if the BDO no longer existed - then the BDO World Championships wouldnt be occuring, so there is nothing for the BBC to broadcast.



I would guess that they will come to some agreement whereby the BBC get highlights of the combined World Championships, and maybe a couple of Live sessions - for the duration of the BDO contract.

=#8000FFFeel sorry for Baxter, looks like he could be the whipping boy in the competition this year.

Right decision I would say though I thought Gary Anderson would get the gig.

How is that honoring existing contracts????





As has been stated back in November the PDC said they would honor existing contracts so you would think the BDO World Championships will run until at least 2013 (In what form is anyones guess).

it depends what the contract says.....if the contracts states that the BBC get to show the BDO World Championships till 2013, which will mean nothing if the BDO doesnt exist.

Again PDC have said all contracts will be honoured, thats a contract, they will have a contract with Lakeside to hold the world championships which no doubt will come into the equation also and I'd guess with the venues that hold BDO events and will have used the same places for years (though maybe if they are on a rolling year by year contact so not much of an issue and also places PDC probably want to get into to hold their events...holiday camps especially).



The PDC have probably 200-250 active UK/European players who make up the fields for players championship type events, BDO attract more to their opens so basically either the PDC over double the size of their fields (and as they play all the tournament in one day that will not happen) or they basically carry on operating the current PDC and BDO events in conjunction with each other with inevitable clashes over certain weekends or hundreds of darts players will have no decent tournaments to go into which makes a bit of a mockery of the PDC claim they are doing it to develop the sport.



Apart from the kudos of being one organization and having a database of thousands of players I do not really see what the PDC will get out of a merger and can not see they being particularly interested in the BDO strength areas of county darts, internationals, women's although perhaps junior darts is the only part they are really interested in as neither side has been that productive in recent years in finding many youngster capable of sweeping away the old guard who head both codes rankings.



Or is is just they want to open up old wounds and claim they won the Darts war 17 years on.



I think £2m might be enough to blow the BDO off the face of the earth but long term for darts it might not be such a good thing.

Can't wait for the Premier League. Got a ticket for the Belfast round and going over there for a couple of nights with friends. I'm disappointed that Co Stompe wasn't chosen for the second wildcard, though!

That night's line up........



Mervyn King v Ronnie Baxter

Adrian Lewis v Terry Jenkins

Simon Whitlock v Raymond van Barneveld

Phil Taylor v James Wade .





As it goes I think that is a very decent line up for you to watch as should be close games and early on in the tournament no one will have lost heart and be likely to just roll over.

Incidentally I am sure a few on here will be going to Sheffield Arena in April and that is the same line up of matches for that day so they have struck it lucky too.....though probably there will be some uninterested players already out of the running by that date.

MEN Arena March 11th -



Wade v Baxter

Taylor v King

Jenkins v Barney

Lewis v Whitlock



I feel like we've never had a biggy for Taylor at the MEN which I thought we may have had given it's a big venue

Saying that if King continues his form of last year he could give Taylor a game

Of all the combinations that is one of the poorest but I guess it could have been worse if it was Baxter facing Taylor.Lewis v Whitlock could be a decent way to round off the night mind you.

Struck it rich there! Whitlock and Barney II could be great.