Darts debate erupts as star admits World Championship leaving Ally Pally will be 'a sad day'
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Darts fans are fuming are the possible relocation of the World Championship in the future, which could be taken away from the Alexandra Palace.
The iconic London venue has been the home of the Worlds since 2008, having been moved from the Circus Tavern, in Purfleet, Essex.
But just as it had been moved from Essex to the bigger London venue, the demand for tickets has become so large that the Ally Pally cannot contain the number of fans who want to attend.
Every year, there is a mad rush for tickets for the biggest competition in darts - but this year the demand has been unprecedented.
The World Championship could be leaving the Alexandra Palace in the future
PA
Even PDC members discovered that tickets had sold out within seconds on most days of the competition, which gets underway on December 15.
In fact, it was revealed that 90,000 tickets sold out in just 15 minutes.
The Alexandra Palace has been a darting Mecca for fans, who never fail to make an atmosphere with a collection of non-stop chanting and zany costumes.
Even the players are in love with the Ally Pally, including Ross Smith, who admitted leaving the venue would be catastrophic.
He wrote on Instragram: "I know there’s talk of the Worlds leaving the Ally Pally.
"Will be a sad day as for me it’s the best place to play darts in the UK."
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It has sparked a debate in the comments section with the overwhelming number of fans desperate for the PDC to keep the Worlds at the London venue.
One fan wrote: "I agree, but unfortunately, money talks."
Another posted: "Stupid decision the Worlds belongs at Ally Pally."
And a third said: "Please don’t tell me it’s going to the Middle East!! Ffs! Fans just boycott, plain and simple!!!!"
While another put: "If it goes to Saudi it’s down to the fans and players to boycott that rubbish as it will completely kill the sport."
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Darts fans are desperate for the World Championship to stay at the Ally Pally
PA
Matchroom president Barry Hearn revealed potential plans to start thinking about a move from the 2025/26 edition.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “For the world championship this year, 90,000 tickets sold out in 15 minutes.
“I asked my people in head office, ‘tell me, how many could I have sold?’ They said, somewhere over 300,000. Now that puts a different emphasis on it.
“Same as when we moved from the Circus Tavern all those years ago, now I'm looking at Alexandra Palace.
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“And I'm saying, well, it only holds 3,500. I have to grow all the time. If you ever get complacent you go backwards.
“So, next year we will go from 96 to 128 players. We will add four more days, which is eight sessions, which is another 25,000 tickets.
“Sooner or later, I should be looking and saying: ‘Do you know, like with snooker, I need a bigger venue.’”
Hearn has already courted controversy for moving snooker tournaments to Saudi Arabia while the Crucible looks poised to lose the World Snooker Championships in 2027 when its contract expires.
And darts fans, who so often make the World Championship what it is today, have made their stance clear that a move to the Middle East would be a disaster.
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