NEW SEASON VIEWPOINT:2008-2009 by OLLY CROFT, OBE
In this, the 35th Anniversary Year (1973 to 2008) of the British Darts Organisation, I am proud to say that the BDO has never lost sight of its original mission statement to provide darts for all those competing or involved in this great sport of ours - irrespective of age, gender, colour, creed or ability.
When you think of it, that is an amazing responsibility involving as it does thousands of players – men, women and youth – in over sixty counties the length and breadth of Britain.
But as governing body for the sport of darts, the BDO has never been less than committed to those responsibilities, or its ongoing promotion of open and competitive darts for all. We provide the opportunity for everyone to compete in properly organised darts at every possible level – nationally, internationally, globally and professionally.
That is why the BDO achieved unanimous recognition from the sports councils of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for darts to be named as a bona-fide sport in 2005, and why we continue to seek Olympic recognition for our sport.
The last twelve months have once again been extremely positive for BDO darts, with entry levels increasing in every BDO event staged, but I think I can be forgiven for highlighting the arrival of our latest TV ‘partnership’ with Setanta Sports as being a very important and significant step forward for BDO televised darts now and in the future.
The first ever BDO International Grand Prix was launched in May with the hugely successful WDO Welsh Open, and will conclude this month (September 20) at the BDO British Open in the newly redeveloped Spa in Bridlington.
The BDO International Grand Prix series has uniquely featured the last eight players in the Men’s Singles in each of five established tournaments: The WDO Welsh Open, BDO International Open, BDO Gold Cup, Winmau BDO British Classic and the BDO British Open – all shown live and exclusively on Setanta Sports to amazing effect.
Once again the BDO has opened up a new and diverse TV audience for darts (each tournament has been repeated several times) and because of the way in which these tournaments are constructed, we have also ensured that the same players have not been seen time after time – adding not only to the opportunities for all competing players, but also to the enjoyment, unpredictability and excitement for Setanta viewers.
In the four tournaments already shown by Setanta, we have not only produced four different Champions: GARY ANDERSON, Welsh Open, DAVY RICHARDSON, BDO International Open, SCOTT WAITES, BDO Gold Cup and ROSS MONTGOMERY, Winmau BDO British Classic, but also introduced a number of players new to major televised darts.
And to top it all off, we are all set for what could be a truly exciting climax in Bridlington on September 20th, when the BDO British Open could see a real battle to see who will win the first ever BDO International Grand Prix title.
The initial rationale which inspired this series was to showcase the competitive BDO system and provide viewers with a refreshing mixture of well known players and fresh faces in every single tournament – and we have succeeded in doing just that!
The BDO International Grand Prix on Setanta Sports will have provided over fifty hours of live and recorded BDO televised darts, plus an additional prize fund of £32,000 for our players. To put it into perspective, the five one-day tournaments have also provided a total of £50,000 in prize money, which means that the BDO International Grand Prix Series has generated over £80,000 of available prize money (for a total of no more than £50 in entry fees) in just five separate televised days of BDO darts.
Add to this the fifty-seven hours of live and recorded BBC televised coverage of the BDO Winmau World Masters and BDO Lakeside World Professional and we will have enjoyed over one-hundred hours of televised darts in the last 12 months.
The BDO International Grand Prix has produced increased entries in each of the tournaments – notably some 1,000 players in the Men’s Singles of the Welsh Open and record breaking entries in the Men’s Singles of the BDO International Open and Wimau BDO British Classic.
In fact, the five tournaments will have attracted almost 13,000 entries and featured the world’s top-ranked players. Needless to say, this new and valuable liaison augers well for the future, and we welcome Setanta to the BDO family and look forward to progressing BDO darts with them in the future, including the strong possibility of introducing more new and exciting initiatives.
It is also important to mention our sponsorship from the Government ‘Fire Kills’ campaign, which has included players wearing distinctive ‘Fire Kills’shirt patches, signage in venues and direct involvement with Fire & Rescue Services all over the country.
The campaign is raising awareness of fire safety in the home environment, and the FRS teams attending the BDO International Grand Prix tournaments offer free home safety checks to everyone. Needless to say, the BDO is once again proud to be working so closely with government led initiatives through our sport and its players and officials.
Surely there has never been a better liaison between darts and the community?
But then the BDO has always sought to include the general public within the sport of darts, as evidenced by the previous success of the Government ‘Get On’ campaign to improve numeracy among children and young adults by introducing them to the mathematical qualities of our sport.
I am delighted to say that we have once again been approached by Government to give the BDO’s backing to the recently re-launched ‘Get On’ campaign. We will be starting our involvement with the ‘Get On’ campaign at the 2009 BDO Lakeside World Professional.
Alongside this, the BDO continues to encourage taking darts into schools as a valuable asset to teaching mental arithmetic.
From our successful involvement with satellite television, we can look forward to BBC TV terrestrial coverage of the two greatest majors in World Darts: the 35th BDO Winmau World Masters (December 6th and 7th) and the 32nd BDO Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships (January 3rdh to 11th, 2009).
Both will be screened by BBC TV Sport and collectively with BBC-1, BBC-2, BBCi, BBC Worldwide and SBS-6 in The Netherlands, the Lakeside World Professional can once again boast the biggest TV audiences for darts anywhere in the world.
The 2007 World Masters became the richest two-day tournament on terrestrial TV with a prize fund of £60,000, and this was followed by a record-breaking prize fund of £310,000 for the 2008 Lakeside World Professional!
This is fantastic when you realise that players do not have to pay high entry fees to compete in the two most famous majors in World Darts, and they offer a combined prize fund of £370,000, and two Champions cheques totalling £110,000.
The BDO can also proudly boast an unbroken thirty-two year run on BBC television, and it is worth pointing out that despite coverage on other channels over the years, the BBC remains the only terrestrial TV broadcaster to have shown BDO darts continually for over three decades.
No wonder that our two BBC majors offer the most sought after titles in world darts, and form the very backbone of the history of the BDO and world darts.
Think about it: The BDO has staged the World Professional on BBC terrestrial TV from 1978 to the present day. Not only has that been great for darts, its players, officials and fans, but also a tribute to the relationship we enjoy with the most respected broadcaster of sport in the world.
As a clear illustration of the BDO’s ability to continually produce fresh faces to televised world darts, MARK WEBSTER was crowned 2008 Lakeside World Champion – having made his debut just a year earlier! In the Women’s World Professional, ANASTASIA DOBROMYSLOVA not only became the first ever Russian to win a BDO major, but she also ended the magnificent seven-year unbeaten reign of TRINA GULLIVER.
Each and every year the World Pro showcases many players who are making their debuts at Lakeside – proof positive that BDO darts continues to produce fresh faces to complement our established players.
Away from television, the 2007-2008 British Inter-County Championships provided an exciting climax to another highly competitive season. After the previous season’s dramatic conclusion in the Premier Division between old rivals Lancashire and Yorkshire, who could have predicted that the drama would happen all over again?
The final weekend of the season went right down to the wire!
Last year, Yorkshire were agonisingly pipped at the final hurdle by a joyous Lancashire – who did so with just two points to spare!
This year, Lancashire retained the title – but once again, only just!
The famous ‘Battle of the Roses’ on the oche was concluded when Lancashire travelled to Yorkshire with an impressive 15 point lead in the title race. But a wonderful 23-13 victory by Yorkshire brought them to within 2 points of the reigning champions for the second successive year!
Lancashire’s overall total was 201 points, with Yorkshire on 199 points! Surely there can be nothing better than this level of competitiveness to illustrate the strength of our county system? No wonder the BDO continues to produce so many ‘new’ names each and every year.
There was some consolation for Yorkshire, because the Men’s A team finished joint Premier Division Champions with Cheshire, and the Men’s B team were joint champions with Glamorgan and Kent.
Lancashire’s women also had plenty to celebrate with the A team finishing the season joint Premier Division Champions with Cambridgeshire and Cornwall, and the B team taking the title on their own.
Well done to both counties and all the players for proving that the BDO not only has the great playing systems in the world, but also the greatest players.
Men’s A Champions for 2007-2008 were:
Premier – Yorkshire
Div One – Co.Durham
Div Two – West Midlands
Div Three – Bedfordshire
Div Four – Clwyd
Scotland North – Fife
Scotland South – East Renfrewshire
Women’s A Champions:
Premier – Lancashire
Div One – Oxfordshire
Div Two – Somerset
Div Three – Cumbria
Div Four – Gwynedd
Scotland North – Tay Valley
Scotland South - Renfrewshire
Congratulations also to all those counties who gained promotion for the start of the new 2008-2009 season:
Surrey and Oxfordshire will be competing in the Premier Division.
Derbyshire and West Midlands move up to Division One.
Bedfordshire and Cumbria move up to Division Two.
And the two Welsh counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd start the new season in Division Three.
Special mention must be made of Oxfordshire who set a new BICC record by achieving promotion from the bottom of the Championship to the very top in successive years!
This remarkable achievement has seen them progress from Division Four four years ago to the Premier Division for this new season. That is very special and I send my sincere congratulations to everyone at Oxfordshire – players and officials - on behalf of the BDO.
Another county which had a special season was Clwyd in North Wales – the first ever county to boast the two current World Professional Champions: Mark Webster and Anastasia Dobromyslova.
I know they wouldn’t want to claim full credit, but undoubtedly their performances and very presence, was instrumental in Clwyd gaining promotion from Division Four to Division Three for the new season.
Well done to them, because once again the enthusiastic involvement of the 2008 Men’s and Women’s World Professional Champions in our Inter-County system illustrates the commitment of BDO players.
Mark Webster, who has only recently celebrated his 25th birthday, topped the overall BICC averages playing for Clwyd in the Fourth Division. Well done to him and all the other winners of the top county averages awards: Paul Hogan for Hampshire in the Premier Division; Phill Nixon for Co.Durham in Division One; Steve Farmer, West Midlands in Division Two; Wayne Morgan for Bedfordshire in Division Three, and John Henderson for topping the Scottish averages playing for Grampian.
Trina Gulliver might have been disappointed to lose her World Pro crown in January, but once again she has reigned supreme for Warwickshire in the First Division of the BICC – where she was once again at the very top of the women’s overall averages (for the fourth successive year).
The other divisional winners for 2007-2008 were: Premier – Viv Dundon, Essex; Division Two - Lorraine Farlam, Derbyshire; Division Three - Julie Gore, Pembrokeshire; Division Four – Gaynor Williams, Gwynedd; Scotland – Sharon McKinnin, Renfrewshire.
The BDO Men’s British Grand Prix was won by Gary Anderson (East Stirlingshire) with 42 points, and he collected a cheque for £400. Mark Webster (Clwyd) was close behind on 37 points and collected £200, and Ross Montgomery (East Renfrewshire) was third on 34 points and collected £100.
The Women’s British Grand Prix was topped by Dawn Standley (Norfolk) on 51 points, and
she received a cheque for £400. Louise Carroll (Oxfordshire) and Trina Gulliver
(Warwickshire) were joint second on 42 points and each received £150.
Well done to them all.
Now, it is always a pleasure to throw a spotlight on the youngsters so I am delighted to congratulate the Best Young BICC Players of 2007-2008: David Pallett of Shropshire and Zoe Jones of Worcestershire. The BICC Young Players of The Year were Cameron Menzies of Ayrshire and Lorraine Hyde of Grampian. Real talents and characters for the future.
There is no doubt that the county and Super-League system is at the very backbone of the BDO. Those who play in it – men, women and youth of all abilities - as well as those who officiate and give up so much of their time for the sheer love and passion for this great game, epitomise the true sport of darts.
I have been delighted with the success of the BDO’s 18-25 Young Player Challenge, which we launched in 2006. The take up has been excellent and the ultimate reward is entry to the International Play-Offs for the 2008 World Pro in Bridlington and with it the chance to get to Lakeside in 2009. Another prime example of the BDO providing real opportunities to its young players.
There are so many young players I could mention, but I would like to single out England’s Shaun Griffiths and Wales’ Kimberley Lewis as shining examples of the talent within the BDO.
Shaun is reigning Winmau World Masters Boys Champion and Kimberley has won the Winmau World Masters Girls title for two years in succession, and both are still only 15 years of age!
Both represent their respective counties and countries, and both have won countless titles: Kimberley recently won the 2008 Welsh Open Girls title and Shaun has been Isle-of-Man Youth Champion in both 2007 and 2008.
In this year’s UK Youth Challenge, Shaun won the under-18 title for Lancashire with Emily Tye taking the under-18 girls title for Derbyshire. The under-21 titles went to Rusell Mason (Derbyshire) and Rebecca Rose (Cambridgeshire).
The BDO British Teenage Champion of 2008 is Leon Bailey of Humberside and winners of the BDO Inter-County Youth KO Cup are the youngsters of Essex.
I wish I could mention everyone by name, but there is so much young talent out there that I could fill this entire issue! Suffice it to send my best wishes to all our young players for another successful season.
Continuing its forward planning on behalf of these youngsters and the sport as a whole, the BDO continues to pursue the real possibility of darts becoming a future Olympic sport. We have had members of the International Olympic Committee at Lakeside, and BDO Chairman Dave Alderman and WDF President Roy Price have been to major meetings in Beijing, Athens and Lausanne.
Among the decision makers present were those who decide which sports deserve Olympic recognition, but more importantly, the WDF (of which the BDO is a founder member) is now a fully-fledged member of the highly respected General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and recognised as the world governing body for darts.
One of the initial requirements as a member of GAISF was to commit to and comply with the WADA Code on anti-doping. I am delighted to say that the setting up and approval by WADA of the WDF Code of Practice on anti-doping was achieved in May of this year.
The BDO is one of over one-hundred world governing bodes that have now undertaken this commitment, and further meetings will take place between now and the end of the year on this and several other important world issues relating to our sport.
Our grateful thanks to Dave Alderman and Roy Price for all the hard work they do behind the scenes on behalf of our sport. Like so many others within the BDO and WDF systems, they are unsung heroes.
I am pleased that GAISF has recognised the important role played by the World Darts Federation in sixty-six darts playing nations covering all six continents of the globe. Collectively, the WDF has over 250,000 playing members and over 10,000 darts events worldwide. Nothing better illustrates the massive worldwide reach of our sport.
On the International front, congratulations to a resurgent Wales team for their outstanding successes in the WDF World Cup and the Six Nations Cup.
Jan Robbins and Julie Gore took all the honours for the Welsh ladies in the WDF World Cup, with Julie winning the Women’s Singles title for good measure. Mark Webster rubber-stamped his class by adding the World Cup Men’s Singles title to his WDF Europe Cup Men’s Singles title.
And to put the icing on the International cake, a rampant Mark was pivotal to the success of Wales in winning the Six Nations Cup on home soil. Not only did Wales take the honours, but Mark had the highest single dart average of 42.27!
Absolutely brilliant!
It was not such a good International season for England, but congratulations must go to Martin Adams and Trina Gulliver on becoming England’s most capped players of all time.
Martin collected his 70th cap in his match v Wales in the 2008 BDO British Internationals. In doing so he overtook the proud 69 cap total held for 15 years by John Lowe.
To mark the occasion, England’s longest serving captain received a framed England shirt. Unfortunately, it didn’t go alongside an England win, because after a break of eight years, Scotland Men claimed the title back. My congratulations go to them on a famous and well-deserved victory.
As well as the start of the 2007/2008 Inter-County season, September gets under way with the BDO British Open at the newly re-developed Spa Bridlington (19th to 21st). As mentioned earlier, this is the final tournament in the 2008 BDO International Grand Prix Series, and the last 8 in the Men’s Singles will be seen live on Setanta Sports on September 20th.
As well as the kudos of finishing in the final eight of the BDO International Grand Prix table, the players will share a new prize fund of £32,000 – with the overall winner receiving a cheque for £12,000.
A pretty good way to start the new season!
Looking a little further ahead, we are delighted to be returning to The Spa, Bridlington for the 2008 Winmau World Masters. Some £20 million has been spent on making The Spa the premier venue in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and we are delighted to be back there.
It will be televised live by BBC Sport over the weekend on December 6th and 7th.
The Zuiderduin Dutch Masters will be played in The Netherlands from December 12th to 14th, and with a little break for Xmas and New Year we are back to the home of world darts for the 32nd staging of the World Professional Darts Championships.
What better way to launch yet another great year of BDO darts?
It will be played for the 24th consecutive year at Lakeside Country Club and televised by BBC TV Sport, BBCi, BBC Worldwide and SBS-6.
The BDO have made great strides forward in many aspects of the game – notably in the staging of our major events. Lakeside’s spectacular new stage has been complemented with new sets for the Winmau World Masters and the whole of the BDO International Grand Prix series for Setanta.
The modern sets are enhanced further by the use of visual technology that leaves the stage as the sole domain of the two players and referee. Once again the BDO pioneered this on-stage technology a few years ago and have been rightly praised for its innovative approach.
As always, I would like to offer sincere thanks to Bob Potter and Barbara Leitch, and all at Lakeside, and to Ian Flack and the hard working Winmau team for their ongoing sponsorship and support of the two greatest Championships in World Darts.
Needless to say, those same thanks go to Graham Fry and his crew at TWI, and everyone at BBC Sport.
I must also mention the BDO website, designed and launched just 12 months ago by webmaster Roy Price. It has become hugely popular and highly acclaimed. Not surprisingly, it has welcomed an average of some 60,000 visitors every month, with peaks of an incredible 370,000 plus every day during this year’s World Pro and 124,000 hits per day for the Winmau World Masters. Congratulations to Roy for doing a fantastic job.
It only remains for me to wish all players – men, women and youth - competing at every level during the 2008/2009 season the very best of success in the months ahead.
And once again I applaud all the BDO Directors, the very best officials in world darts, and the band of hard-working volunteers who ensure that the BDO continues to stage the very best tournaments in the world.
Thanks also to Martin Fitzmaurice and the International Darts Players Association (IDPA), whose ongoing comradeship and support is greatly appreciated.
Before closing I would like to send best wishes to Shaun Greatbatch and Andy Fordham on behalf of everyone at the BDO. Both are not only great players, but wonderful people and ambassadors for darts.
The message from us all is: Get well soon.
Here’s to yet another successful season of BDO darts
Yours in the Sport of Darts: OLLY CROFT, OBE |
