Re: 2019 PDC World Championship- Alexandra Palace, London-13th December 2018- 1st January 2019

[DavidB]

WE continue the countdown to the 2018/2019 William Hill World Championship as PDC founder member Rod Harrington shares his World Championship memories.

Here, former World Championship finalist Rod Harrington looks back at the start of the PDC World Championship and how the tournament has grown over the last 25 years…

In the first PDC World Championship (then WDC) in 1994 my role was not only as a player but also as one of the people who was heavily involved in the court case between the BDO and WDC as it was then. 

Off the stage I felt pressure to make it work but on stage as a player that was a very different kind of pressure, but I never made any excuses.

The Circus Tavern was a great venue with a terrific atmosphere and the Stones family looked after us really well. Back in those days I used to go around pubs giving tickets away to landlords for the chance to meet Eric Bristow. 

The sport grew and in the last few years there we outgrew the venue. When we moved to Ally Pally we didn’t know how that was going to go but everything came right at the same time – Barry Hearn came in and used his expertise to get darts on TV more and more.

I feel proud to now look around a full Alexandra Palace but more than that I feel proud when I see the youngsters playing on that stage. 

It's been a great story, I’ve had an incredible life both in and out of darts and I’ve loved being part of the PDC World Championship journey.

Hear more of Harrington's fondest memories of darts' biggest event in the book 'Twenty-five Years of the PDC World Championship' which is available to PRE-ORDER NOW.

What’s this got to do with the Finder Masters??

Absolutely nothing.

Posted in wrong thread, now moved.

Good read though!

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MORE countries than ever before will be represented at the 2018/2019 William Hill World Darts Championship.

The tournament's biggest development since its move to London's Alexandra Palace a decade ago saw the field of players expanded to 96, offering more opportunities than ever before for international players.

Darts' biggest-ever event will see 28 nationalities represented, meaning the continental flavour will be stronger than ever at this year's festival of darts across the Christmas and New Year period.

Among the International Qualifiers is Nordic and Baltic Qualfier Darius Labanauskas, who will become the first player to represent Lithuania at the PDC World Championship.

There will also be 24 debutants in this year's event, the joint-second highest number since the first World Championship in 1994.

Among the new kids on the block are rising Dutch star Danny Noppert,UK & Ireland Women's Qualifier Lisa Ashton and American Chuck Puleo.

World Championship Competitors By Country
England (34) - Rob Cross, James Wade, Michael Smith, Ian White, Dave Chisnall, Darren Webster, Joe Cullen, Adrian Lewis, Stephen Bunting, Mervyn King, Steve Beaton, Steve West, Alan Norris, James Wilson, Ricky Evans, Chris Dobey, Josh Payne, Ryan Joyce, Richard North, Keegan Brown, Nathan Aspinall, Michael Barnard, Simon Stevenson, Luke Humphries, Alan Tabern, Wayne Jones, Ross Smith, Ryan Searle, Matthew Edgar, Lisa Ashton, Stephen Burton, Ted Evetts, Adam Hunt, Aden Kirk

Netherlands (13) - Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, Jelle Klaasen, Jermaine Wattimena, Benito van de Pas, Danny Noppert, Jeffrey de Zwaan, Jan Dekker, Ron Meulenkamp, Vincent van der Voort, Jeffrey de Graaf, Yordi Meeuwisse, Geert Nentjes

Australia (5) - Simon Whitlock, Kyle Anderson, Paul Nicholson, James Bailey, Raymond Smith

Scotland (4) - Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, John Henderson, Robert Thornton

Germany (4) - Max Hopp, Martin Schindler, Gabriel Clemens, Robert Marijanovic

Northern Ireland (4) - Daryl Gurney, Mickey Mansell, Brendan Dolan, Kevin Burness

Wales (3) - Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton, Jamie Lewis

Austria (2) - Mensur Suljovic, Rowby-John Rodriguez

Belgium (2) - Kim Huybrechts, Dimitri Van den Bergh

Spain (2) - Cristo Reyes, Toni Alcinas

Canada (2) - Jim Long, Jeff Smith

Republic of Ireland (2) - Steve Lennon, William O'Connor

New Zealand (2) - Cody Harris, Craig Ross

Philippines (2) - Lourence Ilagan, Noel Malicdem

Russia (2) - Boris Koltsov, Anastasia Dobromyslova

Brazil (1) - Diogo Portela

China (1) - Yuanjun Liu

Czech Republic (1) - Karel Sedlacek

Hong Kong (1) - Royden Lam

India (1) - Nitin Kumar

Japan (1) - Seigo Asada

Lithuania (1) - Darius Labanauskas

Poland (1) - Krzysztof Ratajski

Portugal (1) - Jose De Sousa

South Africa (1) - Devon Petersen

Singapore (1) - Paul Lim

Sweden (1) - Daniel Larsson

USA (1) - Chuck Puleo

World Championship Debutants
Raymond Smith
Danny Noppert
Matthew Edgar
Darius Labanauskus
Lisa Ashton
Ryan Searle
Ryan Joyce
James Bailey
Karel Sedlacek
Daniel Larsson
Kevin Burness
Nitin Kumar
Chuck Puleo
Adam Hunt
Stephen Burton
Yordi Meeuwise
Gabriel Clemens
Aden Kirk
Geert Nentjes
Nathan Aspinall
Noel Malicdem
Craig Ross
Jim Long
Yuanjun Liu

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WE continue the countdown to the 2018/2019 William Hill World Championship as PDC referee Russ Bray shares his World Championship memories.

‘The Voice’ made his debut at the 1996/1997 World Championship and has become one of the most recognisable faces in the sport. Here, he shares his best memories of the tournament….

I remember being as nervous as they come on my debut! 

I’d done a couple of matches in Blackpool earlier that year but my big debut in front of the cameras came at the Circus Tavern at the Worlds. 

I was shaking, I could feel my heart beating in my head, I was feeling physically sick with nerves. 

My first game was Mick Manning and Dave Askew and thankfully I got through it with no mistakes which settled me down. Nowadays I don’t get nervous, I look forward to the games and I get really excited for them.

At the Circus Tavern I was once refereeing a game involving Colin Lloyd and I made the fatal mistake of guessing where a dart had gone. 

Colin went single 20, single 19, single 19 but I thought one of the darts in the 19 was in the seven so I called ’46.’ 

Colin then threw his arms out and I was thinking ‘oh no, I’ve made a mistake’ so I’ve had another look and realised the dart was in the 19 just inside the wire. So I called ‘sorry 38’ forgetting about the single 20!

I then had to correct myself again, saying ‘sorry 58!’

Of course, everyone was laughing and one fan down the front shouted ‘you should’ve gone to Specsavers!’ which you could hear on TV so that was a bit embarrassing to say the least!

Hear more World Championship memories from darts legends in the book 'Twenty-five Years of the PDC World Championship' which is available to PRE-ORDER NOW.

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[Ginge]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

[1205]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

Is that a parody account?

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WE continue the countdown to the 2018/2019 William Hill World Championship by taking a look back at five of the best finals.

Darts' biggest-ever event will be held from December 13-January 1 at London's Alexandra Palace, with 96 players competing for £2.5 million in prize money and the Sid Waddell Trophy live on Sky Sports - with tickets still ON SALE.

The tournament has seen many memorable finals throughout the past 25 years, here are five unforgettable ones...

5. Phil Taylor 7-1 Raymond van Barneveld (2009)

Despite the one-sided scoreline, the 2009 final remains special because of Phil Taylor's stunning 110.94 average which remains the highest ever recorded in a World Championship Final.

Often referred to as 'Taylor at his very best', darts fans marvelled at the exceptional standard produced by the 16-time World Champion over the long format, with no player coming close to troubling the record to date.

The win was Taylor's 14th world title and the emphatic scoreline went some way to erasing the memory of his painful 2007 final defeat to the Dutchman.

4. Adrian Lewis 7-5 Gary Anderson (2011)

Adrian Lewis remains the only player to have landed a nine-dart finish in a PDC World Championship Final after his stunning effort in the third leg of his 2011 triumph over Gary Anderson.

Then aged just 25, Lewis came of age at the 2011 World Championship and shared a memorable opening set with Anderson which set the tone for a thrilling final.

The Scot trailed 5-3 but dug in to stick with a rampant Lewis, reducing the deficit to 6-5 to set up a grand stand finish but the Stoke youngster was not to be stopped as he lifted his first world title in style.

3. Gary Anderson 7-6 Phil Taylor (2015)

Four years on from his heartbreaking loss, Anderson claimed his first world title, coming through a 7-6 thriller to see off Taylor.

A dramatic final saw Anderson recover from all three darts falling out of the treble 20 bed on one visit at 4-4, while Taylor missed a dart at double for what would have been his first World Championship nine-dart finish.

Despite missing 55 doubles in the contest, Taylor never gave up in his pursuit of a 17th world title, taking the match all the way but Anderson came strong in the deciding set to become the first Scottish winner of the PDC World Championship.

2. John Part 7-6 Phil Taylor (2003)

Some 12 years earlier, the first ever deciding set took place in a PDC World Championship final between Canadian John Part and Taylor.

Underdog Part raced out of the traps into a 4-1 lead, before Taylor found his form, winning 11 straight legs on his way to a 5-4 lead only for Part to battle back to 6-6.

With Taylor struggling to find his range in the decider, Part stayed calm to fire his way to a first PDC world title and in doing so ended Taylor's sensational eight-year winning streak.

1. Raymond van Barneveld 7-6 Phil Taylor (2007)

The 2007 World Championship Final between Van Barneveld and Taylor will live long in the memory as one of the greatest darts matches ever seen.

A four-time Lakeside champion, Van Barneveld came to the PDC with a big reputation and soon found himself doing battle with then 13-time world champion Taylor on the biggest stage of all.

A truly gripping encounter in the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Circus Tavern saw Van Barneveld trail Taylor 3-0 in the early stages, before an incredible comeback from the Dutchman saw him level it up at 5-5 and then took a 6-5 lead.

In typical Taylor style, the Stoke legend made sure the thrilling final would go all the way, with Van Barneveld winning a crucial bull-up to throw first in the deciding leg.

The pair shared maximums and, after Taylor failed to take out a 148 checkout, Van Barneveld hit double 20 to win one of the greatest matches in televised history and become PDC World Champion for the first time.

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MICHAEL VAN GERWEN believes he must improve his finishing if he is to lift a third William Hill World Darts Championship title in the 2018/2019 event.

Van Gerwen has claimed an impressive 19 PDC titles in 2018, but has relinquished his position as reigning champion in six televised events including the Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals.

The two-time World Champion last tasted victory at Alexandra Palace in 2017, but is determined to banish the painful memory of his last-gasp defeat to Rob Cross in last year's semi-final.

"I've been a little bit unlucky lately but I have to finish better and I'm working on that," said Van Gerwen, who will face Alan Tabern or Australia's Raymond Smith in the second round.

"I've not had my best year but I've still won more titles than every other player. I've not been at my best when you compare to some of the other recent years, and people expect a lot from me.

"I've got high standards and I want to play well in every match. You can still win without averaging 100 but you have to play well now for a full tournament.

"Last year I had a great tournament until that moment. Rob played well last year but I can only blame myself, things like that happen and normally I would never miss five match darts.

"I know how it feels to lose and it's not nice. It hurts at that moment because you want to win it so much and hopefully this is my time."

Since reaching his first World Championship final in 2013, a tournament which famously saw him throw 17 perfect darts over two legs, Van Gerwen has only failed to reach the semi-finals on one occasion.

The world number one has been the top performer on the PDC circuit over the last five years and hopes he will make his dominance count in the biggest event of the year.

"It feels amazing to win the World Championship title, you work so hard for it all year and it's a phenomenal moment of completion," Van Gerwen added.

"I've won two but I want to win more and to do that I have to make sure that I'm ready. I know I'll be a big favourite and there will be pressure on me, so I have to perform.

"People always play better against me than other players, maybe because there's no pressure on them so I have to play well and make sure I prepare well.

"I've got a very hard draw because there are a lot of good players in my half of the draw, but that's what I like because if you want to win the World Championship then you have to beat all the players anyway.

"It's always a special feeling going to Alexandra Palace, the fans play a huge part in that but I'm there to do a job, and that's winning my matches."



Earlier this year, Van Gerwen was presented with the Dutch equivalent of an MBE.

The 29-year-old became the youngest person to receive the prestigious Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau medal by the Mayor, on behalf of the King.

"It is a big thing. I'm the youngest person to win it and it's nice that I can do that for the country," Van Gerwen added.

"I'm a proud Dutchman and I'm honoured because it's been a huge journey so far. It's strange to think when you're young how much you can do for the sport and for charities. It's a huge privilege to be Knighted."

The William Hill World Darts Championship will be broadcast through the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel, which will also feature exclusive documentaries and classic footage alongside the Ultra HD coverage of the tournament.

[only85]

There’s a pice in the guardian ( up the comrades) about rob cross & how he failed to qualify for the bdo world championships before winning the pdc one ! Decent read & expertly drafted interview

[malcy93]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

Is that a parody account?

Don’t rise to the bait.
It’s a well known pro BDO troll who posts under multiple accounts here and even on forums like DigitalSpy which is more TV focus.

[O C]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

Is that a parody account?

Don’t rise to the bait.
It’s a well known pro BDO troll who posts under multiple accounts here and even on forums like DigitalSpy which is more TV focus.

Yes, but was wondering the same thing, is Ginge both Thelad1985 and robson

[Ginge]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

Is that a parody account?

Don’t rise to the bait.
It’s a well known pro BDO troll who posts under multiple accounts here and even on forums like DigitalSpy which is more TV focus.

Yes, but was wondering the same thing, is Ginge both Thelad1985 and robson

You wally.

[O C]

this event isnt my juice box - its got the bells and whistles - but its not for me - lasts too long - to much hype - and we all know mvg and wright are going to be the final - we see to much of these players- its not special to see them any more - ive only see wolfie play 3 or 4 times this year - most have seen mvg and wright play each other 30 times -

robson

Is that a parody account?

Don’t rise to the bait.
It’s a well known pro BDO troll who posts under multiple accounts here and even on forums like DigitalSpy which is more TV focus.

Yes, but was wondering the same thing, is Ginge both Thelad1985 and robson

You wally.

Was an honest question. I can't keep up with multiples on here

[Wubbalubbadubdub]

]
Was an honest question. I can't keep up with multiples on here

Ginge is taking the mick out of "Robson" "The lad" by reposting some of his posts.

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Interview with Price.

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Interview with Snakebite.