Matthew Edgar The World Championship Has Outgrown Ally Pally “Turning away more people than I’m letting in.That’s not good business sense.”
Matthew Edgar The World Championship Has Outgrown Ally Pally “Turning away more people than I’m letting in.That’s not good business sense.”
Matthew Edgar believes darts is at a crossroads when it comes to its biggest stage, warning that the World Darts Championship may have outgrown its famous Alexandra Palace home. The former tour professional says the sport is at a “crunch point” as demand for tickets continues to surge, leaving thousands of fans unable to secure a seat for the festive extravaganza.
Edgar, who has become one of the game’s most outspoken voices since swapping the oche for punditry, argued that the current set-up no longer makes business sense.
“Just visualise it,” he explained. “You’re standing outside selling tickets, you let everybody in, and then you close the door – sorry, nothing left. Then you look outside and you could fill it ten times more. You go, ‘I’m turning away more people than I’m letting in.’ That’s not good business sense.”
For Edgar, the issue isn’t just about the fans being locked out. It’s also about the opportunities lost for the players. “Do you think Barry Hearn is going to stand for that for long? He’s not seeing people, he’s seeing pounds. And the players, they’re going to sit there going, ‘Barry, can you sort this out?’ Because if we get all these people in, ticket prices will go up, which means our prize money goes up. So it benefits everybody. And it benefits the fans too, being able to get in there and watch this. I think we’ve got to be looking at least a 5,000-seater venue now.”
Matthew Edgar The World Championship Has Outgrown Ally Pally
In Edgar’s view, the World Championship has reached a stage where the draw is no longer about individual stars, but about the event itself. “We’re at a point now where darts is selling regardless,” he said. “People say, ‘I’m going to the World Championship, I’m going to the darts.’
“It’s become the WrestleMania. People book their tickets and flights before even knowing who’s on the card – it doesn’t matter. That’s what the World Championships are now. It’s the Christmas party, it’s the big event.”
While Alexandra Palace has become synonymous with the festive tradition, Edgar feels its time as host may be coming to an end. “Ally Pally – I think its time as the home of the World Championships has gone,” he admitted. “But could we not repurpose it for something like the now soulless World Grand Prix?”
A New Role for Alexandra Palace?
Rather than losing the venue entirely, Edgar suggested it could be given a fresh role in the darting calendar. One option he floated was to stage the reborn Winmau World Masters at Ally Pally.
“I said on the Live Lounge, get rid of soulless Milton Keynes and put the new Winmau World Masters at Alexandra Palace,” he explained. “I know it’s not the same tournament from the old days, but it’s still the same name, it still has that stature.”
Such a move, Edgar believes, would help reinvigorate a historic event while also preserving Ally Pally’s place in darts’ story.
Where Should the World Championship Go?
If the World Championship is to move, Edgar insists it must remain in a major city, particularly given the sport’s global audience and the logistics involved for fans travelling from abroad.
“It’s got to stay in a major city, with connections and good accommodation,” he said. “You can’t put it somewhere without hotels or transport links. Everyone’s flying in, so you need trains, airports, public transport.
“I think it has to stay in London for that reason. You’ve got multiple international airports, people can price compare, if you miss a flight there’s four or five other options, and it’s not too far if you come in on the ferry. Potentially Birmingham could work, but I think it stays in London.”
Holiday Destinations and Darts
While the conversation largely focuses on the World Championship, Edgar also sees an opportunity for the sport to explore new formats and destinations. Blackpool, home of the World Matchplay, is his prime example.
“Blackpool works because it’s a holiday destination in summer,” he said. “Why not more seaside, holiday-style events? Look at Butlins Minehead – it sells out in the coldest months of the year, people happily stay in caravans, even when the pipes froze and there was no running water. That tells you it works.”
For Edgar, creating events that combine darts with a broader experience is part of the sport’s future. Just as Blackpool has become a summer staple and Minehead a winter festival, he sees no reason why more seaside or destination-based events couldn’t be successful.
Crunch Time for the PDC
The PDC has long prided itself on the Alexandra Palace tradition, but as Edgar points out, darts may have reached the point where demand far outstrips supply. With global interest booming and fans prepared to travel from all over the world, the question is no longer whether the World Championship could fill a bigger venue – it’s whether the sport can afford not to.
As Edgar put it, “It benefits everybody – the players, the fans, the PDC. I think we’ve got to be looking at least a 5,000-seater venue now.”
It’s a debate that won’t go away any time soon, and as the next World Championship approaches, the conversation around where the sport’s biggest event belongs is set to get even louder.
