"You don't want to look too closely" - What do the top pros really think of the Ally Pally?

Since 2008, the home of the PDC World Darts Championship has been the iconic Alexandra Palace. The London darts temple is the successor to the legendary Circus Tavern that hosted the World Championship from 1994 to 2007.

Due to the increasing demand for tickets, the PDC decided to move from the small Circus Tavern to the much larger Alexandra Palace in 2008. Still, not everyone is a fan of this venue. "You don't want to look too closely. If you look at it from too close, you think 'oy, oy, oy'," says Michael van Gerwen to BoyleSports for example, despite the Dutchman himself havinh captured three world titles at Alexandra Palace.

Then again, Michael Smith, the 2023 world champion is enthusiastic about Alexandra Palace. "I just love going there!" Bullyboy says definitively. "I work hard for 12 months for that one event and just being in London, playing at Ally Pally, I think it's an iconic arena for us in darts. I just being there and I love the crowd."

Jonny Clayton has never managed to make it past the quarterfinals at the World Championship, but still enjoys playing at Alexandra Palace. "It's the biggest of all and everyone looks forward to it. To play in it is fantastic," the Welshman assesses. "But, the Winter Gardens..." Clayton trails off, hinting the home of the World Matchplay is his preferred venue.