Schedule and Preview for Night One of 2023 Premier League Darts as darting roadshow starts in Belfast with Smith-Van Gerwen rematch
PDC
It is the first Thursday of February and that means the new season of Premier League Darts is about to start again. The SSE Arena in Belfast has been given the honour of opening the darting roadshow.
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Compared to last year, there are three other names in the line-up. Gary Anderson, James Wade and Joe Cullen are not returning this year. Chris Dobey is one of the replacements. 'Hollywood' won the Masters last weekend, allowing him to make his debut in Premier League Darts. Nathan Aspinall and Dimitri van den Bergh return to the prestigious darts competition after a year's absence.
Never before has the announcement of the line-up caused such a stir on social media. The absence of Luke Humphries in particular was met with much incomprehension, while Ross Smith and Joe Cullen both publicly felt they should get an invitation. Van den Bergh's selection fell badly with many darts fans.
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The Belgian did not reach a major final in 2022 and, according to many fans, he was only invited because he performs his dance on the walk-on and gives fired-up interviews.
All criticism and discussions notwithstanding, the eight chosen have now travelled to Northern Ireland's capital to begin the 2023 Premier League Darts. The format is unchanged from the previous edition.
A mini-tournament will be played each week, consisting of quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. Points can be scored with results during the 16 tournaments. A semi-final earns two points, a second place three points and a tournament win five points and a £10,000 bonus. The top four darters will compete for the overall victory in the play-offs on 25 May.
As tradition dictates, the two World Darts Championship finalists will face each other during the first round of play-offs. World champion Michael Smith and runner-up Michael van Gerwen will meet in the second quarter-final.
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Dimitri van den Bergh and Jonny Clayton will play first. The winner of that match will therefore play either Smith or Van Gerwen in the semi-final. Peter Wright plays in the third match of the evening against newcomer Chris Dobey. Nathan Aspinall makes his return to this competition against Gerwyn Price.
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Schedule Premier League Darts 2023
Night One - Thursday, February 2
The SSE Arena, Belfast
Quarter final
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jonny Clayton
Michael Smith v Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright v Chris Dobey
Nathan Aspinall v Gerwyn Price
Semi finals
Van den Bergh/Clayton v Smith/Van Gerwen
Wright/Dobey v Aspinall/Price
Final
Van den Bergh/Clayton/Smith/Van Gerwen v Wright/Dobey/Aspinall/Price

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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.
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- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- 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
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026






