What’s not to love about Premier League Darts?! You get incredible action played against the backdrop of an electrifying atmosphere with twists and turns aplenty. The best players in the sport, battling it out in seven countries to take home the title.
The Premier League runs across 17 nights between February and May, touring all of the United Kingdom (with stops in Berlin and Rotterdam) to bring this incredible tournament to a venue near you.
In order to whet your appetite for the tournament’s 20th edition in 2024, we wanted to run through our top five moments in the history of Premier League Darts…
1. Raymond van Barneveld finally beats Phil Taylor - 2014
Raymond van Barneveld, or Barney as he is known to his legions of fans, was one of the most successful darts players of all time – but unfortunately for him, his career coincided with that of the legendary Phil Taylor. In 20 matches against Taylor in Premier League darts, Barney had lost every single one of them… until 2014.
Trailing 4-1, van Barneveld staged an almighty comeback to take the semi final match 8-5, and then continued his impressive form by beating compatriot Michael van Gerwen 10-6 in the final for his first, and only, Premier League Darts title. He was the first player to win, having qualified as a wildcard pick (chosen by PDC and Sky Sports).
Barney later revealed he had been suffering from depression earlier in the year, making the victory even more special.
2. Jonny Clayton puts Wales on the Premier League Darts map - 2021
It had been a long time coming, but in 2021 Jonny Clayton became the first Welsh champion when he won the Premier League Darts title on his debut appearance in the competition. He met fellow debutante Jose de Sousa in the final, defeating the Portuguese 11-5.
Clayton also became the first winner that had qualified for the play-offs in fourth position in the league, having scraped in thanks to his win over Dimitri Van den Bergh on Night 16. He went on to beat Michael van Gerwen 10-8 in the semi final. Nail biting, the whole way through.
3. Tensions rise between Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen - 2014
Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen had a bit of history. In the 2014 World Championship Final, van Gerwen had beaten Wright to win his first title. When they met later that year for a Premier League Darts match in Dublin, Wright started milking the crowd to crank up the atmosphere.
He even crouched down while throwing a dart, and then he paused to address the crowd while attempting a 161 checkout!
It ultimately backfired though – a pumped up van Gerwen rampaged to win the match with a 128 checkout.
4. Michael van Gerwen wins for the Seventh Time - 2023
Staying with Michael van Gerwen, ‘Mighty Mike’ has dominated the Premier League Darts titles over the last few years. And, in the 2023 Cazoo Premier League, his victory saw him surpass Phil Taylor’s incredible record of six victories.
On finals night in the SSE Arena, Belfast, van Gerwen was just too good. In the semi finals, the Dutchman overcame Michael Smith before defeating Gerwyn Price 11-5 in the final. A fitting score line to reflect van Gerwen’s superiority in the sport.
5. Phil Taylor's TWO Nine Darters in a Final - 2010
We all know that nine-darters are rare. Especially in TV tournaments. And especially in finals of tournaments… So imagine one player hitting TWO in one match back in the final of 2010.
We are talking, of course, about Phil Taylor. The Power hit a nine dart finish in the second leg of the match and then repeated the feat in the 15th leg, on his way to a narrow 10-8 victory.
Bearing in mind the career that Taylor had, he told Sky Sports that it was “the proudest day of my life.” What a performance from an absolute legend of the game.
How to get Premier League Darts tickets
Our Premier League Darts packages are on sale now! From Cardiff all the way to London, we’ve got you covered with every single session, so you don’t have to miss a dart!
Whether you fancy a trip to Germany or the Netherlands, or a little closer to home in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland or Northern Ireland, there’s an option for you!
All you need to do is choose your ideal location and select between a hotel stay or a travel voucher to accompany your ticket. Call us now on 0333 2309115 or contact us.
