There has been a lot said and written over the years about the animosity between the two sets of players from both sides of the ‘great darting divide’
There is no doubt, some of it is true and some players can’t help but have a pop at the rival darting organisation. There is the odd remark, nasty comment or pointed remark and those players let themselves down….there is just no need for it in this day and age.
In Wolverhampton, at the Grand Slam, it has been an eye opener for many people and a refreshing change – with players from the PDC chatting, laughing and joking. In the main, the same can be said at this year’s International Darts League and World Darts Trophy, when it was mix and match in Holland.
The BDO boys – Phill Nixon, Niels de Ruiter, Scott Waites, Shaun Greatbatch, Mark Webster and Gary Anderson – all deserved their spots at the GSOD and all have played their part.
Of course, they all chose the Grand Slam over the World Masters and you can’t blame them…..after all, they have to make a living and a guarantee of £4,000 prize money will make a huge difference to a lot of them.
When all is said and done, Greatbatch will return to the building site, Webster is a plumber and Waites a carpenter….at the moment for them, darts is a passion but it isn’t a full-time job and it certainly doesn’t pay the mortgage.
But there have been tales of angst, stories of poor behaviour and the odd word against some of the BDO boys, from within their own fraternity. It really is quite ridiculous that any darts player should be pilloried for choosing to play in a big tournament, just because it isn’t BDO run.
It’s like living in the dark ages.
There has been no animosity whatsoever between any of the players at the GSOD. They have all mixed superbly – sharing a laugh, a drink and a smoke and swapping stories. If truth be known, the PDC players I have spoken to are, to a man, delighted the six BDO players are in Wolverhampton.
In fact the PDC players and officials have gone out of their way to make messrs Nixon, Anderson, Greatbatch, De Ruiter, Webster and Waites very welcome.
It is surely time for the politics to stop and let the players get on with playing wherever and whenever they want. Sadly it seems, there are still people within the BDO hierarchy with a big chip on the shoulder.
For me, it has also been a pleasure to meet the BDO stars for the first time. When all is said and done, they are darts players – trying to do the best they can and enjoy some success and money from the sport and who can blame them?
At the moment, there is room for the two organisations but darts bigots should not be given the time of day.
It is outrageous that even 15 years after the acrimonious split, there are certain people who just can’t get on with it and surely in all of this, the players come first.
If Barney, King, Eccles, Klaasen, Van Gerwen and Van der Voort want to play in the PDC – that is their choice……if players want to stay in the BDO, that is their choice and nobody should think otherwise.
To those bigots – the message would be: either shut it and get on with it or get out of the sport!