Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/devdw/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/3rd-party/yoast-seo.php on line 13 BDO NEWS Archives • Darts World Magazine
Darts World have learned the BDO is on the brink of collapse and an announcement may be imminent.
Game over?
After almost half a century, of being the governing body of darts in the UK, it seems that the combination of financial constraints and a lack of support from its members has proven insurmountable.
Multiple sources have informed Darts World that “its over and the BDO will be folded”
If true the news will lead to a scramble for what remains of the structure and assets of the once dominant organisation. The County associations are certain to maje a claim for any monies owed and possibly further physical assets.
It remains to be seen how the new organisations including the UKDA and MAD Darts will respond. It may be that the responsibility to operate a sustainable amateur darts structure now falls to them.
The WDF may also need to decide upon a body to represent the UK within their system.
This story is ongoing and will be updated as more detail emerges…..
With even Martin Adams declaring it dead and buried (here) it seems that the writing is truly on the wall for the BDO. Darts World has been reporting on the BDO since the very beginning of both.
It would, therefore, be remiss of us to omit the organisation’s current plight from our roster of content. However, we have no wish to take part in the partisan debate or factional rivalry.
The irony is not lost that what the BDO was initially set up to do, organise and promote an inter-county league, may well be all that survives after the last few years of mishap, misfortune, and decline.
It should also not be forgotten that many of the original founders mentioned, including Olly Croft and Eddie Norman, gave long and valued service to our game through good times and bad. That said, it cannot be ignored that the current situation has been the result of a combination of decisions, taken over decades, that have left the darts’ original governing body on the brink of self-destruction.
Olly Croft. Founder of the Feast and Villain of the Piece?
Looking over the history of the BDO, for a separate project, it was astonishing to see the number of occasions where the body was involved in banning or blocking ideas, groups or technical innovations that were intended for the betterment of darts, fans or players. As far back as the 1970’s other organisations were stifled, draconian rules imposed and developments such as spring-loaded darts or unusual points were unceremoniously banned. In 1988, five years before the World Darts Council arrived, the BDO board issued an edict that players must choose between a new organisation’s events or their own. With the benefit of hindsight, the situation that developed with the WDC (later PDC) seems inevitable.
The awful treatment of Tommy Cox and the new organisation’s players and supporters left a bitterness that was barely disguised. Phil Taylor’s swipe at Mike Gregory, after winning the first TV event on the BBC since ‘the split’, gives some indication of the depth of feeling that existed.
But a second decision may have been the underlying cause of the situation the BDO find themselves in. In 2010 they rejected Barry Hearn’s 2miilion offer to buy them out. With Croft leading the charge and declaring “The BDO is not for sale”.
As a direct result Hearn took his money and invested in what became the thriving multi-tiered modern PDC. Youth and a second, or feeder, tiers we swiftly introduced and boldly developed over the next few years. With the recent success of women players, it could be said that this process is almost complete.
From merely handling to professional side of the game, the PDC have produced, in less than a decade, a system that caters for all who want to play competitive darts in an efficient and supportive atmosphere. All that is missing is any form of team opportunity.
Meanwhile, the BDO made the fatal mistake of trying, but not full bloodedly, to compete. Financial miscalculations were made, trying to establish a similar roster of top-flight events without the expertise to do so, and poor recruiting decisions taken in terms of agencies, individuals and companies who promised much and delivered little.
The resultant problems are too complex to explain here but suffice to say that step by step the road to the’ Fiasco at the Indigo’ loomed and although foreseen it seems it could not be prevented. The embarrassing spectacle of players competing in a World Championship and having their prize and expenses crowd-funded but the sight of Wayne Warren lifting that famous old trophy without knowing if he would receive a penny was, for some, the final shame.
The birth of the County Game. Could it be the saviour of the BDO?
The usual recriminations and blame shifting have continued since. Briefly it seemed that some form of solution was on the horizon. The lose making arm of the business might be jettisoned and the original enterprise, that same British Inter County Championship first imagined in 1972, could be separated off and salvaged as a going concern. Perhaps even an arrangement with the PDC, and/or others, might be reached whereby the team side of the sport could be operated successfully, alongside the individual network offered by the Barry Hearn and Matt Porter?
It was not to be, after a farcical ‘remote’ board meeting, the members re-elected former chairman Des Jacklin to the board. Des was later reinstated as to the lead position. The rancorous disputes, that have resulted in three different entities vying to take control of the ragged remains of the British Darts Organisation, should come as no surprise.
Darts World will continue to keep you abreast of this sad state of affairs as we have done since our very first issue. We strongly hope, one day, to bring you better news.
In the 2nd part of his review of, the beginnings of, the BDO, Alan Towe looks the first round of County Championship darts. Who were the first ten teams? Who won? and who were the players?
As planned the inaugural fixtures of the Double Diamond Darts Inter Counties Championships got under way on the 7th October 1973 with four games being played, a fifth, which was originally arranged for the 14th October between Hertfordshire and West Midlands had to be postponed as the West Midlands dropped out at the last moment and a replacement in the form of Somerset had to be introduced.
Big Winners:
The biggest winners of the opening games were Lancashire who won 10-2 at home against Thames Valley to become the early pacesetters with 12 points from a possible 14.
Winners for Lancashire were J.Bunce, C.Court, F.Metcalf, H.Cook, F.Crolla, W.Barton, C.Pichers, N.Clarke, C.Lucas and J.Dawson with W.Weeks and J.Clacey providing the only response for Thames Valley.
Close behind Lancashire were Surrey who accounted for their visitors Cheshire with a 9-3 scoreline, the home team opening up a 6-0 lead with the second half games shared.
Closer Encounters:
Taking up third place in the table were West of England with their 8-4 success over a Kent team who were unable to find their finishing doubles as opposed to their hosts who were superb in their finishing.
On the mark for West of England were Michael Butt, Peter Lally, Douglas Priestner, Roger Smith, Peter Callow, Alan Cooper, Davis Porter and Kim Brown with Lew Walker, Fred Smoker and Patsie Sulman replying for Kent.
The First World Master. Cliff Ingliss also represented Devon in the first ever county round.
Devon played hosts to London which produced a 6-6 draw that was described as the perfect result for a game that was so evenly matched.
Devon opened up a 3-0 lead through C.Inglis, J.Griffiths and J.Dawson but London immediately caught up with wins from J.Nicholls, R.Vince and R.Church and from there on in there was never more than one game between the two teams.
Other winners for Devon were T.Toghill,T.Green and J.Murphy while putting London’s nose in front on three occasions were J.Ambler, T.O’Regan and R.Seymour.
Alan Glazier. As well as featuring in this ‘lethal lefties’ article the Ton Machine played in the first Inter County round of matches.
Leading the tons table after the first fixtures with eight scores of a ton or more from his three legs played was London’s Alan Glazier who actually lost his game against Devon’s T.Toghill 2-1. Nearest rival to Glazier is Surrey’s Bill Duddy who in his 2-0 win over Pat Mullen recorded five tons or over.
London ‘B’ player Tom Sole in his first representative game hit two successive maximums
For taking part in the Double Diamond Darts Inter Counties Championships the Lancashire team were donated cardigans by the Pendlebury Royal British Legion, while the confident Surrey team produced car stickers for members and supporters declaring “Surrey Darts Team for the Inter-counties league”.
In the ladies’ competition Thames Valley headed the table with three points and are closely followed by Devon, Kent, and Surrey who are all on two points.
Long time England Captain and BDO stalwart Martin Adams has declared the organisation dead.
Speaking at the England vs Scotland ‘Drive in Darts’ event he told Darts World’s Phil Lanning:
“I have got to be honest… I think unfortunately the BDO has died.
The twice World Champion seemed to be enjoying his venture North of the border for a fun night of open air darts. But the situation with the organisation he spent his career representing clearly concerned him:
It’s a sad sad day…. What more can you say, really. I just think its unrecoverable.
Martin finished off with the blunt summary:
” I think we actually buried it (the BDO) with Olly Croft, the founder.”
For more from Drive in Darts check Darts World’s social media.
The article, from Issue 2, is essentially a scoop on the birth of the BDO. The ‘Super Teams’ are in fact the early Counties and the National League that is ‘likely to be formed this spring’ became what is now the BICC league.
Lookout, in our relaunched magazine, for Alan Towe’s fuller explanation of the events surrounding this seminal moment in UK darts. The competition to design a badge for the new organisation was very successful and resulted in the emblem that is still used today!
The Darts World Years continues…………here and over in the Twitterverse
WAYNE WARREN has vowed he will keep the BDO World Championship trophy until he gets “what is owed”.
The Tynewydd star was only paid £23,000 for winning the Championship instead of the originally stated £100,000 after beating Jim Williams in the final at the O2 Indigo in January.
It took over a month of turmoil before he was given the prize pot and blasted recently that current chairman Des Jacklin should be taken to court, vowing his win is “a nightmare not a dream”.
With the BDO’s commercial arm who organise the major tournaments heading towards liquidation this Thursday, Warren has said he will keep the trophy.
He wrote on Facebook: “Until I get what’s owed to me. That trophy won’t be going nowhere I can assure you of that.”
He also received support from among others, the wife of John O’Shea; who won the World Masters last year: “John will be keeping the World Masters Trophy along with you.”
Warren, 58, has already ripped into the BDO regime, labelling Des Jacklin’s return after making a u-turn following his resignation “an utter joke”.
The Welshman has already stated he would not be competing in any further BDO events and will look to other organisations in the coming weeks.
“I TOOK THE CUP AND EVERYONE WAS LOVING IT AND THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS TREMENDOUS”.
He said: “It’s a nightmare, not a dream. I was hoping to get as many exhibitions in as I could as well. The ones I did earlier in the year were for charity because of the floods to raise money
“It’s very disappointing you don’t believe how disappointed I am to be honest.”
Darts World notes, with sadness, that our previous reporting of this matter is confirmed by the following notice:
Notice timeline for BRITISH DARTS ORGANISATION ENTERPRISES LIMITED (01499298)
Deemed Consent
BRITISH DARTS ORGANISATION ENTERPRISES LIMITED
Company Number: (01499298)
Registered office: Penycraig Boys And Girls Club Brook Street, Williamstown, Tonypandy, CF40 1RB
Principal trading address: Penycraig Boys And Girls Club Brook Street, Williamstown, Tonypandy, CF40 1RB
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Rule 15.13 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, that the Directors of the above-named Company (the ‘conveners’) are seeking deemed consent from creditors on the nomination of Joint Liquidators. A resolution to wind up the Company is to be considered on 2 July 2020.
The decision date for any objections to be made to this proposed decision is 2 July 2020. In order to object to the proposed decision a creditor must have delivered a notice, stating that the creditor so objects, to the Directors not later than 23.59 hours on the decision date. If less than the appropriate number (10% in value) of relevant creditors (defined as those who would be entitled to vote in a decision procedure, if the decision had been sought in that way) object to the proposed decision, the creditors are to be treated as having made the proposed decision.
Philip B Wood and Christopher Knott of Barringtons Corporate Recovery, 570-572 Etruria Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0SU are persons qualified to act as insolvency practitioners in relation to the company who, during the period before the decision date, will furnish creditors free of charge with such information concerning the Company’s affairs as they may reasonably require.
The notice of objection must be delivered together with a proof in respect of the creditor’s claim in accordance with the Rules failing which the objection will be disregarded. Proofs may be delivered to Barringtons Corporate Recovery, 570-572 Etruria Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0SU. A creditor who has opted out from receiving notices may nevertheless make an objection if the creditor provides a proof of debt in the requisite time frame.
The Directors of the Company, before the decision date and before the end of the period of seven days beginning with the day after the day on which the company passed a resolution for winding up, are required by Section 99 of the Insolvency Act 1986: (i) to make out a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company, and (ii) send the statement to the Company’s creditors.
It is the conveners’ responsibility to aggregate any objections to see if the threshold is met for the decision to be taken as not having been made. If the threshold is met the deemed consent procedure will terminate and a physical meeting will be convened and held to seek a decision on the nomination.
Names, IP numbers, firm names and addresses of nominated Liquidators:
Philip B Wood (IP number 005396) and Christopher Knott (IP number 017230) both of Barringtons Corporate Recovery, 570-572 Etruria Road, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 0SU. Tel: 01782 713700
Contact: Casey Matthews
Stephen Paul Gittus, Director
There is little more to be said at the current time. July 2nd will see further developments and the machinations on the BICC/BDO (Ltd.) side have not yet run their course.
Wayne Warren does not have much sympathy leftover for BDO’s current leadership and therefore does not believe in a future for the formerly powerful organisation.
“If god threw darts he’d through em like Wayne Warren!”
He won the BDO World Championship back in January, but now 57-year-old Wayne Warren says he no longer believes in a future for BDO. Instead, he chooses to focus on WDF tournaments and a possible future in the PDC next year. Warren was speaking to journalist Phil Barrs
Warren won the BDO title on January 12, after defeating his compatriot Jim Williams in the final. However, the victory resulted far from the career boost that any previous world champion could have expected in advance.
Because after the victory Warren received only £23,000, a fraction of the previous year when Glen Durrant claimed the title. In fact, Warren’s prize money was the lowest cash prize awarded to a BDO World Champion since 1989.
Wayne stated:
Everyone dreams of becoming a world champion. I’ve been dreaming of that myself since I was a kid…..
– But getting what I got – it can’t be right, can it? It’s a nightmare, not a dream.
Wayne Warren’s frustrations stem, among other things, from the fact that players prior to the BDO World Cup had been informed that the prize money would be reduced – though not to the extent that it was. Warren seems to blame BDO chairman Des Jacklin for.
“The only thing Des has done just a little bit right was to move the World Championships to the O2.
But what he has done otherwise has not been good enough…..
“We knew full well that the prize money would not be £100,000 at all, but I had heard rumors that it would be £50,000 or £60,000. “So I couldn’t fathom it when I got an email saying it was reduced to 23,000 pounds. It’s a damn big reduction”
Wayne continued.
“The original premium would have been life-changing for someone my age. It is simply a joke. It’s a disaster, to be honest.
BDO is done. There will be no more BDO if you ask me.
“BDO no longer has my interest. I want to dedicate myself to WDF tournaments now, and then we take it one step at a time. But BDO is done for me….”
Although Warren turns 58 by June, he still has ambitions for a future in the PDC, to which he expects to attend Q-School until January.
” I expect to attend Q-School. I was originally signed up this year, but when I got that email from BDO, ……. so I didn’t have my head with me.
But I have the level of winning a Tour Card, Wayne Warren concludes.
A different form of this article was originally published, here.
Wayne Warren does not have much sympathy leftover for BDO’s current leadership and therefore does not believe in a future for the formerly powerful organisation.
“If god threw darts he’d through em like Wayne Warren!”
He won the BDO World Championship back in January, but now 57-year-old Wayne Warren says he no longer believes in a future for BDO. Instead, he chooses to focus on WDF tournaments and a possible future in the PDC next year. Warren was speaking to journalist Phil Barrs
Warren won the BDO title on January 12, after defeating his compatriot Jim Williams in the final. However, the victory resulted far from the career boost that any previous world champion could have expected in advance.
Because after the victory Warren received only £23,000, a fraction of the previous year when Glen Durrant claimed the title. In fact, Warren’s prize money was the lowest cash prize awarded to a BDO World Champion since 1989.
Wayne stated:
Everyone dreams of becoming a world champion. I’ve been dreaming of that myself since I was a kid…..
– But getting what I got – it can’t be right, can it? It’s a nightmare, not a dream.
Wayne Warren’s frustrations stem, among other things, from the fact that players prior to the BDO World Cup had been informed that the prize money would be reduced – though not to the extent that it was. Warren seems to blame BDO chairman Des Jacklin for.
“The only thing Des has done just a little bit right was to move the World Championships to the O2.
But what he has done otherwise has not been good enough…..
“We knew full well that the prize money would not be £100,000 at all, but I had heard rumors that it would be £50,000 or £60,000. “So I couldn’t fathom it when I got an email saying it was reduced to 23,000 pounds. It’s a damn big reduction”
Wayne continued.
“The original premium would have been life-changing for someone my age. It is simply a joke. It’s a disaster, to be honest.
BDO is done. There will be no more BDO if you ask me.
“BDO no longer has my interest. I want to dedicate myself to WDF tournaments now, and then we take it one step at a time. But BDO is done for me….”
Although Warren turns 58 by June, he still has ambitions for a future in the PDC, to which he expects to attend Q-School until January.
” I expect to attend Q-School. I was originally signed up this year, but when I got that email from BDO, ……. so I didn’t have my head with me.
But I have the level of winning a Tour Card, Wayne Warren concludes.
A different form of this article was originally published, here.
The BDO’s commercial arm British Darts Organisation Enterprises Ltd files Notice of Intention to Appoint Liquidator.
The commercial arm of the British Darts Organisation – British Darts Organisation Enterprises Ltd – is set to file a Notice of Intention to appoint a liquidator in a move that will secure the future of grassroots membership darts in the UK. British Darts Organisation Enterprises Limited was founded on 30 May 1980 and has its registered office in Tonypandy, Wales. It has been the commercial arm of the sportsmembership body the BDO, since its formation. The Directors of the BDO have taken the difficult decision to liquidate the commercial arm as a result of the COVID crisis. British Darts Organisation Enterprises Ltd has faced increased cashflow pressure following the cancellation of a major event in Spain on the very day the country went into lockdown and due to social distancing, for the foreseeable future we are not able to run any of our other events.
Given this the company faced a cashflow crisis which it could not trade out of. A BDO Director, stated:
“The British Darts Organisation has a long and proud record of standing by and for its members. Today’s announcement does not change that in the least. Our focus is ensuring the longevity of the organisation and despite this setback and some tough decision making, we are committed to making the BDO a successfor its members. British darts is safe.” “We are and will remain totally focused on our members and the Notice of Intention to appoint a liquidator does not change this.”
A Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL) is a formal insolvency procedure which involves the directors of an insolvent company voluntarily choosing to bring their business to an end.
The Directors will work closely with the Administrator to ensure creditor claims are addressed.
However, our message to the membership is that our organisation is financiallysecure and that our commitment to British darts as a sport for everyone remains now and in the future,” concluded a BDO Director.
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