Harrington on vision for improving European Tour: 'We need to spread out in Europe, I think we've got too many in Germany'

Rod Harrington recently caught up with Live Darts to discuss a variety of topics including the World Cup of Darts and Premier League but also the European Tour and the future of the events which have been a real success story.

'The Prince of Style' is a PDC director and said that in his opinion the next area they should be pushing as a company is the European Tour. For him though it is all about expansion.

He believes that the tour relies too much on Germany; so other countries such as Russia, Poland and Romania need to be considered. Harrington added that he sees there being at least 20 events in five years time with huge prize money.

He finally said that he is retiring from his position in five years time; so wants to get the ball rolling and look to the future.

"We had a two-day meeting two or three weeks ago where all the board members put a presentation together," Harrington told Live Darts.

"My presentation is always about the future of darts; not the financial side of it.

"I think our next push, in my opinion, is in Europe.

"We need to spread out in Europe, I think we've got too many in Germany; so we need to go to Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and go up into Scandinavia - which was a real hotbed of darts when I played - Norway, Finland and Sweden.

"I would like to see a European event in every one of them, in five years' time, a minimum of 20 of those throughout Europe, all streamed with big prize money.

"We're talking perhaps six million pounds minimum for those 20 events.

"A lot has got to be put together, but if you don't put it together now, in five years' time you go 'in five years' time, we should have 20 European events'.

"I'm retiring in five years' time, I'm out of here, I'm retiring to Spain in the sun, but people have got to take over so you have to start doing things now, you must never sit on your laurels, you've got to always look to the future."

The European Tour returns later today with the Danish Darts Open from Copenhagen