The 2017 PDC season comes to an end this weekend with the newly-branded Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals from Butlins in Minehead.
The PCFs are the result of 22 Players Championships held in various leisure centres around the British Isles, and last year's final saw Michael van Gerwen (who else?) obliterate dim Dave Chisnall 11-3 in the final. Owing to MVG's absence from a number of PC events due to the World Series and his new daughter, he is unusually not seeded 1st, but rather 6th. His prize for this is the first ranking TV appearance of paranoid Geordie "Aussie" Paul Nicholson since Michael thumped him in the 2015 UK Open; assuming the Asset hasn't overpowered himself on Herbalife, this isn't going to be pretty.
That's because the #1 seed is the hottest emerging talent on the circuit: Sussex ex-electrician Rob Cross. Voltage has stunned everyone in darts with his phenomenal rise from 2016 UK Open amateur qualifier and Challenge Tour winner to bordering on the edge of the top 16 in just 9 MONTHS of being a professional player, having won 4 PCs, made 2 Euro Tour finals and of course making the European Championship final last month. Good omens are on his side as seed #1 has won every PCFs event since 2013, and Cross starts against the PDC Welsh #5 Robert Owen.
Other big R1 ties chosen for the main stage including a spectacles battle between 2014 Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting and lanky Dutch youngster Benito van de Pas, Belgium's Kim Huybrechts against emerging Northumberland talent Chris Dobey, the imploding HMS Adrian Lewis against funny-faced waffle kid Mike de Decker, Stoke dab phenomenon Ian White aiming to cause a big upset by removing 5-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney may pour water on the re-emerging Dutch youngster Jeffrey de Zwaan's hopes.
Coverage starts at 12:45pm GMT on ITV4 with the evening session from 7:00pm on the same channel. Stage Two will be streamed on the PDC's Facebook page.
All round 1 games are the best of 11 legs (first to 6).
Afternoon Session (12.45pm) >Main Stage Darren Webster v Antonio Alcinas Robert Thornton v James Richardson Joe Cullen v Jamie Caven Dave Chisnall v Joe Murnan Stephen Bunting v Benito van de Pas Kim Huybrechts v Chris Dobey Adrian Lewis v Mike De Decker
>Stage Two Steve Lennon v Zoran Lerchbacher Justin Pipe v Mark Webster Richard North v Peter Hudson Mervyn King v Brendan Dolan Steve Beaton v Ronny Huybrechts Steve West v Ryan Searle Jermaine Wattimena v Keegan Brown Peter Jacques v Cristo Reyes James Wade v Kevin Painter
Evening Session (7pm) >Main Stage Ian White v Raymond van Barneveld Mensur Suljovic v Andy Boulton Rob Cross v Robert Owen Daryl Gurney v Jeffrey de Zwaan Gary Anderson v Mickey Mansell Michael van Gerwen v Paul Nicholson Peter Wright v Steve Hine
>Stage Two Simon Whitlock v Christian Kist Gerwyn Price v Jimmy Hendriks James Wilson v William O'Connor John Henderson v Darren Johnson Vincent van der Voort v Robbie Green Jonny Clayton v Jeffrey de Graaf Kyle Anderson v Ron Meulenkamp Michael Smith v Jan Dekker Alan Norris v Jelle Klaasen
Cooper Morgan
Can Nicho do it?
Cameron Fisher
Cracking OP yet again
Daniel Bennett
Once again stage 2 having the better matches
Carson Rogers
>Wade/Painter not on main stage That's stupid.
Andrew Martin
They released some more tickets for the world's on seetickets if anyone was thinking of going. PROPER BANTER NIGHT OUT.
Cooper Bell
>MVG Vs Nicho
Christ, that's going to be brutal. He had a fucking breakdown on stage against that barely sentient potato Chizzy, MVG could cause him to hang himself.
Elijah White
And we're on now.
Nolan Clark
>Wee Rab losing to a blatant racist What a downfall.
Jose Hughes
>you now remember aaron monk
Luke Peterson
if the autist was playing taylor he'd still be second stage, it's fucking painter
Levi Harris
lol
Isaac Young
no i don't
Luke Lee
>Mason whitewashed by Bobby George
Matthew Bell
I'm sad I don't get to eat too much weed icecream with bobby and biggins and throw a whitey in the back of a van
Cameron Parker
When?
Jaxon Young
>losing to Jobba >Cockstar
Cooper Collins
Exhibition they said occurred yesterday.
Carson Hill
Wage cucking. Missing anything good?
Jason Bennett
bunt la
Zachary Cox
Is there somewhere a good site to see who already got their ticket to the WC and who still can?
Owen James
rab thornton missed d12 for a nine darter to win the match, all other games have been shite.
This is the only 2 staged TV event isnt it? Big gap between stage and spectators cant be good for atmosphere.
and a question: most of these guys playing today are part timers yeah?
Ian Bailey
The lewis revival starts here lads.
Chase Cooper
thanks
Jayden Garcia
>most of these guys playing today are part timers yeah? Probably but the vast majority are full time.
Ian Mitchell
>Waffleboy Glorious scenes.
Jaxson Brooks
...
Cameron Ward
>you now remember when Keegan Brown was good Just got raped 6-0 by Jermaine Wattimena.
Aaron Stewart
Seem to remember Reyes being utter shit here last year against Dartitis Boy.
Zachary Hall
>the state of that leg
Evan Fisher
I'll round-up the afternoon in the thread closing post because in all honesty it wasn't that good. Nearly every player was on edge for some reason: end of season / Ally Pally nerves maybe?
Your one hour warning is accompanied by a reminder that The Darts Show is on ITV4.
>“If I play a tournament in Maastricht, I have to qualify. Sorry, but I put the sport on the map in the Netherlands “, Van Barneveld declared. “I do not need preferential treatment, but I’m not really going to enter qualifiers.”
Hypocritical much, Raymond?
Still, at least he's not lying about playing every event in 2018 just to get into the PL.
Dominic Perry
And we're back on now.
Aiden Williams
Like this Darts Show, did Pheel even appear? Just heard him get mentioned in passing about soiling himself in the Grand Slam of Darts, missed the first 20 mins tho
Carter Morgan
Noticed over at double finish people jumping over a white wash in the Kist game
Jaxon Cruz
Nope.
I hope we only see him in a major for one more game.
Chase Hughes
Kist's arthritis was playing up again last month to the point he averaged under 70 against Klaasen at the Euros.
Camden Diaz
dont think barry would drop him out of the pl anyway
Kayden Bell
Wew
Nolan Moore
>barney managing to throw this away against the dab 'mon Dab.
John Bennett
>Ian Shite
Juan Sullivan
>Borney fuck off you whining shit
Jason Cox
Rip dart man
Alexander Parker
>Barney
Brody Wood
>Barney choke again
Lucas Long
Also lol at someone of Barney's pedigree and having Diamond White as your bogey player on TV
Thomas Martin
>you now remember when Gando had Terry Jenkins as his TV bogeyman Big news on the Bull front is that he didn't enter the PDPA qualifier for the Worlds.
All but confirming his retirement with that.
Ethan King
>Andy Boulton is still appearing in TV games
Grayson Powell
THE ABSOLUTE STATE
Jaxon Hernandez
boulton already looks so frustrated with mensur's throwing.
Jayden Adams
lol I do remember that. Also RIP Mr 9 times finalist man
Michael Fisher
This match is fucking shit.
Parker Sanders
They should ban Boulton from TV.
Blake Murphy
What kind of nickname is Stack Attack?
The fuck is this music?
Why is Reese Shearsmith posing as a darts player?
Angel Diaz
The state of this nerd and his walk on tune ffs, hope he gets smashed for putting me through that
Nolan Sullivan
what kind of fischer price job darts is cack attack using
Ryder Evans
Owen's darts are entering the board fucking bizarrely.
