Taylor.
Cannae wait...............de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de de...................
posted on 14/1/13
Should get a thread going for the darts Premier League.
posted on 15/1/13
Still a couple of weeks to go. Sure RAP will set up a predo game (just for clarification, that says predo not paedo...)
posted on 29/1/13
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 29/1/13
We having a thread to discuss the tournament? Anyone setting one up?