2008 Lakeside Preview:

WORLD CHAMPIONS AND NEW FACES FOR 31st BDO LAKESIDE WORLD PROFESSIONAL DARTS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 5TH to SUNDAY, JANUARY 13TH, 2008
                                                                                                                             
The 31st consecutive BDO World Professional Darts Championships will maintain their proud tradition with a 2008 Lakeside line-up that will include World Champions, top ranked BDO players, and a host of faces new to the most famous stage in World Darts at Lakeside Country Club.

In total there will be thirteen players – nine men and four women -  making their Lakeside debuts in 2008, proving yet again that the BDO system of providing darts for all, keeps the sport fresh and challenging for the players, sponsors, television, and the public.

By an incredible coincidence, the 2007 World Pro finalists, reigning Champion MARTIN ADAMS and runner-up PHILL NIXON, have been drawn to play each other in the First Round.

• In addition to the many awards and honours bestowed on Phill Nixon, he has recently received the 2007 Northern Echo ‘Local Hero’ Award from athlete Steve Cram, in recognition of his inspiring performance in the 2007 Lakeside final.

Players from thirty-two countries have participated down to the final stages of the 2008 Men’s World Pro, and the sixteen seeded players include three World Champions: Reigning 2007 Champion MARTIN ADAMS, 2000 Champion TED HANKEY and 2001 Champion JOHN WALTON, plus four Dutch stars: CO STOMPE, MARIO ROBBE, NIELS de RUITER and, making his World Pro debut, EDWIN MAX.

There is a welcome return for TONY DAVID, the first ever Australian to win the title in 2002, as well as World Pro debuts for England’s mercurial SCOTT WAITES (making his Lakeside entrance as No.3 Seed), STEVE WEST and ANDY BOULTON.

There are two more Dutch debuts for REMCO van EIJDEN, and 18 year-old FABIAN ROOSENBRAND, who came through the tough International Play-Offs.

MARK WEBSTER, the newly crowned Prince of Welsh Darts, made his Lakeside debut in the 2007 World Pro, and returns in 2008 as the No.1 Seed after an amazing season in which, as well as winning the Welsh Open, Welsh Classic and Canada Open, he has been crowned both WDF Europe Cup and WDF World Cup Singles Champion.

Scotland’s GARY ANDERSON has also had a great year to maintain his No.2 Seeding from 2007, including outstanding victories in the two major Dutch tournaments - the IDL and WDT.  And England’s SCOTT WAITES makes his Lakeside debut as No.3 Seed, having won both the Dutch Open and Welsh Masters this year.

2007 Winmau World Masters Champion, ROBERT THORNTON of Scotland is back at Lakeside following his wonderful performances in Bridlington.  He last played at Lakeside in 2005 and beat Martin Atkins (Eng) 3-0 in the First Round (he beat the same player 6-1 in the 2007 Winmau World Masters Semi-Final), he then had victory over Steve West 3-0 in the 2nd Round, before losing to Darryl Fitton 5-0 in the Quarter-Finals.  He gained his ‘revenge’ in the 2007 World Masters final when he won 7-5 against Darryl to claim automatic entry to Lakeside.

MEN’S DRAW:

SAT 5TH JAN:
7.30PM  NEILS DE RUITER (16) NETH       v     GLENN MOODY ENG

SAT 5TH JAN
1.00pm  MARK WEBSTER (1)  WALES       v     IAN JONES ENG

SAT 5TH JAN
2.40PM   DARRYL FITTON (9)    ENG        v      DAVY RICHARDSON ENG

SAT 5TH JAN
1.50PM   GARY ROBSON (8)       ENG        v     TONY DAVID (AUS)

SAT 5TH JAN
6.30PM   JOHN WALTON (12)     ENG         v     ROBERT THORNTON SCOT

SAT 5TH JAN
3.30PM   TONY O’SHEA (5)         ENG        v     STEVE FARMER ENG

SUN 6TH JAN
2.20PM   SHAUN GREATBATCH (13) ENG v      MARTIN PHILLIPS WALES

SUN 6TH JAN
5.50pm   MARTIN ADAMS (4) ENG            v      PHILL NIXON ENG

SUN 6TH JAN
3.10PM   EDWIN MAX (15)  NETH              v      SIMON WHITLOCK AUS

SUN 6TH JAN
1.30PM   GARY ANDERSON (2) SCOT     v        FABIAN ROOSENBRAND NETH

SUN 6TH JAN
4.00PM   MARTIN ATKINS (10)  ENG         v      ANDY BOULTON ENG

MON 7TH JAN
7.00PM   TED HANKEY (7)  ENG               v      STEVE WEST ENG

MON 7TH JAN
8.00PM   BRIAN WOODS (11)   ENG          v      PAUL HANVIDGE SCOT

MON 7TH JAN
5.45PM   CO STOMPE (6)         NETH        v      CARL MERCER CAN

MON 7TH JAN
9.00 PM   MARIO ROBBE (14)  NETH        v      REMCO VAN EIJDEN NETH

SUN 6TH JAN
6.40PM   SCOTT WAITES (3)   ENG          v      MIKE VEITCH SCOT

 
WOMEN’S DRAW:

SAT 5TH JAN
8.30PM ANASTASIA DOBROMYSLOVA (4) RUS   v       DEE BATEMAN ENG

SAT 5TH JAN
9.20PM  FRANCIS HOENSELAAR (1) NETH            v     STEPHANIE SMEE ENG

SUN 6TH JAN
8.00PM   KARIN KRAPPEN (3) NETH                     v     RILANA ERADES NETH

SUN 6TH JAN
8.40PM   TRINA GULLIVER (2) ENG                      v     JULIE GORE WALES

• The schedule is subject to change

For the first time since its inception in 2001, the Women’s World Pro will not have Trina Gulliver as No.1 Seed. Despite winning the Dutch Open, Welsh Open and British Pentathlon for the third consecutive year, she is No.2 Seed, with ‘Dutch Crown’ FRANCIS HOENSELAAR installed as the No.1 Seed.

KARIN KRAPPEN, the 2007 Winmau Women’s World Master is Seeded No.3, and because she was pre-qualified for the 2008 World Pro, the winner of the World Masters Standby competition, England’s STEPHANIE SMEE will make her Lakeside debut  with a tough baptism against Francis Hoenselaar.

• Trina Gulliver’s autobiography ‘Golden Girl’ is published by John Blake on January 5th, 2008 to coincide with her defence of her unbeaten record of seven Women’s World Professional titles at Lakeside.

There will be more than fifty hours of coverage over nine consecutives day on BBC TV, including live darts every day, and a variety of daytime and evening recorded highlights and features to suit the timescales of all viewers.

Every dart thrown can be seen at the touch of the red-button on remote controls by BBCi digital viewers.

With comprehensive coverage on SBS-6 in Holland and throughout Europe on Eurosport, plus global sales to some 70 countries via BBC Worldwide, the 2008 Lakeside World Professional will be seen by the largest combined TV audience for darts in the world.

In total there will be thirteen players – nine men and four women -  making their Lakeside debuts in 2008, proving yet again that the BDO system of providing darts for all, keeps the sport fresh and challenging for the players, sponsors, television, and the public.

 2008 PRIZE MONEY:

MEN:

WOMEN:

• Three players in the 2008 World Pro have recorded live televised 9 dart 501’s: SHAUN GREATBATCH in the 2002 Dutch Open final, TONY O’SHEA in the 2007 International Darts League and more recently JOHN WALTON in the 2007 Winmau World Masters – seen live on BBC.

TOTAL AVAILABLE PRIZE FUND = £310,000

Staged and promoted by the British Darts Organisation, the World Professional Darts Championships are sponsored by and staged at Lakeside Country Club ‘the home of World Darts’   from Saturday, January 5th to Sunday, January 13th, 2008.