This years lakesides over and this years one if by far the worst one ive ever seen i fell a sleep watching some of this years matches
Im all for the BDO it lets players develop and the more darts on tv the better but the P.D.C have all their top players now apart from Waites its poor viewing for us at home our only hope is the new dutch crop

Yes its sad in a way isn't it.

I kind of liked it in a way. While watching some of the matches I was honestly thinking " I can beat this guy". Some of averages were in the high 70's low 80's. Made for wishful thinking while viewing.
However, when I watch the PDC it's purely for massive entertainment. Those guys can PLAY!!!! Throwing up 100+ averages on stage, 9 darters, game after game of sub 15 darters. That sort of stuff gets me out of my seat in the living room, jumping around like an idiot. That's what quality darts is all about.

I thought some of the matches were very entertaining. They may not have thrown 100+ aves, but it was good to watch a close fought contest.

oh yes fun to watch really- what really bothered me was the prize money for the ladies- 2000 for 2nd place- come on that disgraceful IMO

I agree Mr Lakeside, but I also think Olly Croft and his organisation have to take a bit of blame themselves, for being such dinosaurs and refusing to accept the obvious changes that was needed, and then turning it into a power war, if you play for them then you cant play with us mentality, banning players from county darts etc, a power war that ultimately the BDO lost.
Saying that though there's a lot with the PDC that Im not happy with, and give me a BDO audience any day, a lot more respectful

I never watched much of it this year, what I did see was poor though and disappointing and sad. The coverage by the BBC was very poor. The only thing that was better was the less noisy boozed up crowds.

I'm with saber 2000 for the ladies is garbage. Id pay Anastasia more than that to come over to my house to play darts :O[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I'm with Saber and Vallyr.

But I'm very pro women-darts I want more ladies in the telly And the female version of lakeside almost produced better games then the male version hehe


Btw Vallyr, thats a great pic you found!

I think she has put weight on since that pic, she looked a bit heavier to me.

getagrip wrote:

I think she has put weight on since that pic, she looked a bit heavier to me.

I agree but as the saying goes never ask a lady her age.... Oh yeah..... you ever tried asking one her weight Lol

Just means there is more to go round

I enjoy watching the ladies play. And they play at a high level for the most part.

*WarLock* wrote:

I enjoy watching the ladies play. And they play at a high level for the most part.

Yeah its good to see the ladies getting better all the time.

I have to say tbh it streams me off when people say the BDO is poo !!! these players play on tv 2 a year so they face a hell of a lot more pressure than the PDC boys !!

another thing what makes me laugh is when i hear people say on forums , facebook , twitter ect that they could beat these players lol well ive played against some of the players who played at lakeside and they are great players on the floor and i know some have taken offence to being called crap !!

also ive been to ally paly and now lakeside and i loved lakeside thought it was great the history , meeting the players it was superb. ally pally was ok but there is to many idiots there.

i have even changed my view i was going to do Qschool but my dream is to make the lakeside and world masters stage.

^^^ Well said Lion. +1

i am not saying i am against the PDC but i want to try the BDO circuit first as i think its good to learn your trade there IMO

IMO there is to many players jumping into Qschool with not a chance in hell of qualifying

Gotta go with jd and lion.
Bdo would be like an apprenticeship. A very good one at that. Must say that for what appears to be a slightly lower standard of darts,the crowd behaved with so much class and respect. Just how it should be

the atomosphere is so much better when your there at lakeside aswell it was superb there for me!!

i am glad the 4 semi-finalists are staying for another year the dutch boys love the lakeside venue

A slightly lower standard wow i think it saddens me to say but i think Brsitow was right its just a pub tournament these days
Too many have left its no surprise Hankey,Winstanley,Chisnall,West,Kellett,White,Henderson,Whitlock,Anderson,Webster and thats just the last 3 years

mr lakeside wrote:

A slightly lower standard wow i think it saddens me to say but i think Brsitow was right its just a pub tournament these days
Too many have left its no surprise Hankey,Winstanley,Chisnall,West,Kellett,White,Henderson,Whitlock,Anderson,Webster and thats just the last 3 years

Although he’s my hero, I disagree with Brissy when he said that the Lakeside is just a pub tournament. However, I do agree with Brissy when he said: ‘Well, the difference between the BDO, and the PDC is that one organisation is professional, and the other is amateur‘. Because he is right, for most BDO players, but not all, darts is not their full-time living. Whereas ‘most’ PDC players do play professionally. So I suppose the standard should be expected to be a tad lower in the BDO. Of course there are exceptions with such players as Scotty Waite and one or two others who simply choose not to go with the PDC…..yet???

The BDO do take a bit of a bashing, but, as I see it there would be no PDC if it weren’t for Olly Croft starting the BDO back in…..was it 73? So as far as I’m concerned, any aspiring PDC player will start with the BDO, and if they can achieve high enough success there, then they have a chance to fulfil their ambition. However, if they can’t handle the BDO, then they will never handle the PDC. The BDO therefore, kind of compliments the PDC…..in my opinion that is. I agree with those who said that the BDO is like an apprenticeship.

Well, that's what I reckon anyway?

The BDO's "death" is very much of it's own doing.

They lacked the ambition darts needed in the early 90s and for me, the players like Lowe and Bristow saved darts at a crucial time and are largely the reason why darts has got to the healthy position is now.

In saying that, the BDO still has a purpose, I just think their "World" Championship is so devalued that they need to have a rethink.

Ironically, darts at grassroots level is not thriving like the professional game is,

The BDO need to concentrate on that more and forget about rivalling the PDC.

I think eventually we will see the pdc or a sister organisation running the amatuer side, they've already had the youth tour which has been extended to a challenge tour, i think in years to come they'll start a tour to counter the BDO and then i think it will be good night vienna for the BDO, sad but if they continue in the same mould they are now I think inevitable. Adapt or die. I thought when they ousted Olly Croft we would see some big changes for the good but I haven't noticed much myself.

I think all the BDO has is the history and a starting point for up and coming professionals.
I think it is good that young players play in the BDO, but I would like to see them move to the PDC, after a few years.
To me it is sad to see the likes of Tony O'shea, John Walton, Stephen Bunting and Scott Waites playing for a world title that doesn't have the best dart player in the world in it.

It was also frustrating to see Barney and Ted Hankey stick in the BDO for 10-15 years. To me they should have moved over to the PDC earlier. They could have both earned more and be on TV a lot more.

But it looks like players such as Bunting, Waites, Adams, O'shea and Walton are happy to stick in the BDO. It is up to them at the end of the day.

But to me you cant compare the 2 organizations.Dennis Priestley's 2 world titles are worth more than Martin Adams 3 BDO world titles in my view. As Dennis played the best players in the world to get his world titles.