Sherrock being part of PDC World Darts Championship line-up 'best for the tournament' according to Nicholson: "You need the headline makers"
PDC
Fallon Sherrock was invited to the PDC World Darts Championship to fill the final International Qualifier spot that didn't have an upcoming qualifier as the Women's World Matchplay winner, a move that was done retrospectively with no such incentive on the line initially when winning in Blackpool.
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This led to massive criticism on social media that Sherrock was just shoehorned in due to past achievements but Paul Nicholson sees why it was the case and believes that she deserves it.
"I’m very pleased Fallon Sherrock is in the World Championship – not just for what she’s done in her career but also her achievements in 2022," he said to Sporting Life.
"A lot of people are focusing on what she didn’t do this year such as not winning many matches in the World Series, not getting out of her Grand Slam of Darts group and finishing third in the Women’s Series Order of Merit, which everyone previously thought had cost her a place at Ally Pally.
"But, she attended many Women’s Series events before Beau Greaves made her superhuman impact and probably would have ended up second in the Order of Merit behind Lisa Ashton if she’d been able to compete in the events she missed in August that clashed with the New Zealand Darts Masters.
"That scheduling caused a real headache and ultimately it cost her valuable points in the race to finish in the top two.
"She obviously also won the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay which is the PDC’s only female major televised tournament at the moment and I don’t think any fans or players will begrudge that title being rewarded with a spot at the World Championship in future years."
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Timing 'doesn't look great'
But while Nicholson is behind the decision, he sees why those who called out the retrospective nature of the qualification have criticised this decision but believes it wouldn't have been the same if Beau Greaves had have just missed out for example.
"However, this week’s very late decision to give Sherrock a spot at Ally Pally based on her success back in July has caused quite a stir to say the least due to the retrospective nature of her qualification. And to be fair to the critics of this decision, that element doesn’t look great," he continued.
"People are assuming it was just to get Fallon in the tournament – but imagine if she'd pipped Beau Greaves to second spot in the Women’s Series. In that scenario I’m pretty sure the PDC would have made the same decision about the Women’s World Matchplay and then give the Women’s Series an extra spot to get Beau into Ally Pally.
"Would there have been the same level – or indeed any - anger towards Beau in that scenario? No. Everyone would have applauded."
PDPA Qualifier
One element that seemingly suffers is the PDPA Qualifier but Nicholson says that it's always a toss of a coin in terms of the spots available and those playing shouldn't rely on it.
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"Knowing dart players as I do, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them are kicking up a fuss and claiming they’ve been robbed of a spot from the forthcoming PDPA qualifying event.
"But if you look back at the PDPA event over the past 10 years, sometimes there’s only one qualifier. It’s never set in stone how many qualifiers will come from it.
"If you’re not good enough to finish inside the 32 qualifying spots that are outside of the world’s top 32 then you don’t really deserve to be there.
This PDPA qualifier is basically a last-chance saloon, bonus opportunity to get to Ally Pally. Nobody should depend on it."
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Won't grab the headlines like Sherrock
Nicholson was noted as previously calling out the PDC for inviting players like Devon Petersen, Diogo Portela and others to fill the best player from that region quota on the International Qualifier list in 2017 but says that he agrees with the reasoning that they gave then that the PDC is not a governing body and is a promotional copy so they can do what they want.
With in the case of Sherrock according to Nicholson, she is a player that is commercially viable as a result and despite critics, fans want to see her.
"It’s not disrespectful to say those players probably won’t do anything of any note at Ally Pally or grab the world’s attention like Fallon Sherrock will.
"Granted, that’s got nothing to do with her qualification but it’s best for the tournament and the game as a whole to have all the pieces of the puzzle there. You need the headline makers, players who create column inches and the ones that the broadcasters love talking about. Fallon does all of those things because of what she’s achieved and how millions of fans want to see her – regardless of what some vocal critics on social media might make you think.
"A few years ago I wasn’t happy when the PDC retrospectively included Krzysztof Ratajski, Jeff Smith and Devon Peterson in the World Championship field for achievements that weren’t originally in the qualification criteria.
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"I went to PDPA chairman Peter Manley about this and he said “the PDC are a promotional company, they can do as they see fit.” You can’t really argue with that and from a promotional perspective, Fallon Sherrock being in the tournament is much better than if she isn’t."
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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- 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
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026