The draw for the 2011 World Grand Prix

With the short format and double in to start, the WGP ranks alongside the UK Open as the tournament of shocks. Round one is often a favourite’s graveyard but this year there are many matches where it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who the favourite is.

Try picking the winner from Mark Webster v Andy Hamilton, Vincent van der Voort v Kevin Painter, Justin Pipe v John Henderson, Jamie Caven v Denis Ovens, Mark Hylton v Mark Walsh.

Even the one sided games look like real banana skins – Phil Taylor will have his work cut out over the short format against Peter Wright. Adrian Lewis meets the man nobody wants in round one, John Part, Raymond van Barneveld would have liked an easier match up than Mervyn King,  defending champion James Wade won’t relish tackling Steve Brown first up, Simon Whitlock has a stinker of a draw against Terry Jenkins, and Gary Anderson has pulled out Sunday’s Nuland winner, Richie Burnett. There are no easy games in darts these days.

We will have some head to heads and form stats for all the first round matches later in the week and hope to give you some indication of who might go deep and where to put your money.

And don’t forget DartsMad run the original and best Beat The Tipster comp on the web. We have been running for 5 years now would you believe and we have another great comp for the World Grand Prix. Get over there and try to Beat the Tipster..!

Schedule of Play
Monday October 3 (7pm)
First Round
Brendan Dolan v Wayne Jones
Justin Pipe v John Henderson
Vincent van der Voort v Kevin Painter
Wes Newton v Colin Lloyd
Adrian Lewis v John Part
James Wade v Steve Brown
Raymond van Barneveld v Mervyn King
William O’Connor v Andy Smith

Tuesday October 4 (7pm)
First Round
Jamie Caven v Denis Ovens
Mark Hylton v Mark Walsh
Dave Chisnall v Alan Tabern
Mark Webster v Andy Hamilton
Gary Anderson v Richie Burnett
Phil Taylor v Peter Wright
Simon Whitlock v Terry Jenkins
Ronnie Baxter v Paul Nicholson

Wednesday October 5 (7pm start)
Second Round
Newton/Lloyd v Pipe/Henderson
Wade/Brown v van der Voort/Painter
van Barneveld/King v O’Connor/Smith
Lewis/Part v Dolan/Jones

Thursday October 6 (7pm)
Second Round
Webster/Hamilton v Chisnall/Tabern
Whitlock/Jenkins v Hylton/Walsh
Taylor/Wright v Baxter/Nicholson
Anderson/Burnett v Caven/Ovens

Friday October 7 (7pm)
Quarter-Finals
Lewis/Part/Dolan/Jones v Newton/Lloyd/Pipe/Henderson
van Barneveld/King/O’Connor/Smith v Wade/Brown/van der Voort/Painter
Taylor/Wright/Baxter/Nicholson v Webster/Hamilton/Chisnall/Tabern
Whitlock/Jenkins/Hylton/Walsh v Anderson/Burnett/Caven/Ovens

Saturday October 8 (7pm)
Semi-Finals

Sunday October 9
6pm – Tom Kirby Memorial Irish Matchplay Final
Connie Finnan v Shane O’Connor
Best of 11 legs

7pm - World Grand Prix Final

Qualified Players
PDC Order of Merit Top 16 (Top Eight Seeded)
1 Phil Taylor
2 Adrian Lewis
3 James Wade
4 Gary Anderson
5 Simon Whitlock
6 Raymond van Barneveld
7 Wes Newton
8 Mark Webster
9 Paul Nicholson
10 Terry Jenkins
11 Andy Hamilton
12 Mervyn King
13 Wayne Jones
14 Mark Walsh
15 Colin Lloyd
16 Ronnie Baxter

Players Championship Order of Merit Qualifiers
17 John Part
18 Vincent van der Voort
19 Justin Pipe
20 Jamie Caven
21 Andy Smith
22 Peter Wright
23 Dave Chisnall
24 Kevin Painter
25 Denis Ovens
26 Richie Burnett
27 Alan Tabern
28 Steve Brown
29 Mark Hylton
30 John Henderson

Top Two Players from Ireland/Northern Ireland in Players Championship Order of Merit
31 Brendan Dolan
32 William O’Connor

Taylor has won the previous three stagings of the European Championship since the tournament was introduced in 2008, defeating Adrian Lewis, Steve Beaton and Wayne Jones in the respective finals.

The 50-year-old from Stoke has drawn debutant qualifier John Michael, a Greek player who will be making his first televised appearance, in Thursday’s first round, with the game over the best of 11 legs.

Taylor retained his World Matchplay title for a fourth successive year in Blackpool last week, defeating James Wade in the final, and is targeting a repeat of that success in the ITV4-televised event in Germany.

“I was delighted to win the World Matchplay and my target now is to keep hold of the European Championship title too,” said Taylor, who is unbeaten in 15 previous matches in the event.

“I’ve enjoyed this event for the last three years and it’s my plan to make it four in a row.

“I don’t know much about John but I’ve seen him a couple of times and he’s a good player. In a short format I know I’ll have to be on top of my game on Thursday and will have to start well.”

The PDC’s top 16 players are joined by eight Players Championship Order of Merit qualifiers and eight European Order of Merit qualifiers in the event, with Greek ace Michael earning his place by virtue of his displays in Players Championships held in Germany, Austria and Holland earlier this year.

Thursday’s eight first round games feature the 16 players in the top half of the draw, and include world number four Gary Anderson up against Derby’s Jamie Caven, a quarter-finalist in last year’s European Championship.

Simon Whitlock, the number five seed, takes on Austria’s Mensur Suljovic as he looks to bounce back from his quarter-final defeat to Andy Hamilton in the World Matchplay, which saw him lose nine successive legs from 15-8 up to lose 17-15.

The night also features a clash between the players ranked eighth and ninth in the world, Mark Webster and Terry Jenkins – who was a semi-finalist in last year’s European Championship.

The tournament will open when Mervyn King plays Dutch ace Co Stompe, while Justin Pipe meets Paul Nicholson, Alan Tabern faces Colin Lloyd – also a semi-finalist in the 2010 European Championship – and Canada’s three-time World Champion John Part takes on Peter Wright.

Friday sees World Champion Adrian Lewis take on Vincent van der Voort, having defeated the Dutchman 13-5 in the second round of the World Matchplay, while number three seed James Wade takes on Magnus Caris.

Wade won June’s UK Open and was the runner-up in the World Matchplay, and said: “I’ve been in good form recently but I can’t take anything for granted because Magnus is a good player with a lot of experience, and I have to make sure I perform well on Friday.”

Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld takes on Andy Hamilton, who reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay last week in a return to form which saw him move back into the world’s top 16 and qualify for the European Championship.

Wes Newton is the other seeded player in the bottom half of the draw, having risen to seventh in the world following his quarter-final appearance in the World Matchplay.

The in-form Fleetwood ace takes on Andy Smith in the first round, having defeated the same opponent 10-2 in his opener in Blackpool recently, but said: “It will be a different game on Thursday and I’m expecting a tough test from Andy.

“He’s been playing well this year and is very dangerous in the short format, but I’m happy with how I’m playing and looking forward to it.”

Friday also sees Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts make his debut in a major TV event when he plays Spain’s emerging Antonio Alcinas, with both players having performed well in the European-based events this year.

Dutch pair Jelle Klaasen and Michael van Gerwen take on Dave Chisnall and Ronnie Baxter respectively, while last year’s runner-up Wayne Jones meets Mark Walsh.

The second round of the £200,000 event will be played across two sessions on Saturday, with the quarter-finals taking place on Sunday afternoon and both the semi-finals and final being played on Sunday evening in one dramatic session.

Coverage of the PartyPoker.net European Championship is live in the UK on ITV4, and will also be screened live in LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers.

PartyPoker.net European Championship
First Round Schedule of Play
Thursday July 28
8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm BST
Mervyn King v Co Stompe
Alan Tabern v Colin Lloyd
John Part v Peter Wright
Justin Pipe v Paul Nicholson
Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic
Phil Taylor v John Michael
Mark Webster v Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven

Friday July 29
8pm-12am local time, 7pm-11pm BST
Wayne Jones v Mark Walsh
Jelle Klaasen v Dave Chisnall
Ronnie Baxter v Michael van Gerwen
Kim Huybrechts v Antonio Alcinas
James Wade v Magnus Caris
Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
Wes Newton v Andy Smith
Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton

ENDS

Further Information:
Tournament Draw Bracket
Phil Taylor (1, ENG) v John Michael (GRE)
Mervyn King (ENG) v Co Stompe (NED)
Mark Webster (8, WAL) v Terry Jenkins (ENG)
Justin Pipe (ENG) v Paul Nicholson (AUS)
Simon Whitlock (5, AUS) v Mensur Suljovic (AUT)
Alan Tabern (ENG) v Colin Lloyd (ENG)
Gary Anderson (4, SCO) v Jamie Caven (ENG)
John Part (CAN) v Peter Wright (ENG)
Adrian Lewis (2, ENG) v Vincent van der Voort (NED)
Jelle Klaasen (NED) v Dave Chisnall (ENG)
Wes Newton (7, ENG) v Andy Smith (ENG)
Kim Huybrechts (BEL) v Antonio Alcinas (ESP)
Raymond van Barneveld (6, NED) v Andy Hamilton (ENG)
Wayne Jones (ENG) v Mark Walsh (ENG)
James Wade (3, ENG) v Magnus Caris (SWE)
Ronnie Baxter (ENG) v Michael van Gerwen (NED)

Schedule of Play (times local, BST+1)
Thursday July 28
First Round
8.05pm Mervyn King v Co Stompe
8.35pm Alan Tabern v Colin Lloyd
9.05pm John Part v Peter Wright
9.35pm Justin Pipe v Paul Nicholson
10.05pm Simon Whitlock v Mensur Suljovic
10.35pm Phil Taylor v John Michael
11.05pm Mark Webster v Terry Jenkins
11.35pm Gary Anderson v Jamie Caven

Friday July 29
First Round
8.05pm Wayne Jones v Mark Walsh
8.35pm Jelle Klaasen v Dave Chisnall
9.05pm Ronnie Baxter v Michael van Gerwen
9.35pm Kim Huybrechts v Antonio Alcinas
10.05pm James Wade v Magnus Caris
10.35pm Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
11.05pm Wes Newton v Andy Smith
11.35pm Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Hamilton

Saturday July 30
Second Round
2.10pm Whitlock/Suljovic v Tabern/Lloyd
3.10pm Webster/Jenkins v Pipe/Nicholson
4.10pm Taylor/Michael v King/Stompe
5.10pm Anderson/Caven v Part/Wright

8.10pm Newton/Smith v Huybrechts/Alcinas
9.10pm Lewis/van der Voort v Klaasen/Chisnall
10.10pm Wade/Caris v Baxter/van Gerwen
11.10pm van Barneveld/Hamilton v Jones/Walsh

Sunday July 31
Quarter-Finals
2pm onwards
Order TBC

Semi-Finals
8pm onwards
Order TBC

Final
Approx 10.30pm

Format
First Round – Best of 11 legs
Second Round – Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals – Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals – Best of 21 legs
Final – Best of 21 legs

Prize Fund
Winner £50,000
Runner-Up £20,000
Semi-Finalists £10,000
Quarter-Finalists £7,500
Second Round Losers £5,000
First Round Losers £2,500
Total £200,000
NB – there is no bonus for a nine-dart finish

Previous Winners
2008 – Phil Taylor defeated Adrian Lewis 11-5 (Frankfurt, Germany)
2009 – Phil Taylor defeated Steve Beaton 11-3 (Hoofddorp, Holland)
2010 – Phil Taylor defeated Wayne Jones 11-1 (Dinslaken, Germany)

The new season of the £400,000 event will kick off for the second successive year at The O2 on Thursday February 10, with the first of 14 league nights to be held around the UK and screened live on Sky Sports HD.

The four matches at The O2 will be headlined by new Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion Adrian Lewis facing reigning Premier League Darts Champion Phil Taylor, who hit two nine-darters in reclaiming the title last May.

Premier League Darts debutants Gary Anderson and Mark Webster will face Simon Whitlock and James Wade respectively, while five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Terry Jenkins in the opening night’s other match.

The second week of the Premier League Darts, to be held at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham on February 17, will begin when Whitlock plays van Barneveld, while Taylor and Webster clash in a repeat of their World Championship quarter-final recently, which the Welsh left-hander won.

Lewis will play Wade in a repeat of October’s World Grand Prix final, while Jenkins plays Anderson, the World Championship runner-up.

Premier League Darts crosses the Irish Sea to Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on February 24, when Anderson meets Webster, Whitlock plays Wade, Lewis takes on van Barneveld and Taylor faces Jenkins.

Week Four’s visit to Exeter’s Westpoint Arena includes the clash between Taylor and van Barneveld, while Anderson meets the reigning champion in Week Five in Manchester.

Lewis and Anderson will clash in a rematch of their recent World Championship final at the SECC in Glasgow in Week Six, while the seventh Thursday at The Brighton Centre sees Taylor and Wade meet in a repeat of the 2010 Premier League Darts final.

The players will face each other twice during the league stages, with the second half of the season visiting Cardiff, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bournemouth and Newcastle.

The top four players will progress to compete in the Play-Offs at the Wembley Arena on May 19, with the semi-finals and final played in one night as the tournament culminates.

Tickets for the CIA in Cardiff have now sold out, with only a limited number of tickets remaining for the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Ticket information for each event is detailed below, with tickets costing £30 (table seating) and £20 (tiered seating) plus any applicable booking fees.

2011 PDC Premier League Darts Fixtures
Week One
February 10 – The O2, London
Mark Webster v James Wade
Gary Anderson v Simon Whitlock
Raymond van Barneveld v Terry Jenkins
Adrian Lewis v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 0844 856 0202 or www.theo2.co.uk

Week Two
February 17 – Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Simon Whitlock v Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade v Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor v Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins v Gary Anderson
Tickets: 08444 124 624 or www.trentfmarenanottingham.com

Week Three
February 24 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Gary Anderson v Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock v James Wade
Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Terry Jenkins
Tickets: 02890 739 074 or www.odysseyarena.com

Week Four
March 3 – Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Terry Jenkins v Simon Whitlock
Mark Webster v Adrian Lewis
Gary Anderson v James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 08444 99 99 55 or www.ticketzone.co.uk

Week Five
March 10 – M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
Terry Jenkins v Mark Webster
Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
Simon Whitlock v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: 0844 847 8000 or www.men-arena.com

Week Six
March 17 – S.E.E.C., Glasgow
Terry Jenkins v James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld v Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock v Phil Taylor
Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: 0844 395 4000 or www.ticketSOUP.com

Week Seven
March 24 – The Brighton Centre
Mark Webster v Simon Whitlock
Adrian Lewis v Terry Jenkins
Raymond van Barneveld v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v James Wade
Tickets: 0844 847 1515 or www.brightoncentre.co.uk

Week Eight
March 31 – C.I.A., Cardiff
James Wade v Gary Anderson
Simon Whitlock v Terry Jenkins
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld
Adrian Lewis v Mark Webster
Tickets: Sold Out

Week Nine
April 7 – A.E.C.C., Aberdeen
Raymond van Barneveld v Simon Whitlock
Adrian Lewis v James Wade
Mark Webster v Phil Taylor
Gary Anderson v Terry Jenkins
Tickets: 08444 77 9000 or www.aecc.co.uk

Week Ten
April 14 – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
James Wade v Simon Whitlock
Mark Webster v Gary Anderson
Terry Jenkins v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: 0114 256 5656 or www.motorpointarena.co.uk

Week 11
April 21 – N.I.A., Birmingham
James Wade v Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins v Raymond van Barneveld
Simon Whitlock v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Tickets: 0844 338 8000 or www.theticketfactory.com

Week 12
April 28 – Liverpool Echo Arena
Mark Webster v Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade
Adrian Lewis v Simon Whitlock
Tickets: 0844 8000 400 or www.echoarena.com

Week 13
May 5 – B.I.C., Bournemouth
Simon Whitlock v Mark Webster
Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld
Terry Jenkins v Adrian Lewis
James Wade v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 0844 576 3000 or www.bic.co.uk

Week 14
May 12 – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Adrian Lewis v Gary Anderson
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Mark Webster v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock
Tickets: 0844 493 6666 or www.metroradioarena.co.uk

Play-Offs
May 19 – Wembley Arena, London
Tickets: 0844 815 0 815

Tournament Information
Each player will play every other player twice. Matches to be billed home and away, indicating who will throw first in each match.
Matches to be played over 14 legs of 501 in the league section of the event. The first player to win eight legs will be deemed to be the winner of the match and no further legs will be played after this point. Two points are awarded for a win and one point awarded for a draw.
The top four players in the league table after the completion of the 14 league nights will progress to the play-offs at the Wembley Arena.
Each night will begin at 7pm and be screened live on Sky Sports HD.

Prize Fund
Winner: £125,000
Runner-Up: £65,000
3rd Place: £50,000
4th Place: £40,000
5th Place: £32,500
6th Place: £30,000
7th Place: £27,500
8th Place: £25,000
High Checkout (Per Night): £1,000
Total: £400,000

The £400,000 Grand Slam of Darts will begin on Saturday November 13 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, with eight matches from Groups A-D beginning nine days of live action on ITV4.

The Group A battle between Colin Osborne and Robert Thornton will open the tournament on Saturday evening, before Mervyn King takes on PDC Unicorn Women’s World Champion Stacy Bromberg.

Vincent van der Voort meets Tony O’Shea and Gary Anderson takes on Mark Hylton before Simon Whitlock, the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship runner-up in January, faces Lakeside Championship finalist Dave Chisnall.

World number two James Wade plays Justin Pipe, Wolverhampton’s Wayne Jones plays Mark Webster and 2008 runner-up Terry Jenkins rounds off the opening night against ITV Wildcard Qualifier John Henderson.

Scott Waites, the 2009 runner-up, faces Co Stompe in Sunday afternoon’s opening game as Groups E-H begin their challenges.

Colin Lloyd meets Darryl Fitton, Paul Nicholson faces rising star Arron Monk, Wes Newton plays Ted Hankey and Ronnie Baxter takes on Steve Beaton.

Adrian Lewis will then face another debutant, Martin Phillips, before Raymond van Barneveld plays Tricia Wright and the afternoon session ends with Phil Taylor’s clash with Michael van Gerwen.

Sunday evening will see Groups A-D play their second games, as the winners from Saturday’s matches face each other and the losing players also face off.

Monday night will see Groups E-H play their second games, Tuesday sees Groups A-D compete in their final matches and Wednesday sees Groups E-H complete the round-robin first round.

The top two players from each group will progress to compete in the knockout phase from Thursday onwards, with the possibility of a nine-dart shoot-out to separate players who are locked on leg difference after three group matches.

The Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts will be played from November 13-21 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. For tickets, call 0870 320 7000 or visit the Wolves Civic Box Office.

Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts – Schedule of Play
Saturday November 13
6pm-10.30pm
Groups A-D First Games
Colin Osborne v Robert Thornton
Mervyn King v Stacy Bromberg
Vincent van der Voort v Tony O’Shea
Gary Anderson v Mark Hylton
Simon Whitlock v Dave Chisnall
James Wade v Justin Pipe
Wayne Jones v Mark Webster
Terry Jenkins v John Henderson

Sunday November 14
Afternoon Session – 12.30pm-5pm
Co Stompe v Scott Waites
Colin Lloyd v Darryl Fitton
Paul Nicholson v Arron Monk
Wes Newton v Ted Hankey
Ronnie Baxter v Steve Beaton
Adrian Lewis v Martin Phillips
Raymond van Barneveld v Tricia Wright
Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen

Evening Session – 6pm-10.30pm
Groups A-D Second Games
The winners of Saturday’s games will play each other and the losers will play each other

Monday November 15
6pm-10.30pm
Groups E-H Second Games
The winners of Sunday afternoon’s games will play each other and the losers will play each other

Tuesday November 16
6pm-10.30pm
Groups A-D Final Games

Wednesday November 17
6pm-10.30pm
Groups E-H Final Games

Thursday November 18
6pm-10.30pm
Groups A-D Second Round
Winner A v Runner-Up B
Winner B v Runner-Up A
Winner C v Runner-Up D
Winner D v Runner-Up C

Friday November 19
6pm-10.30pm
Groups E-H Second Round
Winner E v Runner-Up F
Winner F v Runner-Up E
Winner G v Runner-Up H
Winner H v Runner-Up G

Saturday November 20
Afternoon Session – 12.30pm-5pm
Quarter-Finals x2

Evening Session – 6pm-10.30pm
Quarter-Finals x2

Sunday November 21
Afternoon Session – 12.30pm-5pm
Semi-Finals

Evening Session – 8pm-10.30pm
Final

The Order of Play for all sessions after the opening matches for each group will be confirmed as soon as possible once the previous session involving players concludes.
The knockout stages will be played in a bracket format, with the qualifiers in Groups A-D progressing in the top half of the draw bracket and players from Groups E-H forming the bottom half of the draw bracket.

Format
First Round (Group Phase) Best of nine legs
Second Round Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals Best of 31 legs
Semi-Finals Best of 31 legs
Final Best of 31 legs

The Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts will be played from November 13-21 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. For tickets, call 0870 320 7000 or visit the Wolves Civic Box Office.

Taylor’s bid to win a tenth World Grand Prix title will kick off on the opening night of the £350,000 tournament when he faces Fermanagh’s Dolan in a repeat of their meeting in the first round last year.

The draw pits the winner of Taylor’s meeting with Dolan against Andy Smith or Jamie Caven in the second round on Wednesday October 6.

Number two seed Raymond van Barneveld, who has been the runner-up to Taylor for the past two years in Dublin, has drawn Northern Irish veteran John MaGowan in the first round.

World number three James Wade, the 2007 World Grand Prix champion, will face Balbriggan’s Mick McGowan, while debutant Irishman William O’Connor – from Cappamore in Limerick – drew Wales’ Barrie Bates.

Steve Farmer, who won Sunday’s Players Championship in Holland to dramatically claim a qualifying spot, will meet another World Grand Prix debutant in the first round after being drawn with Bristol’s Steve Brown.

Mervyn King and Terry Jenkins, the fourth and fifth seeds who form one quarter of the draw, face Wayne Jones and Vincent van der Voort in their openers in Ireland.

2004 champion Colin Lloyd meets Wes Newton, while number eight seed Ronnie Baxter drew Gary Anderson and Simon Whitlock – the number six seed for his World Grand Prix debut – was pitted against Australian rival Paul Nicholson.

Kevin Painter meets Mark Dudbridge in another tasty first round clash, with Adrian Lewis clashing with Alan Tabern, Denis Ovens taking on Mark Walsh, Colin Osborne playing Co Stompe and Dennis Priestley drawn with Andy Hamilton.

The £350,000 tournament will conclude with the final on Sunday October 10, with all the action screened live on Sky Sports HD.

Tickets for the Bodog.com World Grand Prix cost from €20 (plus booking fee) and can be purchased from www.ticketgroup.ie or via 00353 (0) 818 33 33 44.

Bodog.com World Grand Prix Draw Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Brendan Dolan
Andy Smith v Jamie Caven
Ronnie Baxter (8) v Gary Anderson
Kevin Painter v Mark Dudbridge
Terry Jenkins (5) v Vincent van der Voort
Adrian Lewis v Alan Tabern
Mervyn King (4) v Wayne Jones
Steve Brown v Steve Farmer
Raymond van Barneveld (2) v John MaGowan
Denis Ovens v Mark Walsh
Colin Lloyd (7) v Wes Newton
William O’Connor v Barrie Bates
Simon Whitlock (6) v Paul Nicholson
Dennis Priestley v Andy Hamilton
James Wade (3) v Mick McGowan
Colin Osborne v Co Stompe

Bodog.com World Grand Prix Schedule of Play
Monday October 4
First Round
6.00pm Andy Smith v Jamie Caven
6.40pm Terry Jenkins v Vincent van der Voort
7.20pm Steve Brown v Steve Farmer
8.00pm Adrian Lewis v Alan Tabern
8.40pm Ronnie Baxter v Gary Anderson
9.20pm Phil Taylor v Brendan Dolan
10.00pm Kevin Painter v Mark Dudbridge
10.40pm Mervyn King v Wayne Jones

Tuesday October 5
First Round
6.00pm Dennis Priestley v Andy Hamilton
6.40pm Denis Ovens v Mark Walsh
7.20pm Colin Osborne v Co Stompe
8.00pm Colin Lloyd v Wes Newton
8.40pm James Wade v Mick McGowan
9.20pm Raymond van Barneveld v John MaGowan
10.00pm Simon Whitlock v Paul Nicholson
10.40pm William O’Connor v Barrie Bates

Wednesday October 6
Second Round
7.00pm King/Jones v Brown/Farmer
8.00pm Jenkins/van der Voort v Lewis/Tabern
9.00pm Taylor/Dolan v Smith/Caven
10.00pm Baxter/Anderson v Painter/Dudbridge

Thursday October 7
Second Round
7.00pm van Barneveld/MaGowan v Ovens/Walsh
8.00pm Whitlock/Nicholson v Priestley/Hamilton
9.00pm Wade/McGowan v Osborne/Stompe
10.00pm Lloyd/Newton v O’Connor/Bates

Friday October 8
Quarter-Finals
6.00pm Jenkins/van der Voort/Lewis/Tabern v King/Jones/Brown/Farmer
7.45pm van Barneveld/MaGowan/Ovens/Walsh v Lloyd/Newton/O’Connor/Bates
9.15pm Taylor/Dolan/Smith/Caven v Baxter/Anderson/Painter/Dudbridge
10.45pm Whitlock/Nicholson/Priestley/Hamilton v Wade/McGowan/Osborne/Stompe

Saturday October 9
Semi-Finals
7.00pm
9.00pm

Sunday October 10
Final
7.30pm
Preceded by Irish Matchplay Final, Michael Mansell v Stephen Byrne

Bodog.com World Grand Prix Format

All sets are the best of five legs.
All games are double-start and double-finish, meaning a player must first hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
There will be no Tie Break rule employed.

THE StanJames.com World Matchplay begins on Saturday, as 32 players battle to take the £100,000 title at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The 17th staging of the World Matchplay sees arguably the strongest field in the event’s history battling for £400,000 prize money from July 17-25.

Reigning champion Phil Taylor, who won his tenth title last summer with a record margin of victory in defeating Terry Jenkins 18-4 in the final, enters the fray on Tuesday when he plays Barrie Bates in the first round.

However, world number two Raymond van Barneveld is in action in one of four games on the opening night of the event on Saturday, when he takes on in-form Denis Ovens, the 53-year-old who reached his first ever televised semi-final in last month’s Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.

Dutch star van Barneveld failed to qualify for the UK Open and returns to action in Blackpool having had a two-month break from darts since the end of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League – which included a trip to South Africa to cheer on the Netherlands in football’s World Cup.

“The break has been really good for me,” said van Barneveld. “The time off was nice for me and I had a relaxing time watching the World Cup, first at home but then last week in Cape Town and at the final in Johannesburg.

“I’ve practice a lot during my break and I’m full of confidence. I noticed too during the break that I missed the darts and I’m really looking forward to playing in the World Matchplay.

“I’ve known Denis for years and he is one of the most dangerous players in the floor tournaments but he is playing really well on TV now and has more self-confidence so I know what I’m going to face.”

The tournament will open when veteran Dennis Priestley, who turned 60 on Friday, faces Vincent van der Voort, the fast-throwing Dutchman who reached the quarter-finals in Blackpool last summer.

“Vincent is probably the fastest player on the circuit and I’m classed as very sedate,” said Priestley, wryly referring to his slow but deliberate action.

“He’s going to have to adapt and play at my pace, because it’s not going to bother me one bit. I won’t be rushing about because you can soon get into that rhythm and it’s no good to me – I’d be out of breath!”

He added: “It would be nice to be the oldest player to have a good run in one of these events and still play well.

“The problem I have now is that I’m not consistent. Obviously I can still play a bit because I’ve won a few tournaments in the last year, and to do that shows I can still play but it was on a good day.

“When it comes to the televised events you’ve got to be on a good day five times and it’s about achieving that consistency.”

Colin Osborne, the 2009 UK Open runner-up, faces Wayne Jones and Blackpool’s Ronnie Baxter takes on Jamie Caven in Saturday’s other games on the tournament’s opening night, which will be played in front of a sell-out 2,000-strong crowd.

World number three James Wade, the 2007 World Matchplay champion, begins his challenge for a second Winter Gardens title on Sunday night, when he takes on Andy Smith.

Wade has also reached two finals in the World Matchplay since 2006 and admitted: “It’s my favourite tournament, I’ve had Plenty of success in it and it’s a venue I love, but this is a new year.

“I’ve got to look ahead now and focus on facing Andy on Sunday. He’s a really good player who’s in form after winning an event recently, and it should be a very good game.”

Sunday’s play also features Andy Hamilton against Co Stompe, the PDC ProTour’s most recent Players Championship winner, while Adrian Lewis faces Mark Webster, the former Lakeside Champion who is making his World Matchplay debut, while the night concludes when local favourite Wes Newton meets Alan Tabern.

Monday’s play features World Championship runner-up Simon Whitlock against Tony Eccles, two-time World Matchplay finalist Terry Jenkins facing debutant Steve Brown, the all-Scottish clash between Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton and Mervyn King’s contest with Jelle Klaasen.

Essex-born pair Colin Lloyd – the 2005 World Matchplay champion – and Kevin Painter kick off Monday’s final night of first round action, with Mark Walsh meeting 2004 runner-up Mark Dudbridge, debutant Paul Nicholson facing Steve Beaton and reigning champion Taylor facing Wales’ Barrie Bates.

Taylor hit an historic two nine-darters on his way to winning the final of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts in May, an achievement he followed up with a world record televised average of 118.6 in defeating Kevin Painter on his way to the Riley’s Darts Zones UK Open last month.

“It will be a little bit wierd watching everyone else in action for three days before I play but I’ll enjoy watching everyone else,” said Taylor.

“It gives me a couple of extra days to prepare, although my game’s been in good shape in the last couple of months and the World Matchplay seems to bring the best out of me too.

“It’s a great tournament and a venue I love to play at, and I can’t wait to get on stage on Tuesday.

“I’ll have a hard game against Barrie. He’s a real battler of a player and it’s great to see him back in form after his injuries, but I’m determined to win this title again and will be focused on doing that.”

The StanJames.com World Matchplay will be screened in its entirety live on Sky Sports, with High Definition coverage throughout the event accompanied by coverage in 3D for the semi-finals and final – the first time darts has been covered in 3D.

The semi-finals on Saturday July 24 will also be followed by the final of the inaugural PDC Unicorn Women’s World Championship, with America’s Stacy Bromberg facing England’s Tricia Wright to battle for the £10,000 first prize.

StanJames.com – Selected Tournament Odds
4/9 – Phil Taylor
12/1 – James Wade
14/1 – Simon Whitlock
14/1 – Gary Anderson
18/1 – Raymond van Barneveld
33/1 – Adrian Lewis
33/1 – Mervyn King
50/1 – Bar
For full odds visit www.stanjames.com

StanJames.com World Matchplay
Schedule of Play
Saturday July 17
First Round

Sunday July 18
First Round

Monday July 19
First Round

Tuesday July 20
First Round

Wednesday July 21
Second Round

Thursday July 22
Second Round

Friday July 23
Quarter-Finals

Saturday July 24
Semi-Finals
7.10pm
9.00pm
Followed by PDC Unicorn Women’s World Championship Final: Stacy Bromberg v Tricia Wright

Sunday July 25
Final
7.00pm

Format

Each match must be won by two clear legs. There will be no tie break and the match will continue until one player achieves a two-leg lead.

Prize Fund

In addition, should a player receive a nine-dart finish, they would receive a £5,000 bonus. In the event of more than one player hitting a nine-darter, the bonus would be shared on a pro-rata basis.

American ace Mawson, whose family hail from Bolton, enjoyed the finest weekend of his darts career two years ago when he battled through to the final of the UK Open, defeating reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld along the way, before losing out to James Wade.

Mawson is one of 106 players who will take part in the Preliminary, First and Second Rounds at the Reebok Stadium when the four-day UK Open – nicknamed “The FA Cup of Darts” due to the free draw format for each round – begins on June 3, screened live on Sky Sports.

The Preliminary and First Rounds feature the players placed from 65-96 in the UK Open Order of Merit, following eight qualifying events, along with the 32 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers and ten BDO County Qualifiers.

Mawson has drawn Basildon-based Ashley Whisker – a 26-year-old tractor driver – in the Preliminary Round, with their match opening the tournament on the Main Stage, which is one of eight stages which will host simultanous action around the Reebok Stadium’s Premier Suite.

Chorley’s Louis Blundell meets former World Champion Richie Burnett in one of four First Round games to be played on the Main Stage, which also include the Roses battle between Lancashire’s Darren Latham and Yorkshire starlet Joe Cullen, Steve Hine’s clash with Northumberland’s Ian Gleeson and Leeds-based Rileys Qualifier Stuart Monaghan against Irish debutant William O’Connor.

Thursday’s opening night also features the Second Round games involving the players who finished from 33-64 in the UK Open Order of Merit, with popular star Wayne Mardle drawn against Ireland’s Mick McGowan on the Main Stage.

Former World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd was drawn with Adrian Gray, while promising youngster Arron Monk – the son of experienced professional Colin Monk – faces Nick Fullwell and Paul Nicholson, the totesport.com Players Championship winner in January, will face either Peter Hudson, Paul Neate or Dave Smith.

Board two’s matches on the opening night include Manchester-based Rileys Qualifier Paul Whitworth up against Scotland’s Chris Loudon, last year’s quarter-finalist Mark Lawrence taking on Alex Roy and games involving former World Champion Steve Beaton, Kevin McDine and Mark Frost.

Jyhan Artut, the emerging German who knocked Mardle out of the World Championship last December, meets Kevin Dowling in a Preliminary Round contest on Board Three, while Bristol’s Steve Brown clashes with Welshman Wayne Atwood in the Second Round on Board Five.

Peter Manley, the former Las Vegas Desert Classic winner who recently returned to action after suffering a health scare, has drawn St Helens-based teenager Michael Smith, with their game on Board Six likely to draw plenty of attention and coming after Scotland’s Robert Thornton faces the winner of a clash between Rileys Qualifiers Mark Wilson and Paul Gibbs.

Roland Scholten, the 2004 UK Open champion, comes up against either Bradley Williams or Joe Palmer in the Second Round as he bids to repeat his success at the Reebok Stadium.

The top 32 players, including reigning UK Open champion Phil Taylor and 2008 winner James Wade, enter the event on Friday June 4 at the Third Round stage.

Tickets for the UK Open cost from £20 and are available by calling 0844 871 2932 or by visiting the Reebok Stadium Box Office.

2010 UK Open – Schedule of Play
Thursday June 3
Main Stage
Preliminary Round
Ashley Whisker v Gary Mawson
First Round
Louis Blundell v Richie Burnett
Darren Latham v Joe Cullen
Steve Hine v Ian Gleeson
Stuart Monaghan v William O’Connor
Second Round
Kirk Shepherd v Adrian Gray
Wayne Mardle v Mick McGowan
Nick Fullwell v Arron Monk
Hudson/Neate/Dave Smith v Paul Nicholson

Board Two
Preliminary Round
Andy Hutchings v Darren Webster
First Round
John Quantock v Matt Padgett
Chris Loudon v Paul Whitworth
Hudson/Neate v Dave Smith
Riihonen/Farmer v Dean Edlin
Second Round
Alex Roy v Mark Lawrence
Kevin McDine v Harrison/Green
Grant/R Evans v Steve Beaton
Monaghan/O’Connor v Mark Frost

Board Three
Preliminary Round
Kevin Dowling v Jyhan Artut
Dean Stewart v Dylan Duo
First Round
Darren Sullivan v Tony Hutchinson
Sam Allen v Melvyn Johnston
Bradley Williams v Joe Palmer
Ryan Murray v Lowe/J Clark
Second Round
Justin Pipe v Chris Thompson
Newland/Robertson v Dennis Smith
Eastwood/Martin v Whisker/Mawson/Stewart/Duo
Harris/Hutchings/D Webster v Andy Smith

Board Four
Preliminary Round
Prakash Jiwa v John Lakeman
First Round
Robbie Newland v John Robertson
Mark Wilson v Paul Gibbs
Dean Harris v Hutchings/D Webster
Dowling/Artut v A Murray/Rand
Second Round
Colin Monk v Darren Johnson
Mark Cox v Hammond/O’Neill
Blundell/Burnett v Pinhorne/Robinson/Ringland
R Murray/Lowe/J Clark v Quantock/Padgett

Board Five
Preliminary Round
Andy Murray v Scott Rand
Par Riihonen v Steve Farmer
First Round
Gary Eastwood v David Martin
Michael Hammond v Henry O’Neill
Dave Honey v Mike Nott
Jay Foreman v Barrie Knight
Second Round
Wayne Atwood v Steve Brown
S Jones/Bowles v Michael Barnard
Draper/M Harris v Bache/Turner
Murphy/Warwick v Riihonen/Farmer/Edlin

Board Six
Preliminary Round
Kevin Lowe v Jason Clark
First Round
Alex Harrison v Jamie Green
Noel Grant v Ricky Evans
Henry Murphy v Paul Warwick
Simon Cunningham v Jiwa/Lakeman
Second Round
Robert Thornton v Wilson/Gibbs
Michael Smith v Peter Manley
Hine/Gleeson v Allen/Johnston
Broughton/Stephenson v Dowling/Artut/A Murray/Rand

Board Seven
Preliminary Round
Reece Robinson v Hugh Ringland
First Round
Matt Draper v Mark Harris
Paul Rowley v Anton Liscsey
Nicky Bache v Martyn Turner
Whisker/Mawson v Stewart/Duo
Second Round
Fisher/Webb v Chris Mason
Sullivan/Hutchinson v Steve Evans
Honey/Nott v Latham/Cullen
Williams/Palmer v Roland Scholten

Board Eight
Preliminary Round
Peter Hudson v Paul Neate
First Round
Tony Broughton v Mark Stephenson
Pete Fisher v Barrie Webb
Simon Jones v John Bowles
Danny Pinhorne v Robinson/Ringland
Second Round
Tony Ayres v Loudon/Whitworth
Rowley/Liscsey v Barrie Bates
Stephen Hardy v Foreman/Wright
Stuart Dutton v Cunningham/Jiwa/Lakeman

The new, ITV-televised event involves the leading players from all Players Championship tournaments held during 2008.

Offering £50,000 to Sunday night’s champion, play will be over three days at the famous Essex venue, which previously hosted the PDC World Championship for 14 years until 2007.

Friday sees the best-of-11 leg first round split across afternoon and evening sessions, kicking off at 1pm with the clash of Vincent van der Voort and Chris Mason.

Essex’s Colin Lloyd and Steve Maish are also in action during the afternoon, when they meet Jamie Caven and Dennis Priestley respectively.

World number one and 14-time World Champion Phil Taylor, the number one seed after winning 11 Players Championships last year, takes on Michael van Gerwen in the evening session.

World number two James Wade meets ex-World Champion Steve Beaton, while number three seed Alan Tabern will face Adrian Lewis.

Raymond van Barneveld, the last World Champion at the Circus Tavern, finished just tenth in last year’s Players Championship Order of Merit, and opens his challenge against Andy Jenkins, while three-time World Champion John Part faces Denis Ovens.

The opening night will conclude with the meeting of in-form Mark Walsh – who hit a nine-darter in Gibraltar a fortnight ago – against local hero Wayne Mardle, who reached three World Championship semi-finals in his five previous appearances at the Circus Tavern.

“It will be odd going back there without it being the World Championship, but I’ve got so many great memories already and hopefully I can create a few more this weekend!” said Mardle

“The Circus Tavern has always been a favourite venue of mine. The atmosphere that is created at the Tavern is unreal and, being a local lad, I’ve always had good support there.”

Taylor won 11 World Championship titles at the Circus Tavern, and added: “It’s a lovely venue and has a special atmosphere because the crowd are so close to you.

“I’m looking forward to going back there and it would be great to win another tournament in Purfleet.

“But the event has 32 form players and it will be really tough, especially in the short early rounds. I have to start well against Michael van Gerwen because he can get away from you quickly.”

The second round will be played on Saturday afternoon, with the quarter-finals following in the evening session.

The last four will return on Sunday, with the two semi-finals taking place in the afternoon session and the final in the evening.

Schedule of Play
Friday January 30
First Round
Afternoon Session
1.00pm – Vincent van der Voort v Chris Mason
1.35pm – Colin Lloyd v Jamie Caven
2.10pm – Ronnie Baxter v Tony Eccles
2.45pm – Terry Jenkins v Wayne Jones
3.20pm – Mervyn King v Felix McBrearty
3.55pm – Colin Osborne v Andy Smith
4.30pm – Dennis Priestley v Steve Maish

Evening Session
6.15pm – Kevin Painter v Alex Roy
6.50pm – Alan Tabern v Adrian Lewis
7.25pm – Andy Hamilton v Peter Manley
8.00pm – James Wade v Steve Beaton
8.35pm – Robert Thornton v Mark Dudbridge
9.10pm – Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen
9.45pm – Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Jenkins
10.20pm – Denis Ovens v John Part
10.55pm – Mark Walsh v Wayne Mardle

Saturday January 30
Second Round
Afternoon Session
1.00pm – Tabern/Lewis v Thornton/Dudbridge
1.35pm – Priestley/Maish v Ovens/Part
2.10pm – Osborne/Smith v van Barneveld/A Jenkins
2.45pm – Wade/Beaton v Painter/Roy
3.20pm – King/McBrearty v Walsh/Mardle
3.55pm – Baxter/Eccles v T Jenkins/Jones
4.30pm – Lloyd/Caven v Hamilton/Manley
5.05pm – Taylor/van Gerwen v van der Voort/Mason

Quarter-Finals
Evening Session
6.15pm – Priestley/Maish/Ovens/Part v Tabern/Lewis/Thornton/Dudbridge
7.25pm – Wade/Beaton/Painter/Roy v Osborne/Smith/van Barneveld/A Jenkins
8.35pm – Baxter/Eccles/T Jenkins/Jones v King/McBrearty/Walsh/Mardle
9.45pm – Taylor/van Gerwen/van der Voort/Mason v Lloyd/Caven/Hamilton/Manley

Sunday February 1
Afternoon Session
1.00pm – Semi-Final
Not Before 3pm – Semi Final

Evening Session
7.15pm – Final

First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Michael van Gerwen (32)
Vincent van der Voort (16) v Chris Mason (17)
Colin Lloyd (8) v Jamie Caven (25)
Andrew Hamilton (9) v Peter Manley (24)
Ronnie Baxter (5) v Tony Eccles (28)
Terry Jenkins (12) v Wayne Jones (21)
Mervyn King (4) v Felix McBrearty (29)
Mark Walsh (13) v Wayne Mardle (20)
James Wade (2) v Steve Beaton (31)
Kevin Painter (15) v Alex Roy (18)
Colin Osborne (7) v Andy Smith (26)
Raymond van Barneveld (10) v Andy Jenkins (23)
Dennis Priestley (6) v Steve Maish (27)
Denis Ovens (11) v John Part (22)
Alan Tabern (3) v Adrian Lewis (30)
Robert Thornton (14) v Mark Dudbridge (19)

Prize Fund
Winner £50,000
Runner-Up £25,000
Semi-Finalists £12,500
Quarter-Finalists £8,500
Second Round Losers £4,000
First Round Losers £2,000
High Checkout £2,000
Total £200,000

Format
First Round – Best of 11 legs
Second Round – Best of 11 legs
Quarter-Finals – Best of 17 legs
Semi-Finals – Best of 25 legs
Final – Best of 31 legs

PHIL TAYLOR and Raymond van Barneveld will clash on the opening night of the 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.

The rematch of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship will be played at the Echo Arena Liverpool as the new Premier League Darts season begins on Thursday February 5.

Taylor, the defending Premier League Darts champion, claimed his 14th World Championship earlier in January with a 7-1 defeat of van Barneveld at Alexandra Palace.

“I can’t wait to get going again,” said Taylor. “It should be a real cracker because I love playing Raymond.

“He brings the best out in me and it’s a great way to begin the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts season.”

The first of 14 league nights will also see new world number two James Wade take on three-time World Champion John Part, while newcomer Jelle Klaasen faces Terry Jenkins in a battle of “The Matador” and “The Bull”.

Another Premier League debutant, Mervyn King, meets Wayne Mardle in the third game of the evening in Liverpool.

Taylor and van Barneveld will also meet in night eight at the NIA in Birmingham, while Taylor faces Wade in a repeat of the 2008 final in Belfast and Cardiff.

The first Premier League Darts visit to Edinburgh in week two will see Part meet van Barneveld, Mardle face Jenkins, Taylor meet Klaasen and Wade take on King.

Klaasen and Mardle, the two Wildcards for this year’s Premier League, face off in week three in Coventry in their first league meeting.

All nights of the 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts will be screened live on Sky Sports and also in High Definition.

League nights will begin at 7pm with the exception of Birmingham (6.30pm) and the play-offs at Wembley (6pm), and tickets are still available at all venues, with limited availability for some nights.

2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts Fixtures
Week One
February 5 – Echo Arena, Liverpool
James Wade v John Part
Jelle Klaasen v Terry Jenkins
Mervyn King v Wayne Mardle
Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 0844 8000 400

Week Two
February 12 – Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh
John Part v Raymond van Barneveld
Wayne Mardle v Terry Jenkins
Phil Taylor v Jelle Klaasen
James Wade v Mervyn King
Tickets: 0870 231 0831

Week Three
February 19 – Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Terry Jenkins v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade
Mervyn King v John Part
Jelle Klaasen v Wayne Mardle
Tickets: 08444 121 747

Week Four
February 26 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
John Part v Wayne Mardle
Mervyn King v Jelle Klaasen
James Wade v Phil Taylor
Terry Jenkins v Raymond van Barneveld
Tickets: 02890 739 074

Week Five
March 5 – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Jelle Klaasen v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Mervyn King
Wayne Mardle v Raymond van Barneveld
John Part v Terry Jenkins
Tickets: 0844 493 6666

Week Six
March 12 – M.E.N. Arena, Manchester
Raymond van Barneveld v Mervyn King
Jelle Klaasen v John Part
Terry Jenkins v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Wayne Mardle
Tickets: 0844 847 8000

Week Seven
March 19 – Brighton Centre
Mervyn King v Terry Jenkins
Wayne Mardle v James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld v Jelle Klaasen
Phil Taylor v John Part
Tickets: 0844 847 1515

Week Eight
March 26 – N.I.A., Birmingham
Wayne Mardle v Mervyn King
Terry Jenkins v Jelle Klaasen
John Part v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld
Please Note 6.30pm start for this event
Tickets: 0871 945 6000

Week Nine
April 2 – S.E.C.C., Glasgow
Raymond van Barneveld v John Part
Terry Jenkins v Wayne Mardle
Jelle Klaasen v Phil Taylor
Mervyn King v James Wade
Tickets: 0870 040 4000

Week Ten
April 9 – Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Phil Taylor v Terry Jenkins
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
John Part v Mervyn King
Wayne Mardle v Jelle Klaasen
Tickets: 08705 321 321

Week 11
April 16 – Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
John Part v Jelle Klaasen
Mervyn King v Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Wayne Mardle v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 08444 124 624

Week 12
April 23 – A.E.C.C., Aberdeen
Terry Jenkins v Mervyn King
James Wade v Wayne Mardle
Jelle Klaasen v Raymond van Barneveld
John Part v Phil Taylor
Tickets: 08444 779 000

Week 13
April 30 – Sheffield Arena
James Wade v Jelle Klaasen
Mervyn King v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v Wayne Mardle
Terry Jenkins v John Part
Tickets: 0114 256 5656

Week 14
May 7 – C.I.A., Cardiff
Wayne Mardle v John Part
Jelle Klaasen v Mervyn King
Phil Taylor v James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld v Terry Jenkins
Tickets: 02920 22 44 88

Play-Offs
May 25 – Wembley Arena
Tickets: 0870 060 0870

The Pro-Celebrity Challenge will see eight celebrities team up with eight of the top names in world darts at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall ahead of the start of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

Ex-Liverpool and England defender Ruddock was drawn to team up with Taylor in the tournament, and they will face Women’s World Champion Anastasia Dobromyslova and six-time World Snooker Champion Steve Davis in the opening game.

“I can’t wait to play with Neil – but he’d better get practising as I’m a tough cookie!” said Taylor.

“Steve is a very good player and it’s all about whether he holds his nerve in that first match, but he’s as good at darts as he is at snooker!”

Former boxer Barry McGuigan teams up with the current PDC World Champion John Part, and they meet Wayne Mardle and actor Michael Le Vell, best known as Coronation Street’s Michael Le Vell.

“I can’t wait to play in the PartyPoker.com Pro-Celebrity Challenge,” said Le Vell, nicknamed “The Spirit”.

“I love watching darts and used to play regularly but I’m hoping for some practice advice from Phil Taylor before the event!

“I’ve played Phil Tuffnell before and beat him, so I am sure he will be looking for revenge if I get to play his team.

“I hear Neil Ruddock is pretty handy with the arrows , and I reckon Steve Davis will be keen to do well, so I am looking forward to hopefully taking them on in Wolverhampton.”

BDO World Champion Mark Webster teams up with another top sportsman, England rugby union World Cup winner Mike Tindall.

“I am really looking forward to playing with the best players in the World,” said Tindall.

“I love watching Darts on the TV when I can, especially when I am away with Gloucester with the other lads and I try and play when I can.

“I think playing in front of a few thousand people in the arena and millions of people watching on TV is going to be a brilliant experience, and I’m going to be trying my best to make sure I contribute to winning the event with James.”

They will meet former England cricketer and “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here” winner Phil Tufnell and Raymond van Barneveld in the opening games.

Three-time Olympic javelin medallist Steve Backley links up with James Wade, while poker legend David “Devilfish” Ulliott partners Peter Manley.

PartyPoker.com Pro-Celebrity Challenge Draw
Phil Taylor & Neil Ruddock v Anastasia Dobromyslova & Steve Davis
John Part & Barry McGuigan v Wayne Mardle & Michael Le Vell
Raymond van Barneveld & Phil Tufnell v Mark Webster & Mike Tindall
James Wade & Steve Backley v Peter Manley & David “Devilfish” Ulliott

* Tickets for the PartyPoker.com Pro-Celebrity Challenge on Friday November 14 and the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts from November 15-23 at the Wolverhampton Civic are still available on 0870 320 7000 or via wolvescivic.co.uk.