23/02/2021

First part of Premier League Darts to be played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes

The first nine nights of the 2021 Premier League Darts will be played behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes which played host to the conclusion of last year's tournament.

Initially, the full line-up and start of the weekly roadshow was delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the potential for fans to be in arenas with a later start.

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But due to ongoing restrictions, the decision has now been made to begin without fans in April.

The first half of the season will see the ten players involved face each other once across nine nights between April 5-9 and April 19-22 before the bottom two players in the league table are then eliminated following Judgement Night.

A further seven league nights will then be played following Judgement Night on dates to be confirmed with a decision regarding dates, venues and potential fan attendance to be made in due course.

"With ongoing restrictions in the UK and Europe meaning that starting the 2021 Unibet Premier League season with crowds in April will not be possible, our ten superstars of our sport will begin the tournament behind closed doors," said PDC chairman Barry Hearn.

"The Unibet Premier League holds a special place in the hearts of darts fans across Europe and we'll continue to work with our venue partners to be able to stage the second half of the season with live crowds if possible.

"With the start of the 2021 Unibet Premier League in sight, we're still working hard with our sponsors Unibet and host broadcast partner Sky Sports to create a memorable, if unique, season."

The line-up will of course see Glen Durrant as reigning Premier League champion attempting to defend his title with former Premier League champions in Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson joining them.

Alongside the likes of World Champion, Gerwyn Price, World Matchplay winner Dimitri Van den Bergh, Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa, Masters champion Jonny Clayton, reigning European Champion Peter Wright.

With Premier League finalist Nathan Aspinall and former World Champion, Rob Cross finalising the line-up.