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Bad wifi and toilet breaks rule Anderson & Gurney out of darts Home Tour

While most sports have been forced into hibernation due to the coronavirus pandemic, darts has fo...



Bad wifi and toilet breaks rul...
Other Sports

Bad wifi and toilet breaks rule Anderson & Gurney out of darts Home Tour

While most sports have been forced into hibernation due to the coronavirus pandemic, darts has found its way to flourish from home. 

Friday night will see the first of 32 consecutive nights of arrows from the homes of the best players in the world with the PDC Home Tour.

Sports fans starved of live action will go through the keyhole with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Dave Chisnall, Gerwyn Price and world champion Peter Wright.

Action will be broadcast nightly to registered users on the PDC's website, but sadly two of the world's top ten will be absent.

Two-time world champion Gary Anderson and Derry's Daryl Gurney have been forced to skip the novel tournament for reasons beyond their control.

For Anderson the reason was simple - dodgy wifi at his Somerset home.

"I was up for it but when we did tests of my WiFi, it’s just not reliable enough," the Scot told The Sun.

"It doesn’t surprise me. I struggle to pay bills online in my house, it’s really frustrating.

"I did want to take part. It would have been something different to try and win."

Each night groups of four will  play each other in best-of-9-leg matches, with the group winner progressing to a knockout stage.

Toilet breaks

Gurney is another who wanted to take part, but lack of room in his house precludes him.

"With people walking about the house it wouldn't be ideal", the man they call 'Super Chin told the BBC.

The world number-6 added, "You need to have a video going and it has to be quiet.

"With my sister working from home in the next room it just wouldn't comply with the rules the PDC put out."

Gurney feels his set-up would have provided its own issues, whether or not his sister was home, "My dartboard is on the back of my bedroom door.

"I stand in the hall at the top of the stairs and I have one foot in the bathroom and one in the hall so if someone needs to go the bathroom I can't throw.

"There is definitely nothing fancy about it."

Skype-bite

Peter "Snakebite" Wright is just hopeful he gets his username correct, telling the PDC, "It's going to be a bit weird. I've only used Skype once in my whole life, so it will be a new experience for me!

"Myself and technology are terrible, but I'm looking forward to it and I presume the other guys will be as well because everybody wants to be playing darts against top-quality opponents.

"It gets us playing competition darts, plus the comfort of being on your own dartboard as well."

PDC Home Tour Fixtures
Nights One to Four

Group One - Friday April 17
Peter Wright v Peter Jacques
Jamie Lewis v Niels Zonneveld
Peter Jacques v Niels Zonneveld
Peter Wright v Jamie Lewis
Jamie Lewis v Peter Jacques
Niels Zonneveld v Peter Wright

Group Two - Saturday April 18
Gerwyn Price v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Luke Woodhouse v Ted Evetts
Rowby-John Rodriguez v Ted Evetts
Gerwyn Price v Luke Woodhouse
Luke Woodhouse v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Ted Evetts v Gerwyn Price

Group Three - Sunday April 19
Dave Chisnall v Scott Waites
Jan Dekker v Jonathan Worsley
Scott Waites v Jonathan Worsley
Dave Chisnall v Jan Dekker
Jan Dekker v Scott Waites
Jonathan Worsley v Dave Chisnall

Group Four - Monday April 20
Ross Smith v Lisa Ashton
Mickey Mansell v Geert Nentjes
Lisa Ashton v Geert Nentjes
Ross Smith v Mickey Mansell
Mickey Mansell v Lisa Ashton
Geert Nentjes v Ross Smith

Tournament Rules
* All matches are the best of nine legs.
* The player listed on the left of the fixture will throw first in odd-numbered legs.
* Two Points awarded for a win.
* Should players finish level on Points, the Leg Difference will be used to decide positions. Should Points and Leg Difference be equal between two players, then the winner of the game between the two players will determine who finishes higher. Should Points and Leg Difference be equal between three players, the Overall Average of each player (across the three games on the night) will be used to determine who finishes higher.

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Darts Daryl Gurney Gary Anderson PDC PDC Home Tour