2007 International Darts League
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Tropicana International Darts League is a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands
. The tournament is sponsored by Tropicana - a Dutch-based soft drink manufacturer. Raymond van Barneveld
entered the tournament as three-times and defending champion.
Darts history was made when the tournament became the first televised event to witness two nine dart finish
es. On May 8, Phil Taylor hit his fourth perfect game on television against Raymond van Barneveld
and the following night Tony O'Shea
matched the effort against Adrian Lewis
.
Despite the presence of current BDO and PDC World Champions and four other former world champions in the field, none progressed beyond the quarter-finals and Gary Anderson
took the title with a 13-9 victory over fellow BDO/WDF player Mark Webster
.
In 2006 the BDO secured an agreement for 28 of their players to participate in the event until 2010. However as the popularity of the PDC circuit grew in the Netherlands, the organisers decided to renege on the deal and invite only 12 BDO players. The remaining 20 players would qualify from the PDC including their top 12 ranked players plus four wildcards
and four from a PDC/PDPA qualifying event.
This led to a threat from the BDO to take court action against the organisers who wanted their agreement upholding. A compromise was reached and the organisers introduced a preliminary round. The original 16 BDO/WDF players who believed they had missed out were to be joined by a further four automatic qualifiers from the PDC Order of Merit and a further four players from an already confirmed qualifying event in April. This expanded the field from 32 to 56 players.
However the sponsors of the four wildcard players (Michael van Gerwen, Mervyn King, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort) were upset that their players had been relegated to the preliminary round when they felt they had an agreement to be automatically into the televised stages. The BDO also felt that all 28 of their players should not have to face a preliminary round. The dispute was resolved on April 25 when a Dutch court rejected the claims of the four wildcard players. Three of the players managed to qualify from the preliminary round with only van der Voort missing out.
Group One - Winner: Mervyn King
Group Two - Winner: Gary Robson
Group Three - Winner: Michael van Gerwen
Group Four - Winner: Ross Montgomery
Group Five - Winner: Barrie Bates
Group Six - Winner: Mark Dudbridge
Group Seven - Winner: Jelle Klaasen
Group Eight - Winner: Ronnie Baxter
A preliminary round will now consist of:
Eight players from the preliminary round will go through to join the 24 automatic qualifiers in the group stages.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The tournament is sponsored by Tropicana - a Dutch-based soft drink manufacturer. Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
entered the tournament as three-times and defending champion.
Darts history was made when the tournament became the first televised event to witness two nine dart finish
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
es. On May 8, Phil Taylor hit his fourth perfect game on television against Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
and the following night Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
matched the effort against Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
.
Despite the presence of current BDO and PDC World Champions and four other former world champions in the field, none progressed beyond the quarter-finals and Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson (darts player)
Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. His nickname is The Flying Scotsman...
took the title with a 13-9 victory over fellow BDO/WDF player Mark Webster
Mark Webster (darts player)
Mark Webster is a left-handed Welsh darts player who lives in Denbigh. Known as Webby, he plays in Professional Darts Corporation events, having previously won the 2008 BDO World Championship. Mark became a full time professional in 2009, having previously been a fully qualified Gas registered...
.
Prize fund
The total prize fund is €135,000 (plus €26,000 for a nine-dart finish)- Winner €30,000
- Runner-up €15,000
- Semi-finalists €7,500
- Quarter-finalists €4,500
- 2nd Group stage losers €3,000
- 1st Group stage losers €2,000
- Preliminary round losers €1,000
- Nine dart finishNine dart finishA nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
An Opel Tigra Twin Top valued at €26,000 - achieved by Phil Taylor on May 8 v Raymond van Barneveld. The sponsors presented Tony O'SheaTony O'SheaTony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
with the same brand of car later in the tournament for his nine-darter on May 9, although originally there was only one bonus prize on offer. - Highest checkout €1,000 currently shared by Phil Taylor 170 & Adrian LewisAdrian LewisAdrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
2007 controversy
The staging of the 2007 IDL has been filled with controversy. There have been several format changes, disagreements and even court cases surrounding the event.In 2006 the BDO secured an agreement for 28 of their players to participate in the event until 2010. However as the popularity of the PDC circuit grew in the Netherlands, the organisers decided to renege on the deal and invite only 12 BDO players. The remaining 20 players would qualify from the PDC including their top 12 ranked players plus four wildcards
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
and four from a PDC/PDPA qualifying event.
This led to a threat from the BDO to take court action against the organisers who wanted their agreement upholding. A compromise was reached and the organisers introduced a preliminary round. The original 16 BDO/WDF players who believed they had missed out were to be joined by a further four automatic qualifiers from the PDC Order of Merit and a further four players from an already confirmed qualifying event in April. This expanded the field from 32 to 56 players.
However the sponsors of the four wildcard players (Michael van Gerwen, Mervyn King, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort) were upset that their players had been relegated to the preliminary round when they felt they had an agreement to be automatically into the televised stages. The BDO also felt that all 28 of their players should not have to face a preliminary round. The dispute was resolved on April 25 when a Dutch court rejected the claims of the four wildcard players. Three of the players managed to qualify from the preliminary round with only van der Voort missing out.
Preliminary Round
Played Friday 4 May 2007Group One - Winner: Mervyn King
- Matt Clark 5-4 Albertino Essers
- Mervyn King 5-1 Steve Farmer
- Steve Farmer 5-4 Albertino Essers
- Mervyn King 5-3 Matt Clark
- Matt Clark 5-0 Steve Farmer
- Mervyn King 5-1 Albertino Essers
Group Two - Winner: Gary Robson
- Gary Robson 5-0 Alan Tabern
- Edwin Max 5-2 Kevin Painter
- Gary Robson 5-1 Edwin Max
- Kevin Painter 5-2 Alan Tabern
- Alan Tabern 5-3 Edwin Max
- Kevin Painter 5-3 Gary Robson
Group Three - Winner: Michael van Gerwen
- Brian Sorensen 5-0 Kevin McDine
- Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Steve West
- Steve West 5-4 Brian Sorensen
- Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Kevin McDine
- Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Brian Sorensen
- Kevin McDine 5-3 Steve West
Group Four - Winner: Ross Montgomery
- Ross Montgomery 5-4 Chris Mason
- Dirk Hespeels 5-2 Vincent van der Voort
- Ross Montgomery 5-4 Dirk Hespeels
- Vincent van der Voort 5-3 Chris Mason
- Dirk Hespeels 5-0 Chris Mason
- Ross Montgomery 5-2 Vincent van der Voort
Group Five - Winner: Barrie Bates
- Wayne Jones 5-2 Shane Tichowitsch
- Barrie Bates 5-1 Phill Nixon
- Phill Nixon 5-4 Shane Tichowitsch
- Barrie Bates 5-1 Wayne Jones
- Barrie Bates 5-3 Shane Tichowitsch
- Phill Nixon 5-4 Wayne Jones
Group Six - Winner: Mark Dudbridge
- Mark Dudbridge 5-4 Goran Klemme
- Andy Jenkins 5-1 Andy Murray
- Andy Jenkins 5-4 Mark Dudbridge
- Goran Klemme 5-1 Andy Murray
- Goran Klemme 5-4 Andy Jenkins
- Mark Dudbridge 5-0 Andy Murray
Group Seven - Winner: Jelle Klaasen
- Robbie Green 5-2 Robert Hughes
- Jelle Klaasen 5-1 Mark Barilli
- Mark Barilli 5-0 Robert Hughes
- Jelle Klaasen 5-2 Robbie Green
- Jelle Klaasen 5-1 Robert Hughes
- Robbie Green 5-2 Mark Barilli
Group Eight - Winner: Ronnie Baxter
- Ron Meulenkamp 5-3 Richie Burnett
- Ronnie Baxter 5-1 Paul Hogan
- Ron Meulenkamp 5-2 Paul Hogan
- Richie Burnett 5-4 Ronnie Baxter
- Ronnie Baxter 5-2 Ron Meulenkamp
- Richie Burnett 5-1 Paul Hogan
First Round
Played Saturday 5 May to Monday 7 May
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Second Round
Played Tuesday 8 May to Thursday 10 May
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Knockout stages
2007 format
The field was scheduled to contain 56 players with 12 automatically from each organisation going into the group stages. Some players from the BDO withdrew citing the uncertainty over the staging of the event as their reason. The WDF qualifiers are:-
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The PDC automatic qualifiers are:-
 Phil Taylor Raymond van Barneveld Colin Lloyd Peter Manley Dennis Priestley Terry Jenkins Adrian Lewis Roland Scholten Wayne Mardle James Wade John Part Andy Hamilton |
A preliminary round will now consist of:
- The BDO/WDF players ranked 13 to 28 at the cut-off date (Mario Robbe, Scott Waites, Gary Robson, Brian Sørensen, Albertino Essers, Ross Montgomery, Ron Meulenkamp, Shane Tichowitsch, Robert Hughes, Göran Klemme, Steve West, Mark Barilli, Phill Nixon, Steve Farmer, Paul Hogan, Edwin Max) Dirk Hespeels and Andy Murray were added to the field to replace the withdrawn players
- The PDC players ranked 13 to 16 at the cut-off date (Ronnie Baxter, Andy Jenkins, Barrie Bates, Kevin Painter)
- Eight qualifiers from a PDPAProfessional Dart Players AssociationThe Professional Dart Players Association is an organisation for professional dart players. Its intention is to look after the interests of professional players through an annually elected Board of six current professionals.-Formation:...
qualifying tournament at Villa Park, Birmingham on April 21 (Chris Mason, Wayne Jones, Richie Burnett, Alan Tabern, Mark Dudbridge, Matt Clark, Kevin McDine and Robbie Green) - Wildcards Michael van GerwenMichael van GerwenMichael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player, nicknamed Mighty Mike. He is the youngest player in history to win a major televised tournament in either the BDO or the PDC, winning the 2006 Winmau World Masters at the age of 17...
, Jelle KlaasenJelle KlaasenJelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
, Mervyn King and Vincent van der VoortVincent van der VoortVincent van der Voort is a professional darts player.-Playing style:Vincent is well known for his spasmodic style and machine-gun speed of play which has gained him a reputation in both the BDO and the PDC for being one of the more erratic throwers in the darting world...
.
Eight players from the preliminary round will go through to join the 24 automatic qualifiers in the group stages.