PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter hopes the World Matchplay will be played under normal conditions with crowd

With the recent roadmap announced by the UK Government regarding the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, PDC Chief Executive Matthew Porter spoke to the Weekly Dartscast about his hopes for the World Matchplay to be staged with a crowd.

“The legislation needs to be written up (by the government) and we need to see the details, but we’re obviously hoping by the time we get round to the World Matchplay in July, that we are going to be in a position to push the button to do things as normal,” Porter said to the Weekly Dartscast.

“That’s the hope, it will pan out that way over the next few months and we’ll be able to plan the way we’re going to go.

“Probably the hardest decision over the last 12 months was to take the World Matchplay away from Blackpool (last year), but I think it had to be done for necessary reasons.

“But ultimately, as we sit here on March 1st, we’re hoping that the World Matchplay will be played under normal conditions in July.”

The Masters and Q-School saw a recent change in format and starting with Q-School while minor tweaks are needed, Porter was happy with how it went.

“The idea of an initial stage and a second stage is something we wanted to implement anyway and it did help in keeping the numbers down. Whether there’s a need to split the first stage or not is something we need to decide.”

As well as that with the Masters, he believes case and point for the 24 player field was Jonny Clayton and Mervyn King reaching the final.

“It didn’t hurt the event. It gave more people an opportunity after the World Championship. I don’t think there was a downside to doing it and obviously with Jonny (Clayton) and Mervyn (King) reaching the final, it shows the strength and depth is there to justify it.”