This is it. The original and the greatest: the 40th year of the BDO World Darts Championship, its 32nd at the home of world darts - THE LAKESIDE! Watch in amazement as semi-professional players hit mind-bending averages of 95 and under! Hear the iconic "thud... thud... thud" of three arrows hitting a Winmau Blade 5 board (now with bigger but still regulated trebles!) before the often repeated cries of "26", "41" and "58"! Feel the tension as the referee announces "you require 40" with these tungsten diehards then missing 15 shots each at winning the leg before one of them finally and heroically finishes on double 1! It's truly a magical time of the year.
Sorry, I can't keep this charade up any longer. Let's be honest: after the glitz and glamour of the PDC World Darts Championships, the BDO's version is garbage - hell, to even call it "professional" is pushing its definition to the edge. But watching these hardened county jobbers, international cloggers and players too scared of proper competition perform on TV has a certain charm and hilarity to it. And let's not even start with women's darts.
With the BBC jumping into bed with Barry Hearn, Channel 4 have picked up the slack and taken on Lakeside for the next two years, sharing with BT Sport. Their opening session of action features the two major winners of 2016 in Glen Durrant and Darryl Fitton, who play Wales' Nick Kenny and Netherlands' Wouter Vaes respectively. Middlesbrough's Duzza is the BDO's number 1 and retained both the Winmau World Masters and Zuiderduin Masters. Stockport's Dazzler is in his 15th successive Worlds and claimed his first major in 7 years with the World Trophy in May. In the evening session, 2016 runner-up Jeff Smith plays his preliminary match against Japanese pisshead Seigo Asada and eternal choker Tony O'Shea repeats last year's 3-0 loss to Welshman Jim Williams.
Coverage starts at 12:45pm on Channel 4 before switching to BT Sport 1 at 6:45pm.
All matches are best of 5 sets except women's matches (best of 3 sets). Women's matches are in greentext.
>Today's matches (12:45pm - 5:30pm) Glen Durrant (1) v Nick Kenny >Trina Gulliver (6) v Claire Brookin Dennis Nilsson v Ryan Joyce (P) Darryl Fitton (10) v Wouter Vaes (Ned)
>Tonight's matches (6:45pm - 10:45pm) Seigo Asada v Jeff Smith (P) Roger Janssen v Mark McGrath (P) >Aileen de Graaf (3) v Rachel Brooks Jim Williams (13) v Tony O'Shea
John Allen
Best thing about the BDO is the lovely, satisfying thump sound when the darts hit the board.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
"Twenty four"!!!
Kevin Foster
BASED
Thank God the REAL darts are back lads. No stat padding on football pitch sized trebles here.
Isaac Long
...
Blake Hernandez
Yesssss, I actually managed to forget about this. What a pleasant surprise.
Xavier Gutierrez
>mfw watching women's darts
Ian Wilson
>no wolfie till tomorrow
Not based.
Adrian Walker
With a new broadcaster comes a new stage.
Feast your eyes on this multicoloured shit.
Jackson Murphy
Oh dear. Just tested Channel 4's BDO World Darts 2017 game for iPad.
Verdict: Complete unplayable shit. The PDC game is excellent btw.
Eli Williams
based dazzler
Caleb Miller
Too lazy to google every name. Please tell me which of the girls are worth watching.
Jose Gray
WTF
Austin Morales
Nah lad, BDO game is just simulating how much harder the BDO is, no magnets or mega-trebles to be found.
Jackson Walker
Sweet, time for some real darts. And also to see the cutie women playing.
Mason Morales
Apparently the BDO uses arrows that will only leave your grip every fourth throw as well. Must be super difficult!
Aiden Perry
Anca Zijlstra is cute
Nathan Lee
Reminder that hacks like Van Gerwen couldn't even get past the first round of lakeside so ragequit to the memeDC
William Bennett
Just tried the PDC one, am about as good at getting doubles in it as irl
Daniel Powell
You can cheat on it. You just slowly draw your finger across the screen and release the arrow instead of "throwing" it. It gets boring quickly that way though.
Jaxson Garcia
Thanks. Gonna check her out.
I also remember Zoey Jonesbeing a cutie. Any other names.
>inb4 Jaw's gf
Jayden Ortiz
I lied she's a whale sorry
Adam Perry
Fuck, I didn't realise the BBC had dropped the BDO. What?