Grand Slam of Darts

[carrickharp]

Players from the two rival darts bodies will join forces for a lucrative new tournament in the autumn.
The Grand Slam of Darts will see stars from the Professional Darts Corporation and British Darts Organisation doing battle for a £60,000 first prize.

PDC chairman Barry Hearn said: "For the first time in the modern era, champions from both sides will meet on the oche to discover the greatest of them all."

The event will be at Wolverhampton Civic Centre from 17-25 November.

A 32-man field from both organisations, all finalists in major tournaments over a two-year period, will compete for a total prize fund of £250,000.

It will include current PDC world champion Raymond van Barneveld and 2007 Lakeside winner Martin Adams.

They will be joined by 13-time world title-holder Phil Taylor, Jelle Klaasen, Michael van Gerwen, John Part, James Wade, Terry Jenkins, Barrie Bates, Roland Scholten, Colin Lloyd, Mervyn King and Phil Nixon.

Hearn added: "The British sporting public rarely get a chance to see so many top-class players battling it out in any sport.

"Domestic television negotiations are continuing to ensure that the widest possible audience can see the modern legends of darts slugging it out."

Relations between the rival organisations reached a new low recently when the BDO lost Mervyn King, Klaasen and Van Gerwen to the PDC.

The BDO had threatened legal action, claiming that England's King and Dutch former world champion Klaasen were under contract.

Former Lakeside winner Raymond van Barneveld switched to the PDC last year and beat Phil Taylor in its world final in January.

From BBC Sport
Great to see this happening at last!

[passinginterest]

Probably too late to be any kind of success though. Will just serve to prove the absolute dominance of the PDC. It may be first step towards a merger though.

[Roadend]

Someone sent me a piece abuout the BDO not knowing anything about this competition. Seems strange that they wouldn't know yet its on the BBC and PDC websites.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Great news. I'd expect the PDC to dominate this year but I think that this could aid the BDO long term - no need to defect to play with/against the best. Hopefully it becomes a permanent fixture on the darting calender.