The trophies that defined many of darts’ most iconic images are set to be sold through auction. The World Championship (BDO) and the Winmau World Masters trophies as well as many others from long-running events were placed for sale yesterday.
Trophies from all the major BDO tournaments are up for grabs. The sale is being offered here by Lambert Smith Hampton. Despite rumours to the contrary Des Jacklin, the pantomime villain and final chairman of the BDO, will not benefit from the sale and profits will instead be used to repay creditors from the demise of the BDO.
Jacklin. who seems to thrive on the upset caused by the emotional attachment of many to the history of darts’ modern development, managed to collect the trophies from the previous winners over the 2 years since the final collapse of the BDO .
It is to be hoped that the trophies will be bought by the likes of the game’s new organisations or those who have supported it for many years. Winmau for example sponsored the World Masters for almost its entire existence.
For the WDF, and UKDA who are the successor organisations (as hosts at least) to be able to continue to present the original trophies where possible would be a nice link to the history of the game’s development and those who popularised it.
Both Wayne Warren and John O’Shea, winners of the last BDO World Championship and World Masters respectively, initially refused to give the trophies back to Jacklin. They were effectively forced to do through legal threats.
BDO’s history
Wayne Warren suffered the indignity of the trophy being collected from his house during the COVID lockdowns while Mikuru Suzuki at least returned her World trophy returned in person at Lakeside at the start of the first WDF-hosted Lakeside World Championship in 2022.
Darts World sincerely hopes that this episode marks the conclusion of the tawdry picking over the ashes of the BDO that has been going on in recent months. With more financial news soon due from the Companies House and possibly the receivers, it may be that some dignity can be restored.
—–ENDS—–
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