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"No one ever calls it the World Champs, they say 'I'm going to watch at Ally Pally'" - Michael Smith firmly against plans to move World Championship to Saudi Arabia
PDCWednesday, 05 June 2024 at 12:00
The World Darts Championship has been held at London's Alexandra Palace since 2008. But for how much longer will it remain there? That question has been raised after statements by PDC president Barry Hearn that the biggest tournament on the darting calendar is wanted by Saudi Arabia.
With Hearn also openly courting big money offers to lure the Snooker World Championship away from its spiritual home of the Crucible in Sheffield, the lure of big money may be causing the World Darts Championship to move away from Alexandra Palace. "I have spoken to the Saudis and they were very keen," Hearn said recently in conversation with the Mirror. "It's a great atmosphere at Ally Pally, but well, we're looking at it. And we're going to be very adventurous because we have tremendous demands all around the world for people that want to play in the World Darts Championship from different countries."
Former world champion Michael Smith, however, is completely against the idea of a move. Smith is sure, he wants the World Championship to just stay at Alexandra Palace. "Ally Pally, we should move rooms, not move venues. There's a bigger room in there that holds six or seven thousand," Bullyboy tells Mirror Sport. "It definitely shouldn't be moved, never ever move the venue. It's an iconic thing. You're not going to move the Matchplay, because it's Winter Gardens. It's iconic. The Premier League is iconic to the 02, and the World Champs is Ally Pally. No one ever calls it the World Champs, they say 'I'm going to watch at Ally Pally'. That's what everyone recognises it as, should never move."
Michael Smith won the World Championship at the Ally Pally
Not the World Championship, but Smith is up for another (new) tournament in Saudi Arabia. "Every other sport is there so why not darts? One of the best sports, the biggest party. That is the problem in Saudi, the party side of it," Smith adds. "It's going to be difficult but if I'm part of it when it's there I'd love to go. I like to go to Dubai, I like to take my wife and kids on holiday. Straight from there we go to Bahrain, the kids love it. So why not in Saudi?"
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