Premier League Darts Launch Success at The O2
The Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts made its debut at The O2 on Thursday, with over 8,000 fans - the second largest in the history of the event - seeing the world's best players live on stage.The 2010 season began in spectacular fashion at the Greenwich venue, as fans travelled from around the UK to see the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade in action. Australian Simon Whitlock also had a large following of Aussie fans - complete with cork hats - on his first appearance in the Premier League, although he was denied a debut win by Taylor. Van Barneveld defeated reigning champion Wade, Mervyn King overcame Adrian Lewis and the points were shared as Ronnie Baxter and Terry Jenkins drew. However, the big success story of the night was the 8,000 crowd, bettered only last year in Liverpool as the Premier League's status as the biggest indoor sport in the UK was reaffirmed at The O2. "This was a tremendous night of darts and one of the most memorable events in the history of the sport," said Professional Darts Corporation Chairman Barry Hearn. "The stage at The O2 has been graced by most of the world's biggest rock bands and pop stars, and now the leading darts players have shared that spotlight. "I hope this is the start of a long relationship with The O2 for darts!" See some photos form the event. Download as PDF [153KB PDF doc opens in new window] |
