SWEEPING CHANGES AT P.D.C.
PROFESSIONAL darts is bracing itself for sweeping changes following the news that leading sports promoter and manager Barry Hearn has accepted an invitation to become Chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation.
With the expansion of the P.D.C., former CEO and Event Director Dick Allix has decided to step aside from the Chief Executive role to channel his energies solely on the event director role.
Tim Darby, formerly of United Racecourses, will take over in the CEO hot seat to build on the current standing of the professional sport.
As a high profile figure, Barry Hearn is exactly what darts needs as it strives towards expansion and international progress. Since becoming the business manager of snooker ace Steve Davis in 1976, he has made an impact on various sports.
With his accountancy skills and a keen eye for business he was among those who helped to turn snooker into a multi-million pound global sport.
Barry’s involvement in boxing, managing world champions Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and Steve Collins, has also cemented his reputation. His interest in pool and fishing pushed them forward as major televised sports. In 1995 he became Chairman of Leyton Orient Football Club!
Darts is now about to receive the full Barry Hearn treatment.
His involvement with the P.D.C. over the past six years has been responsible for securing over 150 hours of live coverage per year on Sky Television, plus coverage for the sport in over 20 other countries.
Due to the rapid growth planned for the P.D.C., Hearn has been appointed Chairman to fulfil a five-year expansion plan put in place to carry darts to unprecedented levels.
An enthused Hearn told Darts World:
“I am delighted to be taking on this new challenge. Darts is the sport of this millennium. My visits to parts of Europe, and the Far East in particular, have shown just how much enthusiasm there is for the sport.
“The current top P.D.C. players are genuine sports stars with unique ability. I intend to give them the profile they deserve to turn them into superstars. The P.D.C. are also committed to bringing on the next generation of stars and several of those players will undoubtedly be coming from the Asian continent. This will lead to a television boom the likes of which we’ve not seen since the explosion of snooker!”
Hearn will be joined on the board by city guru, Tim Allen, who throughout his 16 years at Williams Holdings Plc was responsible for heading up over 50 major acquisitions throughout the world.
New Chief Executive Tim Darby said:
“Darts and racing both come with stigmas attached in terms of their perception by the public. I believe that I can further develop darts to bring it to a more widespread audience just as we have achieved in racing.”
Barry Hearn, Tim Darby and Tim Allen will join previous board members Edward Lowy, Chairman of Unicorn, and Financial Director of the P.D.C., David Pomfret.
Images: Darts World
FROM ALEX BISH IN BLACKPOOL
From Darts World Magazine (Issue 346) September 2001
