Dear all Counties,
Just a final Monthly update before the AGM on Sunday August 4th
.
It gives me great pleasure to inform you all that the BDO have finally signed a commercial
contract with joint company’s One80 and L-style for a 5-year period.
I contacted both One80 and L-style last August and have had several meetings with them
during this past year to get us into a position where we could all commit to a 5-year deal. As
outlined in our last delegates meeting, this contract proved extremely difficult to finalise
mainly due to the unsigned agreement previously in place, but I would like to take the
opportunity to thanks our commercial advisors Sportotal for their efforts in making this deal
happen.
The above deal will mean that as from August 2019 our new sponsors will be One80 and LStyle. As far as the BICC is concerned, the new deal is very similar to the previous one; All
counties will receive two brand new Gladiator 3 boards in place of the Winmau boards
usually given out at the AGM. We will need to amend the current wording of the present
BICC rules to incorporate the names of the new sponsors. It is also worth noting that any
county with left over Winmau boards will be permitted to use them for BICC matches
(within reason), but counties need to make the transition to Gladiator 3 boards as soon as
possible. The BDO are trying to be fair to counties, but also fair to our new sponsors too.
At the AGM you will all hear a little more about our two new partners, what we can expect
from them in the upcoming months and years and the expectations we have for the
counties in making the most of this new joint venture.
With regards to the online banking, I am pleased to say the issue has finally been rectified.
As someone who has personally banked with HSBC for over 25 years, never have I faced so
many issues in accessing the account in order to pay the counties monies owed to them. I
have been disappointed at the hoops we have had to jump through, which meant the
counties weren’t paid on time. I am used to getting on with the job in hand and haven’t
enjoyed having my hands tied for so long, but I have taken steps, so this never happens
again
by making myself the Primary user at the bank and appointing Giovanna Thomas as the
secondary user, but again more about this at the AGM.
I would like to take this opportunity again to thank everyone for their support at the Gold
Cup and Champions Cup two weeks ago and also thank all the officials that helped. Yes, we
did face issues, but they were dealt with and we got on with the job in hand. I only bring this
issue up again as I have received several emails of support from various counties along with
emails suggesting where we can improve going forward. These are the type of letters I really
like and appreciate because they mean something, they mean you care.
As most of you no doubt know by now I take this role extremely seriously, I was voted into
this position to look after the business, not to make friends, not to please individuals but to
try and get this business back ‘on track’, if I am quiet for a time it means I have nothing
worthwhile to report to you and it most certainly doesn’t mean that I am away sunning
myself on some foreign beach with not a care in the world as has been suggested several
times over social media. Currently, it has got to a point where my first waking thought is the
BDO as is my last thought at night! This makes it all the more frustrating and frankly
upsetting that recent reports that individuals within the BICC (both county and country
representatives) working against not only myself and the current board, but the BDO as a
whole. I can assure you all that when all the information and statements have been collated
the most strongest of action will be taken against these individuals if proven to have been
working again the best interests of the BDO.
Online entry for the British open/Classic is now up and running. Simply log on to the website
select the category you want and follow the screen instructions when prompted.
I must also say that there has been some talk about the entry fee increase for this years
British Open/Classic event, but please let me explain, we cannot continue to lose money at
our events and this includes the British Open/Classic, we have increasing costs on transport
Officials, MC’S, hotels, refreshments, Live Streaming, the set-up and dismantle of equipment
not to mention costs of the dart boards and equipment used, to be in charge of an event
that is going to lose money is not an option as far as I am concerned, when I am asked
awkward questions at the delegates meetings I need to be able to give a forthright answer
and not hide behind figures that no one really understands, I’d prefer to tell you that we
made money this time.
I am extremely disappointed with the entry numbers of the Youth Festival of Darts next
week in Colchester. The event was cancelled earlier this year as a venue hadn’t been soured
following the tearing down of the Wolverhampton venue, which was only brought to my
attention last minute. Due to the overwhelming disapproval over the decision, we
reinstated this event at a fantastic, all-round venue based close to both Southend and
Stansted airport for overseas players, to have been told we haven’t had many players
entered. We have extended the closing date to the 17th in the hope that this letter will
prompt the counties to get on board with trying to encourage more of their youth and
young players to enter and support the event.
I have been advised not to mention this next issue, as it may be seen by some as another
way to attack the BDO, but we all know that just isn’t my style to put it away in a draw and
leave it! We face it head on, so here goes.
Due to the contract signed by myself with Eurosport we need to produce the World Darts
Trophy, World Masters and World Professional. These events must happen. As you all know
from the last delegates meeting, I am not happy with the issues faced with the WDT and in
an ideal world I would cancel this event, but I simply cannot by the terms of a binding
contract.
The good news is I do have a venue agreed verbally for all our events (both Majors and
Opens) but I refuse to go public until we are signed. I realise I run the risk of losing some
players from the event that is most pressing (WDT), but as I stated before in this email, I am
here to run the business and not to please individual players with a short-term fix.
I am hopeful that my next announcement will include venues for the next three years. This
is a position I told you all a year ago I wanted to be in. I always knew we had to plant the
seeds I just didn’t expect that I had to do the weeding first!
One final thing I would like to say. I often hear, from the public, demands to know where
our televised events are and, in some cases, I’m taking a real hammering on social media.
Just think, if everyone that’s commented so far on this issue buys a ticket for one day, we’d
be a sell out! Additionally, if the Counties could encourage players and officials to buy a
ticket, then maybe, just maybe, we might just find it a little easier to sell out product to the
general public!
Despite this, ultimately, you have put me into this position for a reason and I’m still
confident that we come through the other side.
Yours Faithfully
Des Jacklin
Chairman / CEO BDO
Interesting
