{"id":5900,"date":"2020-09-14T07:45:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T07:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2020\/09\/column-hr288-strange-year-par-uno\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:21:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:21:41","slug":"column-hr288-strange-year-par-uno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2020\/09\/column-hr288-strange-year-par-uno\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR288 Strange Year Par Uno"},"content":{"rendered":"
Monday, September 14, 2020 Some relish calling the Old Dart Coach the ultimate Captain Oblivious.\u00a0 He obliges.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been an unusual year for the Professional Darts Corporation and darts in general in oh so many ways – but the demise of the British Darts Organization (BDO) must top the list of \u201cwho would have thunk it?\u201d<\/p>\n The BDO\u2019s fall from grace marked the passing of an era resulting from the failure to innovate in an ever-changing marketplace along with a failure to make sound business decisions bereft of knowledge or ego.\u00a0 To be honest there were some clues as joiners were cutting mahogany 84 inches long and 28 inches wide as the year 2019 closed.<\/p>\n It was a cold January 7 in 1973 (all January 7s are cold in England) when a visionary, the late Olly Croft, brought together different factions to form the BDO.\u00a0 The BDO would grow to include 66 UK counties ruling not only the UK but the entire world of darts.\u00a0 Depending on who writes the history, the BDO was operated either as a \u201cbenevolent dictatorship\u201d or simply a run of the mill dictatorship.\u00a0 \u00a0A democracy? Only for those who believe in Unicorns, the tooth fairy and Santa Claus.<\/p>\n In 1976, the BDO and Mr. Croft stitched the quilt that would cover international darts like a blanket with the formation of the World Darts Federation (WDF). \u00a0The BDO with puppets placed on the WDF board, ran the WDF with an iron fist.\u00a0 Whoa behold to anyone that fell in disfavor (as this author can attest).<\/p>\n Case in point is the dartboard company that was the \u201cofficial\u201d WDF board.\u00a0 They paid the WDF pittance with much more going to the BDO.\u00a0 A competitor asked for a hearing in front of the WDF board.\u00a0 It took 3 years.\u00a0 The hearing lasted 5 minutes.\u00a0 Bye-bye competition and bye-bye the representative from Thailand who questioned the WDF.\u00a0 He was voted off the WDF Island.<\/p>\n In North America, the National Darts Federation of Canada (1977) and the American Darts Organization (1975) can trace their formations and framework to the BDO.\u00a0 In the USA it was Tom Fleetwood and Ed McDevitt who were the guiding force.<\/p>\n The BDO had two major international tournaments (the World Masters and the Embassy World Professional), the county competitions, sponsors, many local tournaments, television and the stars.\u00a0 It was clearly a win-win situation.\u00a0 One of the perils of any \u201cstartup,\u201d as the BDO was, is that getting started (usually the easy part) ranks a distant second to remaining viable – which requires adjusting to a changing marketplace with innovation and sound business decisions. \u00a0Much more difficult.<\/p>\n One of the BDO\u2019s strong points was that they controlled all “professional players.\u201d In January of \u201992, 16 professional players along with three managers formed the World Darts Council (WDC) which later morphed into the PDC.\u00a0 Their plan was not to break the BDO but to work with it.<\/p>\n Following meetings, it became apparent that the BDO had no intention of working with the WDC.\u00a0 “In 1993, the BDO banned all who had joined the WDC from playing in county darts, Super League, all BDO tournaments and internationals.\u00a0 That ban could only be lifted if those individuals pledged their loyalty to the BDO and returned.\u201d\u00a0 The WDC filed a lawsuit (restraint of trade) which brought forth the Tomlin Order which meant players could play wherever they wanted.<\/p>\n The BDO was down to one TV event (the Embassy) as the number of TV outlets in the UK expanded.\u00a0 The WDC became the PDC but struggled early on.\u00a0 Then Barry Hearn came on board, completely changing the game. Hearn reportedly made an offer to buy the BDO, planning to use it as a feeder system for the PDC.\u00a0 The offer was rejected out of hand.\u00a0 That doomed the BDO.\u00a0 They were left without TV and, most importantly, money.<\/p>\n In August of 2011, the founder of the BDO, Olly Croft, was ousted from his control of the BDO.<\/p>\n What followed was horrible management along with bad decisions and an eroding fan base.\u00a0 The one sponsor that was either ignored or rebuffed by the BDO were betting interests.\u00a0 Currently, of the 12 PDC events 9 carry a betting sponsor.<\/p>\n No indication of BDO\u2019s ineptitude is more apparent than the post by CEO Des Jacklin in early September (edited for space):<\/p>\n There has been much speculation of late regarding the future of the BDO.\u00a0 This has only been enhanced by the promotion of a rival organization set up to try and take away the heritage of the BDO, we cannot allow this to continue. \u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong> Column HR288<\/strong>
\nStrange Year Par Uno<\/strong><\/p>\n