"The man just talks and nothing goes in, he’s not there for the players at all": Chairman of PDPA faces heavy criticism after World Matchplay schedule uncertainty
PDCFriday, 17 July 2026 at 08:43
Vincent van der Voort has delivered sharp criticism of the PDPA, the players’ union within professional darts. In the latest episode of the podcast Darts Draait Door, the former top darter did not hold back on the organization. According to Van der Voort, the union fails to show up at crucial moments, even though players’ interests should come first.
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The trigger for his criticism is the uncertainty surrounding the World Matchplay schedule. Due to possible changes in the event of an England place in the football World Cup final, 24 players were left in the dark for a long time about when they would take to the oche in Blackpool.
Van der Voort believes the PDPA should have opposed this immediately. “The players’ union should have said straight away: ‘What’s all this about?’. Now 24 players only find out on Wednesday evening when they have to play. That can’t be right. Of course they should have spoken up.”
Host Damian Vlottes wondered whether the players’ union shouldn’t be standing up for its members in a situation like this. Van der Voort needed little time to respond. “Yes, but they do absolutely nothing.” According to the Dutchman, the organization lacks decisiveness and little has changed for years. “Those people just stay in their seats and nothing changes.”
The man just talks and nothing goes in - Van der Voort
Van der Voort also revealed that he recently spoke with Peter Manley, one of the prominent figures within the PDPA. That conversation left little impression. “I listened to him. The man just talks and nothing goes in. He’s not there for the players at all. It’s just going nowhere.”
While Van der Voort had few positives to say about the union, he made one exception. “The only one who really wants it is Alan Warriner. He truly is good for the players, but the rest are not.”
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He also pointed out that Glen Durrant has since stepped down from the organization, which Van der Voort says was allegedly because he couldn’t work with Peter Manley. Albeit Durrant has alluded to it as of late, but still praised Manley when confirming he had quit. “Alan Warriner still wants to. Glen Durrant has already quit because of Peter Manley, because they just can’t get along.”
Criticism of meeting for players’ partners
Van der Voort was also highly critical of how the PDPA allegedly allocates its budget. During a recent Pro Tour, he said, a meeting was organized for players’ partners.
“There was some woman who organized a meeting for all the players’ wives. At ten o’clock they were all allowed to have a chat with her about how they could better help their husbands. With money and with losses, all that stuff.”
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When host Damian Vlottes asked whether Joanne Wright, Peter Wright’s wife, was also present, Van der Voort responded with a laugh. “Yes, she was the first one heading upstairs.”
Not long after, he said, Kevin Doets’s partner followed. For Van der Voort, that was reason to question the usefulness of such meetings. “Followed by Mrs Doets. Because she’s very important too. Jesus, man. Half of them will be divorced next year,” he sneered.
According to Van der Voort, it is therefore incomprehensible that the players’ union invests time and money in such gatherings, while in his view more important matters directly affecting the darters themselves are at stake.
“They’re just passers-by. Come on, man. You see that everywhere. Sometimes you get moved on, let’s put it that way.”
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Van der Voort had little sympathy for the initiative and called it a misuse of the union’s funds. “And PDPA money is going straight into that.”
In his view, the focus should be entirely on the interests of the players themselves, especially when major tournaments are around the corner. "For this World Matchplay you need to be fully on top of things. You have to take good care of the players. None of this makes any sense.”
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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