Take darts World Championship to Leeds says legend Raymond van Barneveld

The darts legend, who has won five global titles and is rated one of the greatest players of all-time, reckons the PDC World Championship will eventually outgrow its traditional home at Alexandra Palace in north London and says the First Direct Bank Arena would be an ideal host. The Leeds venue is a regular host of darts’ Premier League, attracting five-figure crowds.

Speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest darts betting, van Barneveld said: “I don’t want to get it out of London, because I love England, I love London, it’s a great venue. To see the crowd in England, there’s nothing better than being in England at Christmas time in London. They were busy selling it to Saudi Arabia, but I never believed in that. But darts needs to go where the money is.

“If someone turns up and says, put it here in Germany, or America and you can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds or millions, the PDC will think about it. In the Netherlands, maybe the Johan Cruyff Arena. As long as a lot of spectators can come in.

“At the Worlds, 3,000 can go in, but on Premier League nights, the arena in Leeds holds 13,000. I don’t see why the PDC doesn’t go there. They can sell many more tickets.”