Grand Slam of Darts
Encyclopedia
The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts
tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation
and is known as the William Hill
Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation
. There have been two previous head-to-head matches between the champions of the two organisation and a few overseas tournaments have also featured BDO v PDC clashes, but this tournament is the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom
.
The tournament has been staged each November at the Wolverhampton Civic
since it began in 2007
. Phil Taylor won the first three finals against Andy Hamilton
in 2007, Terry Jenkins
in 2008 and Scott Waites
in 2009. Taylor did not reach the final in 2010
, losing to Steve Beaton
in the quarter-finals. Scott Waites won that year, beating James Wade
16–12 in the final having trailed 8–0.
– this was as a result of a 1997 Tomlin Order which allowed freedom of players to enter more events. This was later restricted when eligibility rules allowed only Professional Dart Players Association
members to compete in the tournament.
The 2005 Masters of Darts
was the first tournament to feature the top players from each organisation, and in 2006 and 2007 the Dutch organisers of the International Darts League
and World Darts Trophy
invited some PDC players to compete alongside BDO players.
screened the first four Grand Slam of Darts, which ended their 19 year absence from regular darts coverage (although they did show a one-off Clash of Champions match between Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld
in 1999). The inaugural event saw selected first round games, the semi-finals, and the final all screened live on ITV1
and the rest of the tournament live on ITV4
but the live coverage was moved entirely to ITV4 in subsequent years, with highlights packages being the only coverage of the event on ITV1.
The tournament proved popular on ITV4, with the 2009 event achieving nine out of the top ten places in the channel's output for that week. Viewing figures ranged from 208,000 to 435,000 with the final itself watched by 454,000. ITV extended their contract with the PDC to show the tournament until at least 2010.
The presenting team consisted of lead presenter Matt Smith
, and analysts Alan Warriner-Little
and Chris Mason
(who replaced Steve Beaton
in 2008). The commentating team included Stuart Pyke
, who also commentates on darts for Sky Sports
, boxing commentator John Rawling
, and Peter Drury
. Janie Omorogbe
provides reporting duties and player interviews.
On January 25, 2011, it was announced that Sky Sports
would broadcast the event until 2013.
confirmed that William Hill
, Britain's biggest bookmaker, would be the title sponsor of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts
saying, "We'd like to welcome William Hill as the new title sponsors of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts and look forward to working with such a well-known and respected brand.
"This tournament brings together the greatest players in darts, who have qualified by virtue of their achievements in major tournaments over a two-year period, and in William Hill we have a sponsor whose stature reflects that."
William Hill Chief Marketing Officer Kristof Fahy said: "The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of darts and it's a privilege to be able to put our name to such an event."
Previous sponsors were PartyBets.com (2007) and PartyPoker.com (2008-09), websites operated by Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
, and the Daily Mirror newspaper (2010).
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
tournament organised 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...
and is known as the William Hill
William Hill (bookmaker)
William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invites the best performing players from its rival the British Darts Organisation
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
. There have been two previous head-to-head matches between the champions of the two organisation and a few overseas tournaments have also featured BDO v PDC clashes, but this tournament is the first of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The tournament has been staged each November at the Wolverhampton Civic
Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Wolverhampton Civic Hall is a music venue in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It has been one of the most important live music venues in the county for several decades. It is part of a complex also including Wulfrun Hall and the newer Little Civic...
since it began in 2007
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...
. Phil Taylor won the first three finals against 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....
in 2007, 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...
in 2008 and Scott Waites
Scott Waites
Scott Waites is an English professional darts player who plays in tournaments organised by the British Darts Organisation.-Darts career:...
in 2009. Taylor did not reach the final in 2010
2010 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2010 Grand Slam of Darts was the fourth staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 13–21 November 2010 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Television coverage of the tournament was covered by ITV Sport, with...
, losing to Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
in the quarter-finals. Scott Waites won that year, beating 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...
16–12 in the final having trailed 8–0.
Results
| Year | Champion (average in final) | Score | Runner-Up (average in final) | Sponsor | Prize Fund | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 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... |
 Phil Taylor (101.75) |
18–11 | 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.... (100.97) |
PartyBets.com | £300,000 | £80,000 | £35,000 |
| 2008 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... |
Phil Taylor (106.25) |
18–9 | 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... (100.92) |
PartyPoker.com | £356,000 | £100,000 | £40,000 |
| 2009 2009 Grand Slam of Darts The 2009 Grand Slam of Darts was the third staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 14–22 November 2009 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Television coverage of the tournament was covered by ITV Sport, with... |
Phil Taylor (103.94) |
16–2 | Scott Waites Scott Waites Scott Waites is an English professional darts player who plays in tournaments organised by the British Darts Organisation.-Darts career:... (94.16) |
PartyPoker.com | £400,000 | £100,000 | £50,000 |
| 2010 2010 Grand Slam of Darts The 2010 Grand Slam of Darts was the fourth staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 13–21 November 2010 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Television coverage of the tournament was covered by ITV Sport, with... |
Scott Waites (99.86) |
16–12 | 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... (92.79) |
Daily Mirror | £400,000 | £100,000 | £50,000 |
| 2011 2011 Grand Slam of Darts The 2011 Grand Slam of Darts, the fifth staging of the darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation was known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The event took place from 12–20 November 2011 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall... |
Phil Taylor (109.04) |
16–4 |  Gary AndersonGary 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... (98.92) |
William Hill William Hill (bookmaker) William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:... |
£400,000 | £100,000 | £50,000 |
Previous BDO v PDC tournaments
There have been previous tournaments in which players from both the PDC and BDO have competed. Between 1998 and 2001 several BDO players competed in the World MatchplayStan James World Matchplay
The Skybet World Matchplay is a darts tournament, played in a legs format, and is run by the Professional Darts Corporation . The tournament is sponsored by Skybet who take over from Stan James after 10 years.The World Matchplay has been played yearly since 1994 in the Empress Ballroom at the...
– this was as a result of a 1997 Tomlin Order which allowed freedom of players to enter more events. This was later restricted when eligibility rules allowed only Professional Dart Players Association
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:...
members to compete in the tournament.
The 2005 Masters of Darts
2005 Masters of Darts
The 2005 Masters of Darts was a unique darts tournament as it was the first televised confrontation between the darts players of the two rival organisations, the British Darts Organisation and the Professional Darts Corporation...
was the first tournament to feature the top players from each organisation, and in 2006 and 2007 the Dutch organisers of the International Darts League
International Darts League
The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held...
and World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
invited some PDC players to compete alongside BDO players.
Perennial participants
As the Grand Slam is an invitational tournament for players who have reached major finals and semi-finals, or been the top of their countries' respective rankings, there is a certain degree of prestige attached to qualifying for the tournament, and even more for entrants who qualify multiple times. Nine players have appeared in all five tournaments so far.
|
|
Television coverage
ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
screened the first four Grand Slam of Darts, which ended their 19 year absence from regular darts coverage (although they did show a one-off Clash of Champions match between Phil Taylor and 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...
in 1999). The inaugural event saw selected first round games, the semi-finals, and the final all screened live on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
and the rest of the tournament live on 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...
but the live coverage was moved entirely to ITV4 in subsequent years, with highlights packages being the only coverage of the event on ITV1.
The tournament proved popular on ITV4, with the 2009 event achieving nine out of the top ten places in the channel's output for that week. Viewing figures ranged from 208,000 to 435,000 with the final itself watched by 454,000. ITV extended their contract with the PDC to show the tournament until at least 2010.
The presenting team consisted of lead presenter Matt Smith
Matt Smith (broadcaster)
Matt Smith is a British broadcaster, and currently one of ITV Sport's main presenters.-Early life:Matt is a Modern Languages and Political Studies graduate from Sheffield City Polytechnic, where he studied from 1985-89. During that time he spent a year in Italy as part of his studies...
, and analysts Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little
Alan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...
and 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 :...
(who replaced Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
in 2008). The commentating team included Stuart Pyke
Stuart Pyke
Stuart Pyke is a British-born sports journalist and broadcaster. Stuart was born in St Helens, Merseyside, and is married to Christine. He has two children; Daniel and Rachael and two stepdaughters Emma and Victoria....
, who also commentates on darts for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, boxing commentator John Rawling
John Rawling
John Rawling is a Boxing and Athletics commentator. Currently commentating for boxing on Sky Television and BoxNation, he was the lead commentator for Channel 4 in their coverage of the 2011 IAAF World Championship in Korea. He is also lead commentator on yachting for the Americas Cup World Series...
, and Peter Drury
Peter Drury
Peter Drury, born 1968, is ITV Sport's number two football commentator, a role he has held since joining the network in 1998.A politics graduate from Hull University, Peter began his career as a journalist with Hayters sports agency before joining BBC Radio Leeds in 1990 as a football and cricket...
. Janie Omorogbe
Jane Omorogbe
Jaine Grace Omorogbe is an English model and actress, perhaps best known as "Rio" on ITVs "Gladiators"; she is now a TV presenter and motorcycling journalist.-Early life:...
provides reporting duties and player interviews.
On January 25, 2011, it was announced that Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
would broadcast the event until 2013.
Sponsorship
On Monday 24 October 2011 PDC Chairman Barry HearnBarry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
confirmed that William Hill
William Hill (bookmaker)
William Hill plc is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in the north London suburb of Wood Green and in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, Britain's biggest bookmaker, would be the title sponsor of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts
2011 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2011 Grand Slam of Darts, the fifth staging of the darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation was known as the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The event took place from 12–20 November 2011 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall...
saying, "We'd like to welcome William Hill as the new title sponsors of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts and look forward to working with such a well-known and respected brand.
"This tournament brings together the greatest players in darts, who have qualified by virtue of their achievements in major tournaments over a two-year period, and in William Hill we have a sponsor whose stature reflects that."
William Hill Chief Marketing Officer Kristof Fahy said: "The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of darts and it's a privilege to be able to put our name to such an event."
Previous sponsors were PartyBets.com (2007) and PartyPoker.com (2008-09), websites operated by Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment
bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc is an online gambling company, formed by the March 2011 merger of PartyGaming plc and bwin. The world's largest publicly traded online gambling firm, it is best known for its online poker room PartyPoker.com and its sports betting brand Bwin. It is...
, and the Daily Mirror newspaper (2010).