PDC chief executive Matt Porter on Home Tour, postponements and responsibility to players

Matt Porter, PDC chief executive: "At the moment we are looking optimistically to July and getting the majority of the year away - if that doesn't happen we move into cancellation territory rather than delay territory"

By Paul Prenderville, Comment & Analysis @paulprenders

Chief executive Matt Porter insists the PDC are focused on delivering "as much of the darts year as possible" despite the latest announcement of postponements.

Wednesday's latest announcements confirmed what Porter had anticipated at the end of March - that no darts would be taken place until July at the earliest.

All tournaments throughout May and June have joined the Premier League, which has been suspended until September. That means that the eagerly-anticipated World Cup of Darts, which features 32 teams from around the globe descending on Hamburg in mid-June, has understandably joined that list.

The Premier League is currently scheduled to resume in Birmingham on July 30 and, as things stand, July's dates in the UK remain in the calendar, but those in Europe have been rearranged for now.

"If we can start again in July, we will be able to deliver the majority of this year, if we start getting towards September and October then clearly it will be a challenge," Porter told the latest episode of The Darts Show podcast.

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"It is hard to plan with no definites. We can rearrange an event from May to June, from June to July but we cannot keep rearranging events.

"If you don't know when you can actually arrange it for it becomes what's the point because you know it probably won't happen.

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"At the moment we are looking optimistically to July and getting the majority of the year away - if that doesn't happen we move into cancellation territory rather than delay territory.

"That would obviously be a huge shame but we are resourced and focused to deliver for our players so we are not giving up on events without a fight."

PDC Home Tour - The Winners

Group One Jamie Lewis
Group Two Luke Woodhouse
Group Three Dave Chisnall
Group Four Geert Nentjes
Group Five Nick Kenny

DOWNLOAD: The Darts Show podcast

Colin Lloyd leads the team and the debate as players past and present check-in to talk tungsten and more

Darts has come up with a way to keep its players occupied - the PDC Home Tour is just over halfway through the opening week of its initial 32-night run.

    Porter is happy to hit back at early criticism as the event gets off the ground and everyone involved finds their way.

    Some home wifi issues and Dave Chisnall's camera falling off are all things that everyone, including goverments, schools and businesses, are finding in the world's new normal - working from home - but improvement is on the way.

    "We can't just do what is best for the top four or five players in the world, the aim was to look all of our Tour card holders," Porter added.

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    "We have got a responsibility to 128 professional players who have got no income at the moment. We are working on getting as many as we can, we have a list at the moment that goes right through to the last few days.

    "We are up to about 90+ players but we are trying not to release them too early because people's circumstances can change at this difficult time so we don't want to put too much pressure or expectation on anybody.

    "Who knows how long this goes on for it becomes something a bit longer. The only reason players are saying they can't play is due to their set-up at home.

    "Some players don't practice at home and physically don't have a board at home, while Gary Anderson and Daryl Gurney's internet connection has been well documented."

    With no play, other than the innovative Home Tour, until July, the year's next major and the second biggest event on the schedule, the World Matchplay in Blackpool may well be under threat amid the uncertainty.

    Play in Blackpool is due to start on July 18 and that is the first Pro Tour action on the PDC's official tournament calendar. Much will depend on the UK's response to the coronavirus and when social distancing guidelines may start to be eased.

    Image: liverpool crowd premier league

    The Home Tour is evidence of the PDC looking towards keeping their players occupied, alongside plenty of hard work from the Professional Darts Players Association.

    However, there is the fear of the unknown for professional sportsmen and women whose livelihood depends on the bread and butter of Pro Tour weekends in Wigan and Barnsley and European Tour qualifiers to get into the bigger events.

    The glamour of the Premier League, and the premier tier of TV events are only the tip for a sport that gives many a chance to thrive and build a career through the Development and Challenge Tours.

    Porter's commitment to give them hope for the rest of the season should be welcomed amid the uncertainty every sport faces but maintains the PDC have a duty to their players.

    That may include multiple midweek Pro Tour events in what looks like being a packed second half of the season.

    "With Pro Tour and Players Championship events, the advantage is that the majority of our players are full-time or least have darts as their main source of income so we can do those events in midweek," he added.

    "Assuming restrictions are lifted, and we can play events in some way, shape or form, we don't need a crowd for those so if you are a professional player I would be confident, or very hopeful, that we can stage a decent number of Players Championship events this year.

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    "The Challenge and Development Tours are a little bit different, they have to be weekends as those players are not full-time so it has to fit work and education commitments, but where we can get weekend venues we will.

    "We have dates held for venues, but we are not anticipating being able to use them - our European Tour has been effected very heavily by that because those events are in the middle of the year.

    "With restrictions in Germany and the Netherlands that is a shame but we are still hopeful of getting half a dozen events away in the Autumn and the Winter."

    While darts from home goes on, hard work behind the scenes continues to deliver. For now July is the presumptive return but like many, the uncertainty is making decision-making and planning hard to achieve - no one knows what the next few weeks and months will bring.

    Watch coverage of the PDC Home Tour via the Sky Sports app, every night throughout April and available to download now on - iPhone & iPad and Android

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