No Scottish player in Premier League Darts lineup for first time since 2010!
PDC
The PDC recently announced the lineup for the 2025 Premier League Darts campaign. In addition to the top four players in the world, this quartet of Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey and Stephen Bunting received an invite, meaning for the first time since 2010, no Scottish player makes the cut.
It was eagerly awaited the announcement of the 2025 Premier League Darts participants. Especially since outside of the world's top four (Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross), a lot of question marks could be placed around potential candidates. Many top players have had a particularly mediocre year, which is why the possible selection of rookie major winners such as Mike De Decker and Ritchie Edhouse was looked at. They won last year's World Grand Prix and European Championship respectively.
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Still, the PDC ultimately chose all established names. Besides the top four, Price, Aspinall and Dobey all invited players who did not win a major last year, but did so in the past. Only Bunting won a major last year and as number five in the world, his selection was an expected certainty.
Those who missed out include, in addition to the aforementioned De Decker and Edhouse, players such as Jonny Clayton, Dave Chisnall, Damon Heta, Dimitri Van den Bergh and the Scottish duo of Peter Wright and Gary Anderson. Because the latter two were not selected, for the first time since 2010 there is no Scot participating in Premier League Darts.
Wright himself has been an ever-present in the Premier League Darts since 2014, but after a particularly weak year his chances of taking part this year were already slimmed anyway. A quarterfinal at the last World Darts Championship briefly rekindled hopes for "Snakebite," but the PDC is opting for other players this year, giving Wright time off.
No Scotsman in the Premier League for the first time since 2010. Three major winners in 2024 also miss out. https://t.co/AE2Ijc7X4F
— Jay Shaw (@JayShaw180) January 6, 2025
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- No, I wasn't expecting Heta to be in it either having won nothing of any significance. Although he is charismatic and has personality unlike the boring and dull as dishwater Dobey. It is quite pathetic and desperate the way Bunting and Arsepinall pander to the crowd to dance to their walk on music, that has worked though. I would like to see more players involved on a weekly basis similar to the Modus Super Series. A knockout tournament with 16 winners from each week. The Premier league is too boring with the same players. Plus it would eliminate all the whining and booing from unselected players.richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- Why is World Champion Richie Burnett not highlighted in bold font nor 2 time World Champion Scotty 2 Hotty. COME ON RICHIE BURNETT AND SCOTTY 2 HOTTY Although where the hell has 2 HOTTY been the past year!richieburnettrocks07-01-2025
- It's not tennis, snooker or golf, nobody mentioned Fallon,great as she is. Beau beats her week in,week out. But she isn't interested. If you want to include crowd pleasers,get Les Wallace back!!! He was a world champion,and wore a kilt!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I'm glad wright and van Ben bergh were overlooked. Too much dancing,not enough darting. Bunting is always quality,as for price,he's a crowd pleaser(!!?) too. Aspinall has had his problems,but it's nice to see him back,he's a decent chap. Dobey is a top player,big hitter,so I won't complain. Cross will finish bottom,much as I like him,he seems to be off lately. I'm glad they didn't pick a Belgian just for the audience. But I don't agree with the tournament or format,so I guess it's immaterial to me. They might as well turn up at a random pub and play for the beers!!!rick6707-01-2025
- I think the PDC's choice is too conservative. EIther or both of Damon Heta and Mike de Dekker should have been in, at the expense of Aspinall and possibly Price. I guess the PDC's reasoning is that they do not want too much turnover from year to year, and so having already rejected Smith and Wright, they have kept Price and Aspinall, but I guess those two are "on probation".
UndartedWaters06-01-2025 - Two from the three of Price, Aspinall and Dobey should have been excluded, De Decker and Edhouse should have been in. I would have offered a place to Beau Greaves though i doubt she would have accepted it and probably not really ready for it confidence wise.Mysstree06-01-2025
- Tennis has a protected ranking system for injuries and Golf has a system that as a Major winner you get invited back of a number of years regardless of your ranking. Barry Hearn gave Stephen Hendry a wildcard for some tournaments though he still had to enter at the qualification stage. Doubt the PDC would give Burnett an exemption as he has never won a PDC Major, same would apply to Steve Beaton. It’s a slippery slope to abandoning a meritocratic system, if the PDC did do so they could then (for example) award a place to Fallon Sherrock even though she has yet to qualify at any level for a tour card.Mysstree06-01-2025
- I'd have said the same about Ady Lewis,but the PDC is indeed a law unto itself,so sorry bud,get your leg kicking and do it for the good lads!!rick6705-01-2025
- COME ON RICHIE BURNETT Surely a World Champion and player with the calibra of Richie should be exempt from ever losing a tour card and having to qualify.richieburnettrocks04-01-2025
- That's true, Richie. Taylor used to call it, "Manley's millions."MrYnyslas197103-01-2025