"We’re over there so much, 15 times next year" – Jonny Clayton doubles down on criticism of German ProTours

Jonny Clayton has reiterated his belief that the PDC’s decision to stage an increasing number of Players Championship events in Germany is unnecessary, insisting that the darting calendar is already weighted too heavily towards mainland Europe.

Fresh from a 3–1 victory over Luke Woodhouse that sealed his spot in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, the Welshman used his post-match press conference to clarify his comments made earlier in the week – and he didn’t back down.

“It’s just my opinion,” Clayton said in conversation with Dartsnews.com and others in his post-match press conference. “We’re already in Europe so much through the year with the European Tour, the World Cup, the European Finals, and the World Series events. I don’t disagree with that at all, but the Pro Tour going that way as well… it’s just not for me. It’s nothing against Germany; it’s just that we’re over there so much – I think 15 times next year. It’s just how I feel.”

The 2021 champion’s forthright remarks came at the end of an unconvincing yet ultimately effective display, as he battled through a patchy performance to see off an in-form Woodhouse who had impressed throughout the week in Leicester.

Clayton began strongly, taking out 90 in the opening set and punishing Woodhouse’s missed darts at key moments to edge ahead. But the momentum swung sharply in set two, with the Englishman reeling off three legs in succession to level the match while Clayton’s scoring collapsed.

“I got over the line, but it wasn’t great,” admitted Clayton. “Luke had so many chances, and you need that bit of luck sometimes. Tonight, I had it. The second set wasn’t good at all – I had to look myself in the mirror during the break and think, ‘wise up,’ because I wasn’t going to win that match unless I found something.”

That self-reflection paid off. Clayton steadied himself to claim a scrappy third set and then found enough composure on the outer ring to close out the match with a 50 percent checkout rate, sealing victory on double 16 to reach his third World Grand Prix quarter-final. “The third set was massive,” he reflected. “If you’d gone back 12 or 14 months ago, my darts probably would’ve been in the crowd. But I found a way to win it, and that put the pressure back on Luke. It wasn’t pretty, but it was job done.”

The Ferret’s return to the latter stages of a televised event continues a solid spell of form in 2025, following his run to a major final earlier in the season. It’s a resurgence built less on heavy scoring and more on mental resilience – something he credits to rediscovered confidence after almost walking away from the game last year.

“Honestly, I probably thought I’d have been gone by now,” he said. “But it shows I’ve got some bottle. I’ve put work in, even though I’m not the biggest practiser because I get bored of it. I’m glad I’ve stuck with it, because I’m still in the top 10 and doing something right.”

Clayton’s reward is a quarter-final clash with Dirk van Duijvenbode – a matchup that pits one of darts’ most composed characters against one of its most emotional. “Dirk’s one of the funniest guys I know,” Clayton smiled. “He’s a great guy off stage, but on stage, he plays from the heart. He shows everything – if he’s flying, you see it; if he’s struggling, you see that too. I think that’s a great thing because it shows how much it means to him.”

Still, the Welshman was quick to admit that those visible emotions can provide opportunities for opponents. “We all look for weaknesses,” he said. “If a player misses a double, you think, ‘If I can get away now, maybe that’s in his head.’ That’s the game. We all do it. And if Dirk gives me a sniff, I’ve got to take it.”

For all the chatter about his future and his frustrations with the calendar, Clayton remains very much a force on stage – and his fighting spirit in Leicester was proof enough of that. “I struggled a bit tonight, but maybe that’s my wake-up call game,” he concluded. “I got through it with a bit of luck, but I’ll take that. Bring on tomorrow.”