"That’s just an idiotic comment, surely he can’t be serious?" - Van der Voort fires back at Clayton for Hildesheim ProTour complaint

Vincent van der Voort has expressed his surprise and frustration on the Darts Draait Door podcast following comments made by Jonny Clayton during the World Grand Prix, after the Welshman stated that he would prefer not to see Pro Tour events held in Germany. According to Van der Voort, the world number six’s comments show that some British players still fail to grasp that darts has become a global sport.

During the World Grand Prix, Clayton admitted that he deliberately skips the Pro Tour events in Hildesheim, saying he doesn’t believe such tournaments should take place outside the United Kingdom.

"I think where I am in the rankings — I guess world number six — from about four to maybe eight or nine, we’re all close together," Clayton said. "If you want to stay in that top ten, basically you have to do everything. I didn’t go to Germany for the Pro Tours in Hildesheim, simply because I don’t think we should have them there, but those are the only ones I miss. I try to get to everything. I missed one European event because it was my daughter’s 18th — otherwise I’d have been there.

"For me to stay in the top ten, I’d like to get as high as I can. I want to be world champion, I want to be world number one — I think every other player would say the same. That’s my dream, and I’m going to try my hardest to get there. If I don’t, I’ll still try my hardest."

Those remarks didn’t sit well with Van der Voort, a long-time stalwart of the PDC circuit. “Jonny is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet on Tour,” the Dutchman began. “But that’s just an idiotic comment. Surely he can’t be serious?”

Van der Voort believes Clayton’s view completely overlooks the international growth of darts. “He seems to think all the Pro Tours should be in Wales or England — basically in his own backyard. That makes no sense at all. Darts needs to keep growing globally, and countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium play a huge role in that.”

The former professional stressed that the PDC’s expansion is vital for developing new talent outside the UK. “Because of tournaments in Hildesheim and the Euro Tour, we’re seeing more and more European players coming through. That’s exactly what the sport needs. And then someone like Clayton says everything should just stay in England? I really don’t understand it.”

Van der Voort went on to call for a more even spread of events across Europe. “There should be a maximum of ten Pro Tours in England. Why not host more in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, or Eastern Europe? Even Wales, Scotland or Ireland. It’s time for darts to become truly international.”

As for those who prefer to stay close to home, Van der Voort was blunt. “It’s just laziness. For the English players, it’s easy — they hop in their car, drive to the venue, and that’s it. The rest of us have to fly, sometimes with two transfers. And then Mr Clayton says Hildesheim is no good? That just shows he doesn’t get it.”

Van der Voort was far more positive when discussing Danny Noppert, who reached the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix after beating Jermaine Wattimena, Stephen Bunting and Gary Anderson, before pushing world number one Luke Humphries all the way in a 5–3 defeat. “Really tidy performance — he played a great tournament,” Van der Voort said.

The Dutchman had previously been critical of Noppert on the podcast, comments which didn’t go down particularly well. However, he feels his compatriot has since responded in the best possible way. “Not that he’s taking it out on us,” Van der Voort laughed. “But since he got a bit upset that we didn’t give him enough credit, he’s changed his approach. He’s started playing with more aggression and showing more emotion — and it really suits him. He had a fantastic tournament. I’m curious if he now feels that’s the right way for him: being a bit more expressive, showing a bit of fire. It’s out of his comfort zone because he’s not naturally like that.”

Noppert’s run to the semi-finals also sees him return to the world’s top ten — something Van der Voort believes is fully deserved. “It’s great to see him back there. He’s the best Dutchman in the majors right now. We talk a lot about Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen, but Danny’s right up there again.”