Embarrassment as BDO World Darts Championship almost empty after bungling chiefs price loyal fans out of attending – The Sun

THE BDO Darts World Championship descended into farce when TV cameras picked up an almost empty arena watching the stars play.

SunSport told you how oche legend Martin 'Wolfie' Adams said bungling chiefs had priced loyal fans out of the showpiece event by moving it to London.

And the players' prize money has been slashed by up to 60 per cent after poor ticket sales across nine days.

A crowd of around 900 made it to the venue – Indigo at the O2 in London – for the afternoon show.

But one screenshot for Martijn Kleermaker's game against Gino Vos last night showed the usually packed tables and chairs almost entirely deserted.

Former Soccer AM host Helen Chamberlain tweeted the sorry screenshot.

And she wrote alongside it: "I’ve always stuck up for the BDO darts tournament. History, tradition, sentiment, nostalgia, whatever it was, I still watched it, and enjoyed it. This makes me so sad."

Another fan commented: "It's on its a*** and has to be on its last legs now, the darts quality is awful! It looks like it's been filmed by Peter Kay and played in the Phoenix club."

A fellow user posted: "Whoever thought that moving to the O2 was a good idea needs to be sacked immediately.

"Lakeside was easier to get to and more of a draw than I think even the BDO realised.

"This is a shocking picture and sad to see a tournament that's launched so many great players now on its a***."

Another posted a photo appearing to show one fan asleep.

It is easy to see why a number of darts fans are turning their backs on this year's championship.

'ON ITS A***'

A ticket in one of the prime seats with a table costs £58.80 while a seat at the very back of the hall will still set you back £36.70.

Wolfie, 63, a three-time world champion, told SunSport: “I still believe the BDO can be successful. But one of the worst moves was to pull the world professional out of Lakeside and put it on at the O2.

“So many people that were regulars at Lakeside and who would save up all year to go for the whole week, they aren’t going.

“It’s a totally different environment, it’s more expensive. So a lot of people who would be there, won’t be.

“A few lads down the pub were discussing whether to go to the O2.

“But they said: ‘It’ll cost a fortune to get down. Beer, tickets and transport will be expensive. Let’s not bother’. Had it been Lakeside more would have gone.

“It would be a very sad day if it was the last BDO worlds."

Source: Read Full Article