The future of the BDO and Lakeside - your views

[in the gravy]

A lot of questions needing answered and rumours circling around it seems.

Personally I think we are almost upon armageddon in BDO land. Ted Hankey, perhaps the household name of Lakeside for many years has finally called it quits and rumours are circling of other household names about to follow him out the door, doubts about future tv coverage and a whole host of cock ups by BDO management, whether it be air conditioning, the MC making continual mistakes or the cheap shot comments by the head of the board which has come back to firmly bite him on the bum.

I personally think with Ted going, that is the final straw for the TV networks. As we all know Ted is box office and simply cannot be replaced. Bob Potter may well grudge putting quarter of a million pounds up in prize money if Lakeside Country Club fails to receive the national televised coverage the tournament has always enjoyed for so many years. That in turn will force more players to upsticks and move over to the PDC and give exposure that their sponsors will want.

There are a lot of people in the BDO though with power who are stuck in the past and loyal to the power hungry, bitter regime of yesteryear and I don't see a truce called anytime soon. Lakeside will probably continue to run as a tournament, yet will be much more diluted in terms of the quality of darts and the coverage it receives in the national media outlets.

For the good of darts, if Adams, Gilbey and the rest with a say had a spine they will be on the phone first thing Monday morning to Mr. Hearn to bury the hatchet once and for all unite game of darts finally again, so the whole game can move forward.

[PT13]

That's one way to look at it. The other way to look at it is to say that even if there were a load of players going over to the PDC after this Lakeside, I doubt the number of new faces at the 2013 Lakeside will ever be more than what happened in 1994, the first BDO world championships after the split. On that occasion, there were no fewer than 21 world championship debutants out of the 32 competitors. The biggest names still there were Bobby George, Steve Beaton, Kevin Kenny and Ronnie Sharp, and the tournament was won by John Part, who had never played in front of TV cameras before that particular tournament.

However, the production of the BDO worlds now looks decades past its sell-by-date, much worse than in 1994 and it was old then!

[Booji Boy]

The people that have taken over have not got a clue about the commercial aspects of the top end of the game. They are playing at running an organisation.

If the number of switchers is to be believed then there will be no names left in the BDO and how do you sell something that nobody wants. They should switch their attentions to running the amateur side of the game and let those that know what they are doing take care of the rest.

[Skewball]

There is one more year of TV left.

After that?

I doubt it.

[Ginge]

Does anyone else get the feeling that it's Adams calling the shots and not Gilbey?

[Skewball]

Does anyone else get the feeling that it's Adams calling the shots and not Gilbey?

yeah, that's probably why everyone is leaving!!

[xtreme rebel]

The end is near.

[PT13]

The people that have taken over have not got a clue about the commercial aspects of the top end of the game. They are playing at running an organisation.

If the number of switchers is to be believed then there will be no names left in the BDO and how do you sell something that nobody wants. They should switch their attentions to running the amateur side of the game and let those that know what they are doing take care of the rest.

In 1994, the so-called "rebels" were all absent from Lakeside after being expelled, which included every world champion there had ever been up to that point, who all played at the WDC worlds (except Leighton Rees, who didn't play tournament darts at that time). How did the BBC keep the BDO worlds back then with the likes of Bristow, Lowe, Wilson, Anderson, Taylor, Priestley, Warriner, Harrington, Evison etc. all missing from the tournament and their places filled with players who were then a bunch of unknowns?

[Skewball]

The people that have taken over have not got a clue about the commercial aspects of the top end of the game. They are playing at running an organisation.

If the number of switchers is to be believed then there will be no names left in the BDO and how do you sell something that nobody wants. They should switch their attentions to running the amateur side of the game and let those that know what they are doing take care of the rest.

In 1994, the so-called "rebels" were all absent from Lakeside after being expelled, which included every world champion there had ever been up to that point, who all played at the WDC worlds (except Leighton Rees, who didn't play tournament darts at that time). How did the BBC keep the BDO worlds back then with the likes of Bristow, Lowe, Wilson, Anderson, Taylor, Priestley, Warriner, Harrington, Evison etc. all missing from the tournament and their places filled with who were then a bunch of unknowns?

At the time tere was no alternative, the WDC had not really got started yet. And the BDO were in the middle of a BBC contract and with a strong Sponsor on board. Alot of those players you mentioned were on the way down anyway. ANd there were also 80-100 great players still in the BDO as those 16 were literally the only ones who switched.
Different world now.

[Ginge]

Lakeside needs moving to the summer. It's the only way to stop this charade occurring every year at this tournament.

[Booji Boy]

The people that have taken over have not got a clue about the commercial aspects of the top end of the game. They are playing at running an organisation.

If the number of switchers is to be believed then there will be no names left in the BDO and how do you sell something that nobody wants. They should switch their attentions to running the amateur side of the game and let those that know what they are doing take care of the rest.

In 1994, the so-called "rebels" were all absent from Lakeside after being expelled, which included every world champion there had ever been up to that point, who all played at the WDC worlds (except Leighton Rees, who didn't play tournament darts at that time). How did the BBC keep the BDO worlds back then with the likes of Bristow, Lowe, Wilson, Anderson, Taylor, Priestley, Warriner, Harrington, Evison etc. all missing from the tournament and their places filled with players who were then a bunch of unknowns?

There was no PDC back then though. Now there is an org that looks after all it players by offering them then chance to win big bucks.

[craigmc]

old board/new board same old blinkered bdo.adams monty gulliver have to much sway and at the moment i see little change in old grudges and attitudes when there was a coup and "new"board it would have been better if all old guard went then a truly new broom could have modernised and in theory moved forward.ive read some people in the know saying that a few of the new guys are good people but this lakeside has been a shambles.the only positive imo is the young dutch lads and this could be marketed well.same with ladies champ yet all they were bothered about was golden girl going down,looking back hearns offer though laughed at then may have been best for all?saying all this this next year is make or break for bdo and excuses can/have be made re the new guys inheriting a mess so its prob best to see what we are all saying after next years lakeside

[TROUBLEAGAIN]

ESPN coming on board could delay the inevitable. I hope we have many more years a whole month of Darts fantastic.

[PT13]

If the number of switchers is to be believed then there will be no names left in the BDO and how do you sell something that nobody wants. They should switch their attentions to running the amateur side of the game and let those that know what they are doing take care of the rest.

That's what Bristow was saying at the time of the split

[ChrisW]

Lakeside needs moving to the summer. It's the only way to stop this charade occurring every year at this tournament.

I would prefer both comps be moved. We always miss a lot of the PDC because of the festive season and come the Lakeside I usually have the feeling 'again!'

[Stinus98]

It will be a Talent pool for the PDC.

[slymaster]

MF: "The BDO's got a history, unlike other darts organisations..."

[cornyboy]

MF: "The BDO's got a history, unlike other darts organisations..."

Soft tip Fitz?

[oche balboa]

The end is near.

You are hoping

[Mack]

MF: "The BDO's got a history, unlike other darts organisations..."

But the sad thing is every tear goes by the PDC gets more and more, and every year the difference gets smaller and smaller. There had only been 15 BDO worlds pre split. There has now been 19 PDC titles now.