Ashdown set for return to Master of Ceremonies role at WDF World Championship: "It would be a pleasure"

Richard Ashdown off the back of the announcement recently that darting action would return to the home of World Darts, the Lakeside caught up with Tungsten Tales to discuss the iconic venue and what it means to the WDF to host the tournament.

"One of our main objectives was to get the Premier event within the system back to the Lakeside," he said to Tungsten Tales.

"It's nothing against the Indigo itself, I've worked there on a few occasions doing legend shows. I just feel for the pilgrimage that's been established over so many years like you have in so many other sports, I think it was so important that the Lakeside was the place where the main event took place."

"We can go to new venues, we can go to new countries even but I think having the World Championship both for the fans that attend it on a regular basis and also for the players that aspire to play there, I think that it's really important that it's played at Lakeside."

Catering for the amateur game

He also discussed the role that the WDF has to play aside from the PDC and providing an alternative to that side of the game.

"The PDC cater for the 128 professional players, the WDF openly recognise and I think we're getting to the point that the WDF even endorse that, I think it's a great thing for the sport of darts that the PDC are in such good shape for the professional players.

"Where the WDF sit is I use the phrase the 128 million other players, I don't know the exact numbers but we want it to be an opportunity for every man, every woman, every youth player and there's disability darts within the WDF. So everyone else that plays the game in whichever country you live there's an opportunity for you to progress and to become World Champion."

Master of Ceremonies and Team Ref

As well as being WDF Chief Development Officer though, Ashdown is well known mostly for his role as Master of Ceremonies in years prior in the BDO with his iconic dulcet tones welcoming the players onto the stage.

But is a return likely for both 'Little Richard' and Team Ref who all left alongside Ashdown ahead of the BDO's demise?

"I don't think anything's official been decided because of the hard work that's gone into putting the tournament back in place but in the back of my mind of course I would love to see myself and the team of referees that people knew from 2019 to return in 2022. I'm absolutely looking forward to it. It would be a pleasure if I'm the one to bring the players onto the stage in January."