Glen Durrants BDO plea...

[MancheStar]

Glen Durrant says the BDO is in danger of being "swallowed up" unless the organisation finds a way to follow in the PDC's footsteps and attract larger live crowds.

Duzza wrote his name into the BDO record books at the weekend with yet another major victory, this time storming his way to World Darts Trophy success.


In lifting the crown, Durrant not only yet again demonstrated his complete dominance but also became the first player in BDO history to win the World title, the World Masters and the World Trophy.

For Duzza, though, the delight of his latest success was dampened somewhat by the "mega disappointment" of incredibly low crowds at Preston Guild Hall.


The venue can house around 2,000 fans but no more than a few dozen spectators were in attendance for Durrant's 10-7 victory against Michael Unterbuchner in the final.

"I'm not political and I won't slag the BDO off, but something needs to be done," Durrant told TeessideLive in a typically honest assessment.

"I'm a strategist in housing not in marketing, but they (BDO) need to find a solution.

"The week before I was watching the PDC and 22,000 people were there in the crowd. The envy is there, I'm not going to lie.


"Our marketing is not good enough. If you're getting 22,000 people turning up at the PDC events, the interest is clearly there.

"When I was walking around Preston I didn't see one poster. I saw posters for Roy Chubby Brown and other events coming up, but none for the darts. I got a taxi to the event and the driver asked me where I was going. When I told him I was a darts player he didn't know the event was on.

"We need someone to have a vision, to step forward and say where it's going. We're up against a juggernaut in the PDC and we need to come up with some answers.

"I'm just a darts player, I'm not a marketing expert. But something needs to be done about it, we need to have a vision or we're just going to get swallowed up."

Despite his disappointment at the lack of interest in the crowd, Durrant was delighted to once again come out on top on the stage, particularly after a period in which he's played more exhibitions than competitive matches.

"I went there lacking in match practice but once again it just clicked when I got on that stage," he says.


"When you're used to getting over that winning line, you get on that stage knowing your game is still there, even if I've been playing more on the exhibition circuit of late.

"I'm not as brash as someone like Michael van Gerwen or like Eric Bristow used to be. You know, Bristow used to walk through the door and say, 'right, who am I playing in the final?'.

"I'm so far away from that. I still go in thinking I'm lacking match practice, but I hear the other players saying they need to be so consistent to beat me, that they need to try and get on top of me from the start and take their chances.

"I saw that I was even money favourite before the tournament started and the second favourite was 10/1, I'm not that far ahead of everyone else."


Despite Durrant's modesty, his results and performances say otherwise - and the bad news for his BDO competitors is the fact he aims to continue his dominance throughout the rest of the year.

He's targeting the World Masters later this year, "can't wait" for the Grand Slam when he goes up against the PDC's best and then has his eye on a third successive Lakeside crown.

[Skewball]

Glennn regretting already his BDO for life statement.

[ChrisW]

"I saw that I was even money favourite before the tournament started and the second favourite was 10/1, I'm not that far ahead of everyone else."

[MancheStar]

I can’t imagine any of the players would be happy playing in front of that crowd. He would be flying up the rankings if he made the switch seems really disheartend with the BDO. He should of gone Qschool 100% he needs to forget BDO for life and think of Glen Durrant.

[Lee Taylor]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

[MancheStar]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

[ChrisW]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

[MancheStar]

Now the PDC worlds has upped to 96 players never a better time to switch. Plus the scrapping of pro tour fees for tour card holders.

[Skewball]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

Christ no, nothing like it was 4 or 5 years ago. It's discussed much less and only about Durrant.

[ChrisW]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

Christ no, nothing like it was 4 or 5 years ago. It's discussed much less and only about Durrant.

It is discussed every year. You remember Durrant because most want him to switch.
But there was many discussed last year mainly from Europe. And also others from the BDO top 32.

[Skewball]

Wise monkey is Durrant.

Has a good job away from darts and earns a pretty penny mopping up all the BDO comps.

I guess he’s doing exbos too (?) so he is quids in I would imagine.

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

Christ no, nothing like it was 4 or 5 years ago. It's discussed much less and only about Durrant.

It is discussed every year. You remember Durrant because most want him to switch.
But there was many discussed last year mainly from Europe. And also others from the BDO top 32.

Sure it's discussed on here but only realy from a general interest point of view, we are a bunch of darts geeks after all.
There is no excitement anymore about the switchers, especially as most don't get past q school anymore.

[ChrisW]

Surely Duzza must look at the crowds, big pdc tournaments etc and be thinking he needs to have a crack at the big time and try and win a PDC major while he’s in his prime.

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

Christ no, nothing like it was 4 or 5 years ago. It's discussed much less and only about Durrant.

It is discussed every year. You remember Durrant because most want him to switch.
But there was many discussed last year mainly from Europe. And also others from the BDO top 32.

Sure it's discussed on here but only realy from a general interest point of view, we are a bunch of darts geeks after all.
There is no excitement anymore about the switchers, especially as most don't get past q school anymore.

Erm they are all getting through Q school every year since Q School was set up.

[O C]

"In lifting the crown, Durrant not only yet again demonstrated his complete dominance but also became the first player in BDO history to win the World title, the World Masters and the World Trophy."
Shouldn't that be
"In lifting the crown, Durrant not only yet again demonstrated his complete dominance but also became the first player in BDO history the last five years to win the World title, the World Masters and the World Trophy."

[Little Lonely Garry]

"In lifting the crown, Durrant not only yet again demonstrated his complete dominance but also became the first player in BDO history to win the World title, the World Masters and the World Trophy."
Shouldn't that be
"In lifting the crown, Durrant not only yet again demonstrated his complete dominance but also became the first player in BDO history the last five years to win the World title, the World Masters and the World Trophy."

[BlueSpark]

2 time World Champion not being recognised at all by the taxi driver.
If it was Bristow, would have been a different story.

[Robson]

Hard to disagree with Glen -

Robson

[Skewball]

It is still the big talking point in darts will the best of the BDO switch.

Christ no, nothing like it was 4 or 5 years ago. It's discussed much less and only about Durrant.

It is discussed every year. You remember Durrant because most want him to switch.
But there was many discussed last year mainly from Europe. And also others from the BDO top 32.

Sure it's discussed on here but only realy from a general interest point of view, we are a bunch of darts geeks after all.
There is no excitement anymore about the switchers, especially as most don't get past q school anymore.

Erm they are all getting through Q school every year since Q School was set up.

Indeed. Good job I said 'most' and 'anymore' . Phew.

[devosteve]

"When I was walking around Preston I didn't see one poster. I saw posters for Roy Chubby Brown and other events coming up, but none for the darts. I got a taxi to the event and the driver asked me where I was going. When I told him I was a darts player he didn't know the event was on.


The shop keeper must have removed the 1 I saw!

[Skewball]

2 time World Champion not being recognised at all by the taxi driver.
If it was Bristow, would have been a different story.

I would have thought that would have been front page news and Eric would have been hailed as the messiah. Or it would have been in the Daily Sport - Cabby says 'Ghost of Eric Bristow was in my cab'

[Ginge]

"Andy Fordham ate my hamster....and my dog, cat, budgie, two horses and a goat"