Inside Darts - UniFlip.com

FEATURE | movErS AND ShAKErS
mOvERS
&
a fresh infl ux of players switched legions to the PDC
following the lakeside World Championship in January,
but will be grass really be greener on the other side?
BY JAmIE ShAW
T
ed Hankey was given a harsh
dose of reality on his fi rst Pro
Tour weekend in Benidorm.
Fresh from his semi-fi nal
appearance at the Lakeside,
the Count fl ew out to sunny Spain to
begin a new chapter of his career as a
PDC player.
With the eyes of the darting world
eagerly tracking his progress over the
weekend, Hankey had a point to prove. He
was dumped out at the preliminary round
on both days, picking up just fi ve legs
in defeats to Matthew Edgar and fellow
newcomer Dean Winstanley.
He made amends in Crawley a fortnight
later though, earning £600 that could
potentially kick-start his PDC career by
virtually guaranteeing him a spot at this
year’s UK Open.
As the BDO Lakeside World
Championship draws to a close each year,
the traditional rumours begin to circulate as
to which players will up sticks and leave for
the bright lights of the PDC.
In fact the PDC Q School close of entry
date has become a darts ‘transfer deadline
day’ in its own right.
This year, Hankey led an exodus of no
fewer than seven players, which included
former Lakeside fi nalist Dean Winstanley,
Stuart Kellett and the West brothers – Steve
and Tony.
They have been forced to start from
scratch and must begin from the bottom by
earning enough prize money in fl oor events
to credit a TV appearance.
Competition is fi erce, but the reasoning
behind the switch is clear. The PDC circuit
offers £5million in prize money each year,
‘But with the PDC
welcoming new
arrivals with open
arms and offering
an inviting starting
block, why do some
players decide to
stay put?’
with more televised events than ever
maximising commercial opportunities and
offering players the chance to make a name
for themselves on a worldwide scale.
No doubt the latest movers would have
been buoyed by the success stories of Dave
Chisnall and John Henderson, who made
the switch last year and have held their own
on the tour since.
Chizzy’s progress was evident at Ally
Pally, where he hit the headlines by
32 33
NEWS
thrashing Phil Taylor 4-1, proving a lot can
be achieved in the space of a year.
The move may have backfi red had
they not won through Q School last year,
however their quality shone through as each
successfully earned a tour card.
The same went for this year’s movers,
who all proved their calibre by winning
through a fi eld of more than 200 players in
Barnsley to earn a spot on the PDC tour.
Had they not progressed however, they
may have been forced to return to the BDO
with their tails between their legs.
The PDC put their cards on the table
this year by offering the four Lakeside Semi-
Finalists a two-year Tour Card, enabling
them to compete on the tour but meaning
they would have to jump the BDO ship in
order to do so.
But with the PDC welcoming new arrivals
with open arms and offering an inviting
starting block, why do some players decide
to stay put?