Thursday 5 September 2013

2014 PDC Calendar






THE Professional Darts Corporation has unveiled its 2014 Calendar, with over 150 days of darts set to be played in a record-breaking year for the sport which will offer £7 million in prize money.
The PDC's growth will continue next year with both the increases in prize money at the top level of the sport as well as the introduction of a separate Youth Tour and Challenge Tour system for players.

The new-look 2014 PDC Calendar confirms the move of the UK Open to be held live on ITV Sport from March 7-9 at the Butlins Minehead Resort, with players set to qualify from two weekends which will each feature three UK Open Qualifiers during February.

The European Championship moves to be held from October 23-26 live on ITV Sport, while the World Cup of Darts moves to be held from June 6-8 in Germany, broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Premier League Darts will expand to 16 nights in 2014, with the new First Direct Arena in Leeds to host the event for the first time, with season beginning on February 6 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool and coming to a conclusion on May 22 at The O2 in London.

The World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and World Championship retain their traditional places in the PDC Calendar alongside November's The Masters, which is being held for the first time later in 2013.

The PDC have also scheduled World Series of Darts events in Dubai on May 30 & 31 and in Sydney from August 28-30, following the successful introduction of the concept this year.

Away from the television cameras, the year will commence with Qualifying School from January 15-18 in Wigan.

There will be eight European Tour events, which will begin with events in Germany and Holland in February and also visit Gibraltar, Austria and four other German venues during the course of the year.

20 Players Championship events will also take place during the year for full Tour Card Holders, while players who fail to win a Tour Card at Qualifying School will be able to compete in their own series of events on the Challenge Tour.

The Challenge Tour will run alongside the PDC's Youth Tour, for any player aged from 16-21, and will see eight double-header weekends staged during 2014, featuring two Youth Tour events on the Saturday and two Challenge Tour events taking place on the Sunday.

The World Youth Championship's Last 64 will take place on Friday April 4 in Reading, before the Final is held during the Premier League Darts Play-Offs on May 22 in London.

"These are exciting times for professional darts and we believe that this is the most complete PDC calendar ever announced," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

"The evolution of the PDC ProTour over the past five or six years has led to the development of the PDC Unicorn Youth and Challenge Tours, which will guarantee that all players who test themselves at Qualifying School will be able to compete within the PDC system.

"With plans coming together to increase prize money across our major televised tournaments as a result of our new contracts signed earlier this year with Sky Sports and ITV Sport, there has never been a better time to be a professional player and the rewards will be greater than ever for those stars with the ability, attitude and dedication to succeed."


Details of how to enter the PDC ProTour Qualifying School will be announced in due course, along with further details of the entry criteria and format for European Tour events and other tournaments on the PDC ProTour, Challenge Tour and Youth Tour.

Tickets for the 2014 Premier League Darts are expected to go on sale at the start of October, with details to be announced on www.pdc.tv/tickets in due course.

2014 Professional Darts Corporation Events Calendar
DateVenueTournament
JANUARY
15-18 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Qualifying School
19 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan European Tour 1/2 UK Qualifier
20 The Dorchester PDC Awards Dinner
FEBRUARY
Jan 31-Feb 2 Hildesheim, Germany European Tour 1
6 Echo Arena Liverpool Premier League Darts 1
7 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan UK Open Qualifier 1
8 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan UK Open Qualifier 2
9 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan UK Open Qualifier 3
13 BIC, Bournemouth Premier League Darts 2
14-16 Veldhoven, Netherlands European Tour 2
20 Odyssey Arena, Belfast Premier League Darts 3
21 Rivermead Centre, Reading UK Open Qualifier 4
22 Rivermead Centre, Reading UK Open Qualifier 5
23 Rivermead Centre, Reading UK Open Qualifier 6
27 SECC, Glasgow Premier League Darts 4
MARCH
1 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Youth Tour 1 & 2
2 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Challenge Tour 1 & 2
6 Westpoint Arena, Exeter Premier League Darts 5
7-9 Butlins Minehead Resort UK Open TV Finals
13 Capital FM Arena, Nottingham Premier League Darts 6
15 Barnsley Metrodome Players Championship 1
16 Barnsley Metrodome Players Championship 2
20 First Direct Arena, Leeds Premier League Darts 7
21 K2 Centre, Crawley European Tour 3 UK Qualifier
22 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 3
23 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 4
27 The O2, Dublin Premier League Darts 8
29 Rivermead Centre, Reading Youth Tour 3 & 4
30 Rivermead Centre, Reading Challenge Tour 3 & 4
APRIL
3 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff Premier League Darts 9
4 Rivermead Centre, Reading World Youth Championship L64
5 Rivermead Centre, Reading Youth Tour 5 & 6
6 Rivermead Centre, Reading Challenge Tour 5 & 6
10 Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield Premier League Darts 10
12 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 5
13 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 6
17 GE Oil & Gas Arena, Aberdeen Premier League Darts 11
19-21 Berlin, Germany Eurpean Tour 3
24 Phones 4u Arena, Manchester Premier League Darts 12
26 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Youth Tour 7 & 8
27 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Challenge Tour 7 & 8
MAY
1 NIA, Birmingham Premier League Darts 13
2 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan European Tour 4 UK Qualifier
3 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 7
4 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 8
8 Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Premier League Darts 14
15 The Brighton Centre Premier League Darts 15
22 The O2, London Premier League Darts Play-Offs
22 The O2, London World Youth Championship Final
23 K2 Centre, Crawley European Tour 5 UK Qualifier
24 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 9
25 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 10
30-31 Dubai World Series of Darts
31 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Youth Tour 9 & 10
JUNE
1 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Challenge Tour 9 & 10
6-8 Hamburg, Germany World Cup of Darts
13 Rivermead Centre, Reading European Tour 6 UK Qualifier
14 Rivermead Centre, Reading Players Championship 11
15 Rivermead Centre, Reading Players Championship 12
20-22 Gibraltar European Tour 4
27-29 Vienna, Austria European Tour 5
JULY
4 Barnsley Metrodome European Tour 7/8 UK Qualifier
5 Barnsley Metrodome Youth Tour 11 & 12
6 Barnsley Metrodome Challenge Tour 11 & 12
10-13 Dusseldorf, Germany European Tour 6
19-27 Winter Gardens, Blackpool World Matchplay
AUGUST
28-30 Sydney World Series of Darts
SEPTEMBER
5-7 Sindelfingen, Germany European Tour 7
13 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 13
14 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 14
19-21 Leipzig, Germany European Tour 8
27 Barnsley Metrodome Youth Tour 13 & 14
28 Barnsley Metrodome Challenge Tour 13 & 14
OCTOBER
4 Citywest Hotel, Dublin Players Championship 15
5 Citywest Hotel, Dublin Players Championship 16
6-12 Citywest Hotel, Dublin World Grand Prix
18 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 17
19 K2 Centre, Crawley Players Championship 18
23-26 Muelheim, Germany European Championship
NOVEMBER
31 Oct-2 Nov Edinburgh The Masters
1 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 19
2 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Players Championship 20
3 Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan Grand Slam Wildcard Qualifier
8 Rivermead Centre, Reading Youth Tour 15 & 16
9 Rivermead Centre, Reading Challenge Tour 15 & 16
10 - TBC Rivermead Centre, Reading World Championship PDPA Qualifier
15-23 Wolverhampton Civic Hall Grand Slam of Darts
28-30 Butlins Minehead Resort Players Championship Finals
DECEMBER
TBC Alexandra Palace, London World Darts Championship

Notes:
European Tour Event 3 is to be held from Saturday-Monday over the Easter weekend.
European Tour Event 6 is expected to begin on Thursday night, with the final on Sunday afternoon.
Grand Slam of Darts Wildcard Qualifier details to be finalised during 2014,
World Championship PDPA Qualifier details to be finalised in due course.

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