World Championship On The Move

gafarrell

Here is a report from sky.com

"The World Darts Championship will this year move from its usual home of the Circus Tavern in Purfleet to Alexandra Palace, with prize money for the sport's showpiece event set to rise to £1 million in the next three years.
The blue riband event in the darts schedule has been staged at the Circus Tavern for the last 14 years since its inception, but will now move away from Purfleet for the first time this December.

The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, which again will be screened live on Sky Sports from 17th December, will be staged at the famous Alexandra Palace in North London.

The famous old News of the World competition was staged at Alexandra Palace for 15 years from 1963-1977, and many still see the venue as one of darts' spiritual home.

It will now be the home of the big event in darts, which is set to become even bigger after a new sponsorship deal will see prize money total £600,000 this year, rising to £1 million in the 2010 tournament.

The move will allow a huge increase in spectators for the event, with well over 2,500 people being able to pack in for every session of play.

As seen with the Holsten Premier League, attendance figures have rocketed for darts, with huge arenas now being packed out every Thursday in front of the Sky Sports cameras - which this year saw a record 5,000 fans turn up in Sheffield.

The World Championship will now be able to command a bigger attendance after moving to Alexandra Palace.

“This tournament is now firmly established as the biggest and most exciting in darts,” said PDC chairman Barry Hearn.

”The final between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor is widely acknowledged as one of the finest in the history of the sport and it was seen by a record worldwide audience.

“We could have sold out the Circus Tavern four or five times over for that game, and for most of the sessions during the last couple of World Championships.

“The Circus Tavern has created a unique atmosphere for players and fans and become something of a Mecca for darts supporters around the world - but the simple fact is that we have to move to Alexandra Palace if we are to continue growing.

“There will be the opportunity for greater crowds and this in turn allows us to make the historic increases in prize money over the next three years to take the tournament to the £1 million mark.”

The Circus Tavern did bow out in style though, with Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld's epic sudden-death final a fitting match to bring the curtain down after 14 years.

“I'd like to acknowledge the enormous part that the Circus Tavern has played in the development of the PDC and the World Championship,” Hearn added.

“It is a unique venue and so many people have wonderful memories from the past 14 years.”

Kingp35

Ah no im not happy about this at all. Yes the Circus Tavern is a small venue and its not in the nicest part of the world BUT I love going there every year and its my favourite darts venue. Its unique in that no matter where you sit you are close to the stage and can see everything. There is also a hotel just down the road so you have everything you need close by.

I understand they want to use a bigger venue but im really disappointed they are moving.