"I don’t think, as a sport, you should bend to another sport": Darts belittles itself in bowing to England World Cup tie says Van der Voort
PDCWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 12:12
The potential clash between football and darts is causing a stir in the build-up to the World Matchplay. If England reaches the World Cup final on Wednesday evening, the schedule of the prestigious darts tournament in Blackpool may be adjusted. A decision that has left former professional darter Vincent van der Voort baffled.
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The World Matchplay is regarded annually as one of the biggest events on the darts calendar. The best players in the world travel to Blackpool to compete for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles. Yet the opening phase of the tournament this year threatens to be entirely influenced by the performance of the England footballers.
A potential World Cup final for England on Sunday, 19/07 would force matches on the first weekend of the World Matchplay to be moved. As a result, many players would only learn shortly before their opening match exactly when they will play. Among others, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and a large number of other top players would therefore be dependent on the outcome of a football match.
Former professional darter Vincent van der Voort finds that hard to understand. On the podcast Darts Draait Door, the former player voiced his astonishment at the situation. “You’re completely bowing to football. That changes everything again. It’s really… yeah…,” said Van der Voort, who believes darts as a sport should stand up for itself more.
According to the ex-pro, it is odd that a major darts tournament allows itself to be influenced by another sport. “I don’t think, as a sport, you should bend to another sport,” he stated. In his view, such a decision sends the wrong signal about the standing of darts.
Influence of the broadcaster
Van der Voort suspects the potential change does not come solely from the darts organization itself, but that the interests of the British TV market also play a major role. The broadcast rights for the World Matchplay are held by Sky Sports, a key player in the British sports landscape.
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“They pay an incredible amount of money to broadcast the darts. Maybe they want to force a change because they’re afraid no one will watch the World Matchplay otherwise,” said Van der Voort.
He believes it is understandable that a broadcaster considers ratings, but that should not mean a sporting event must completely give way to another discipline. A tournament with the status of the World Matchplay, he argues, should hold its own position.
Darts is diminishing itself - Van der Voort
Van der Voort is mainly concerned about the image this conveys. He believes darts risks making itself less important by constantly accommodating other sports.
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“You have to fall in line again. I don’t think many sports do this. It shows the sport is still very English, because everything is viewed purely through the lens of England,” he said.
He also questions the international optics of the decision. After all, the World Matchplay has a large international field with players from various countries. According to Van der Voort, that international group is not being sufficiently considered.
“If the Netherlands had reached the final, they wouldn’t take the Dutch players into account either. They wouldn’t care one bit. It’s purely about England. And that makes your sport so small,” said the former darter.
Vincent van der Voort was a professional darter for many years
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Criticism of the impact on fans
According to Van der Voort, not only players may face the consequences of a late change. Fans who have purchased tickets for the World Matchplay could also run into trouble.
Supporters often plan months in advance to attend a major darts event. A change in match days can mean people must adjust travel, accommodation, or other arrangements. Foreign visitors in particular would be affected.
Van der Voort compares the situation with other major sports and wonders whether, for example, Wimbledon would ever move because of a football match. In his view, this shows that darts still has steps to take in professionalism and image. “This isn’t good. Also that they’re communicating it so late,” Van der Voort concluded critically.
The debate around the World Matchplay thus highlights a bigger question within the darts world: how should the sport deal with competition from other major events, and how much room should there be for commercial interests? For Van der Voort, it is clear: darts must have more confidence in its own strength and not automatically make way for football.
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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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