2008 European Championship Darts
Encyclopedia
The 2008 European Championship was the inaugural edition of the PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...

 tournament, the European Championship
European Championship (darts)
The European Championship is a PDC darts tournament which allows the top European players to compete with the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament takes place in late July to early August and features a field of 32...

, which allowed the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit
PDC order of merit
The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation . Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded for performances in ranking tournaments.-Previous world...

. The tournament took place from Thursday October 30 to Sunday November 2, featuring a field of 32 players and £200,000 in prize money, with £50,000 going to the winner Phil Taylor. It was held in the Südbahnhof in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

Format

First round - best of nine legs

Second round - best of seventeen legs

Quarter-finals - best of seventeen legs

Semi-finals - best of twenty-one legs

Final - best of twenty-one legs


Each game had to be won by two clear legs. A game went to a sudden death leg if a further six legs couldn't separate the players (e.g. a first round match going to 7-7).

Prize money

A total of £200,000 was on offer to the players, divided based on the following performances:

Champion - £50,000

Runner-up - £25,000

Semi-finalists - £12,500

Quarter-finalists - £8,500

Second round losers - £4,000

First round losers - £2,000


Nine-dart jackpot - Unknown

Highest checkout - £2,000

Qualification

The top 16 players from the PDC Order of Merit after the 2008 Sky Poker World Grand Prix
2008 World Grand Prix Darts
The 2008 Sky Poker World Grand Prix was the eleventh instance of the darts tournament held by the Professional Darts Corporation, the World Grand Prix. It was held from October 6 to October 12. As usual it was staged at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin...

 automatically qualified for the event. Then the top 8 non-qualified players from the 2008 Players Championship Order of Merit after the October German Darts Trophy in Dinslaken
Dinslaken
Dinslaken is a city in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is known for its harness horse race track, its now closed coal mine in Lohberg and its wealthy neighborhoods Hiesfeld and Eppinghoven.- Geography :...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 joined them to make a field of 24.

The main European contingent then came from the following: the leading 4 non-qualified players from the 2008 Continental Europe Order of Merit following the October German Darts Trophy in Dinslaken, the top two non-qualified players from the German Darts Corporation rankings on October 25, and the last two places from a qualifier event held in Dinslaken on October 26 - an event which was open to any player with a full PDPA
Professional Dart Players Association
The 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:...

 membership.
PDC Top 16
  1.   Phil Taylor
  2.   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...

  3.   James Wade
    James Wade
    James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...

  4.   John Part
    John Part
    John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...

  5.   Terry Jenkins
    Terry Jenkins
    Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...

  6.   Colin Lloyd
    Colin Lloyd
    Colin Lloyd , nicknamed Jaws, is an English professional darts player on the Professional Darts Corporation circuit. He is a former world number one ranked player and he has won two major television titles in the PDC - the 2004 World Grand Prix and 2005 World Matchplay...

  7.   Andy Hamilton
    Andy Hamilton (darts player)
    Andy Hamilton is a full time professional English darts player widely known for his "aggressive" style of play. He is nicknamed The Hammer and is currently ranked 12th on the PDC Order of Merit....

  8.   Wayne Mardle
    Wayne Mardle
    Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...

  9.   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...

  10.   Alan Tabern
    Alan Tabern
    Alan Tabern is an English darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, where he is also known as "The Saint" and "Tabby"...

  11.   Dennis Priestley
    Dennis Priestley
    Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...

  12.   Roland Scholten
    Roland Scholten
    Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...

  13.   Mervyn King
  14.   Colin Osborne
    Colin Osborne
    Colin Osborne is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Osborne has won two PDC Pro Tour events and he also managed to hit two perfect nine dart finishes in 2005...

  15.   Ronnie Baxter
    Ronnie Baxter
    Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...

  16.   Peter Manley
    Peter Manley
    Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...

Players Championship qualifiers
  1.   Denis Ovens
    Denis Ovens
    Denis Ovens is an English darts player currently ranked number 29 in the PDC Order of Merit. He is nicknamed The Heat and is now based in Stevenage. Ovens is widely regarded as one of the most consistent players in the circuit, though he has as yet failed to convert his form from the circuit to...

  2.   Robert Thornton
    Robert Thornton (darts player)
    Robert Thornton is a Scottish darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events after his switch from the BDO in May 2008. He won the prestigious Winmau World Masters in November 2007.-BDO career:...

  3.   Mark Walsh
  4.   Chris Mason
    Chris Mason (darts player)
    Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :...

  5.   Kevin Painter
    Kevin Painter
    Kevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...

  6.   Vincent van der Voort
    Vincent van der Voort
    Vincent 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...

  7.   Alex Roy
    Alex Roy (darts player)
    Alex Roy is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Ace of Herts for this matches and is with Dave Holland Management....

  8.   Wayne Jones
    Wayne Jones (darts player)
    Wayne Alan Jones is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He uses the nickname The Wanderer for his matches....

European qualifiers
  1.   Carlos Rodriguez
    Carlos Rodriguez (darts player)
    Carlos José Rodríguez Sequera is a Spanish professional darts player, playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:...

  2.   Mensur Suljovic
    Mensur Suljovic
    Mensur Suljović is a Serbian-born Austrian darts player. He plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and previously played for the British Darts Organisation. He was also one of the top players in the German Darts Corporation where he won three events in 2007...

  3.   Jelle Klaasen
    Jelle Klaasen
    Jelle 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...

  4.   Jan van der Rassel
    Jan van der Rassel
    Jan van der Rassel is a Dutch darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He uses the nickname The Project for his matches. His former nickname was Tweety Pie....

German Darts Corporation qualifiers
  1.   Andree Welge
    Andree Welge
    Andree Welge is a German darts player.He made his World Championship debut in the 2002 BDO World Darts Championship where he lost in the first round 3-2 to Eric Clarys. Welge made his PDC debut in the 2006 PDC World Darts Championship, where he was defeated 3-0 by Alan Warriner-Little in the first...

  2.   Hannes Schnier
    Hannes Schnier
    Johann "Hannes" Schnier is an Austrian darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.In June 2006, Schnier won the Austrian National Championship, beating Dietmar Burger in the final...



Dinslaken event qualifiers
  • Jacko Barry
  •   Andy Jenkins
    Andy Jenkins
    Andy Jenkins is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. Jenkins had trials for Southampton Football Club while at school.-BDO career:...


Preliminary round

Jon Archer 5-1 Marco Bekier
Co Stompé Bye (Michael Hahn)
Rolf Kaiser 5-4 Karsten Kornath
Chris Kotal 5-2 Michael Wolf
Miloslav Navratil 5-3 John Jenkinson
Bernd Roith 5-2 Maik Langendorf
Peter Aleman Bye (Mario Hermann)
Tomas Seyler Bye (Mart Boelaars)
Stephen Wusch 5-2 Guido Kammerer
Sladan Nedic 5-1 Martin Behl
Ben Burton 5-0 Ulrich Sieland
Heiko Gallinat 5-2 Mattheus Ziolkowski
Andrew Davies 5-1 John Lokken
Peter Wright 5-1 Carlo Sessini
Marek Brommelhaus 5-2 George Major
Kai Blohm Bye (Rene Kuiken)
Huseyin Zengin 5-1 Patrick Exner

First round onwards

Draw and results

Draw and schedule of play as follows:
Round One Thursday 30th from 18:45 8×; Friday 31st from 18:45 8×
Round Two Saturday 1st from 13:10 3×; from 18:50 5×
Quarters Sunday 2nd from 14:10 4×

Semis Sunday 2nd from 19:15 2×
Final: Sunday 2nd from 22:15
All times CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...

 (UTC+1
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...

)

Scores after player's names are three-dart averages (total points scored divided by darts thrown and multiplied by 3)

All games had to be won by 2 clear legs, if after six more legs the players still couldn't be separated, a sudden death leg would take place to decide the winner. i.e. if Round One matches went 7-7, there would have been a decider.

Television coverage and Sponsorship

The PDC announced on the 12 August 2008 that ITV4
ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...

 would broadcast the entire event live. This was the second PDC darts tournament that ITV4 has broadcast, after the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts
2007 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2007 Grand Slam of Darts was the inaugural staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts, held by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament invited the best performing players from the PDC and its rival the British Darts Organisation...

 - after its rating success ITV chose to broadcast this event as well as the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts
2008 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2008 Grand Slam of Darts was the second staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 15–23 November 2008 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall...

.

The tournament was sponsored by PartyPoker.net, who also sponsor the US Open, the Las Vegas Desert Classic
Las Vegas Desert Classic
The Las Vegas Desert Classic was a darts tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and was held each year in July from 2002 until 2010...

 and the German Darts Championship
German Darts Championship
The PartyPoker.net German Darts Championship was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event began in 2007 and was held in the Gerry Weber Centre in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...

.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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