Hearn on attempting to end darting divide between PDC & BDO: "They were arrogant, one of my concerns then was to destroy them"
PDC
Outgoing PDC Chairman, Barry Hearn was in the role for 20 years overseeing the rise of darts into a global phenomenon with his son, Eddie now set to take the reigns.
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Hearn spoke to the Weekly Dartscast as part of their 200th episode and discussed in detail the reason for stepping down.
"I've been thinking about it for a year or two. I'm 73 in June, I'm still fit, I'm still capable but the clock's ticking and in some way when I first walked into darts and the PDC and Matchroom, that was the right time. Life's about timing, now's the right time to say to the youngsters, the people that are running the business. It's your time," said Hearn to the Weekly Dartscast.
Getting involved in darts
As a sport like Hearn alluded to that is working class, he discussed the appeal of bringing the masses together both on the oche and in the crowd.
"I just walked into the Circus Tavern one day and I saw a mirror reflection of myself. I love the customers, I love the fans. I love the fact that they were getting involved, they were having a good time. It is a working mans sport we can't ignore that but it's actually classless. You can have bank managers sitting next to dockers and why not. I think darts is a good message to the world that we can all get on with each other in the right environment."
"I love the fact that the dart players themselves were ordinary people but they happened to have extraordinary ability. It ticked a lot of boxes for me, I felt at home."
Attempt to bring PDC/BDO together
Back in 2001, Hearn upped the prize money to surpass the BDO's efforts at Lakeside and he spoke about the story of attempting to bring the PDC and BDO together with the latter recently completing their demise.
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"When I first got involved, it was in the middle of a quite bitter time between BDO and PDC. But I did put a hand out to the BDO at that time to say let's sit down and talk. I was rebuffed, they were arrogant. One of my concerns then was to destroy them, to boost our prize money, create more opportunities and make them irrelevant."
"They're now history and a lesson to be learnt for everybody."
Biggest achievement
But what is Hearn's biggest achievement during his time as head honcho of the PDC? He didn't give a specific moment but the success that darts has achieved both in prize money and on a standard level.
"I think people will judge you by prize money and opportunity you give. The essence of all sport in my book is that it should be as level a playing field as possible. There should be as few barriers to entry as possible and players that are prepared to dedicate themselves should be rewarded as highly as possible for success."
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"It's a sport that is governed by success and that's probably the biggest achievement was the standard of play has improved so much and it is a by product of increased prize money because players have become far more professional with their approach due to the rewards on offer."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
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