The 2008 Stan James World Matchplay was the 15th annual staging of the tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation

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...

. The tournament took place from Sunday July 20 to Saturday July 26. It was staged at the Winter Gardens

Winter Gardens, Blackpool

The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...

 in Blackpool

Blackpool

Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

. World number three, 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...

 went into the competition as the defending champion and managed to reach the final for the third year in a row, but was defeated by top seed Phil Taylor 18-9 who won his ninth World Matchplay championship.

Prize fund

A total of £300,000 was available for the players, divided based on the following performances:

Winner - £60,000

Runner-up - £30,000

Semi-finalists - £17,000

Quarter-finalists - £12,000

Second round losers - £8,000

First round losers - £4,000

Nine-dart jackpot - £10,000

Qualification

The qualification process for the World Matchplay differed this year. The top 16 in the PDC Order of the Merit after the 2008 UK Open

2008 UK Open Darts

The 2008 Blue Square UK Open was the sixth year of the PDC darts tournament where, following numerous regional qualifying heats throughout Britain, players competed in a single elimination tournament to be crowned champion...

 qualified automatically as the 16 seeds. The other 16 places would be made up of the 16 highest ranked players (not already in the top 16) from the 2008 Players Championship Order of Merit - decided by the various Player Championship events taking place on the PDC Pro Tour

PDC Pro Tour

The PDC Pro Tour is a series of non-televised darts tournaments organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . They comprise Professional Dart Players Association Players Championships and UK Open Regional Finals.-Players Championships:...

 from January 2008 - the cutoff point was the Las Vegas Players Championship just before the 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic

2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic

The 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic was the seventh installment of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held in the evenings between June 30 and July 6....

.

Thus, the participants were:

PDC Top 16

Phil Taylor 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...

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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....

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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...

 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"...

 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"...

 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...

PDPA Players Championship qualifiers

Mervyn King 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 :...

 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...

 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...

 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....

 Mark Dudbridge

Mark Dudbridge

Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...

 Andy Smith

Andy Smith (darts player)

Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...

 Kevin McDine

Kevin McDine

Kevin McDine is an English darts player, currently residing in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire. He competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and SupaMc is currently ranked 37th on the PDC Order of Merit....

 Mark Walsh Matt Clark

Matt Clark (darts player)

Matt Clark is an English darts player who competes for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly played for the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname Superman for his matches.-Darting history:...

 Steve Beaton

Steve Beaton

Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...

 Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen

Michael 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...

 Tony Eccles

Tony Eccles

Tony Eccles is a Winmau sponsored darts player currently residing in Hartlepool. He uses the nickname The Viper.-BDO career:...

 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....

 Mark Frost

Mark Frost (darts player)

Mark Frost is an English darts player from Stoke-on-Trent. He plays in Professional Darts Corporation events and uses the nickname Frosty the Throw Man for his matches. He is not a professional and works as a scaffolder....

 Adrian Gray

Adrian Gray

Adrian Gray is an English darts player. Previously using the nickname '3 Styler', he is now known as 'The Conqueror'. Adrian made his televised debut at the 2003 UK Open...

Draw

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 (e.g in Rd 1 there could not be a 10-9 scoreline it had to be 11-9 or 10-8)

Statistics

Player	Played	Legs Won	Legs Lost	LWAT	100+	140+	180s	High Checkout	3-dart Average
Phil Taylor	5	74	34	30	143	92	36	160	104.81
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...	5	65	46	28	120	95	42	157	99.49
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...	1	6	10	0	19	14	4	152	97.91
Mark Walsh	2	19	19	7	60	26	12	96	97.72
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...	2	15	20	5	44	19	10	110	96.93
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...	4	47	50	18	131	62	13	155	94.10
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"...	3	37	31	14	98	52	14	120	93.31
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...	2	17	17	7	44	23	4	102	93.20
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...	2	21	19	9	52	30	9	160	92.79
Kevin McDine Kevin McDine Kevin McDine is an English darts player, currently residing in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire. He competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and SupaMc is currently ranked 37th on the PDC Order of Merit....	3	29	33	9	87	35	15	160	92.69
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....	1	12	14	5	35	18	4	140	92.59
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...	1	8	10	3	18	15	5	96	92.25
Mervyn King	1	7	10	1	22	13	1	116	91.49
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...	1	6	10	2	22	5	2	127	91.37
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....	1	6	10	3	27	13	2	116	91.32
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....	1	4	10	1	18	12	1	116	91.04
Matt Clark Matt Clark (darts player) Matt Clark is an English darts player who competes for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly played for the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname Superman for his matches.-Darting history:...	3	35	26	11	75	34	9	161	90.80
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen Michael 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...	2	23	25	9	64	29	8	112	90.68
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...	1	4	10	1	22	10	3	110	90.59
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...	1	4	10	0	17	6	1	74	90.56
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...	2	16	17	5	48	20	8	156	90.03
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	40	30	16	91	44	6	138	89.57
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...	4	47	51	16	133	65	12	155	89.20
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...	1	8	10	3	17	14	4	116	88.75
Mark Dudbridge Mark Dudbridge Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...	1	9	11	2	23	18	5	160	88.28
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...	2	17	16	6	26	24	7	120	87.75
Tony Eccles Tony Eccles Tony Eccles is a Winmau sponsored darts player currently residing in Hartlepool. He uses the nickname The Viper.-BDO career:...	2	13	21	4	54	11	4	157	86.78
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"...	1	8	10	3	26	10	2	76	86.57
Adrian Gray Adrian Gray Adrian Gray is an English darts player. Previously using the nickname '3 Styler', he is now known as 'The Conqueror'. Adrian made his televised debut at the 2003 UK Open...	1	8	10	3	23	7	3	81	84.63
Andy Smith Andy Smith (darts player) Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...	1	4	10	1	22	5	2	80	84.45
Mark Frost Mark Frost (darts player) Mark Frost is an English darts player from Stoke-on-Trent. He plays in Professional Darts Corporation events and uses the nickname Frosty the Throw Man for his matches. He is not a professional and works as a scaffolder....	1	9	11	5	29	13	2	102	82.17
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 :...	1	3	10	1	26	3	0	115	81.97

Round 1, Sunday 20 July

Evening Session
Mark Walsh 10-6 Colin Lloyd  Wayne Mardle 11-9 Mark Dudbrigde  Colin Osbourne 10-7 Mervyn King 

Round 1, Monday 21 July

Afternoon Session
Dennis Priestley 10-8 Adrian Gray  Kevin Painter 8-10 Tony Eccles  Roland Scholten 4-10 Matt Clark  Terry Jenkins 10-6 Alex Roy 

Evening Session
John Part 10-3 Chris Mason  Kevin McDine 10-8 Adrian Lewis  Phil Taylor 10-6 Steve Beaton  Raymond van Barneveld 11-9 Mark Frost 

Round 1 and 2, Tuesday 22 July

Afternoon Session
Ronnie Baxter 10-4 Andy Smith  Alan Tabern 10-8 Vincent van der Voort  Andy Hamilton 12-14 Michael van Gerwen  Peter Manley 10-4 Dennis Ovens 

Evening Session
James Wade 10-4 Wayne Jones 
Round 2 Phil Taylor 13-5 Colin Osborne  Kevin McDine 13-9 Mark Walsh 

Round 2, Wednesday 23 July

Afternoon Session
Terry Jenkins 11-13 Dennis Priestley  John Part 7-13 Alan Tabern  Michael van Gerwen 9-13 Wayne Mardle 

Evening Session
Matt Clark 13-6 Peter Manley  Raymond van Barneveld 13-3 Tony Eccles  James Wade 13-7 Ronnie Baxter 

Quarter Finals, Thursday 24 July

Afternoon Session
Dennis Priestley 16-14 Alan Tabern  Matt Clark 12-16 James Wade 

Evening Session
Raymond van Barneveld 16-18 Wayne Mardle  Phil Taylor 16-6 Kevin McDine 

Semi Finals, Friday 25 July

Phil Taylor 17-8 Dennis Priestley  Wayne Mardle 5-17 James Wade 

Phil Taylor

Taylor was reduced to tears upon winning the second most prestigious title in the PDC for the ninth time. He could not speak to interviewers and simply stood on the stage with a tearful look in his eyes. Later on, Taylor explained that he was overwhelmed by all of the support that he'd received, he also explained how he once thought he was never going to win the title ever again.

James Wade

Wade took his loss in good spirit. Despite not winning the tournament (as he did in 2007), he has now almost caught up with Raymond van Barneveld in the world rankings and is only £4000 behind him.