Darts: coral.co.uk Players Championship Media Release
CORAL are to sponsor the coral.co.uk Players Championship, to be held at the Circus Tavern from January 30-February 1.
The inaugural coral.co.uk Players Championship will feature the top 32 players from the 2008 Players Championship Order of Merit battling for £200,000 in prize money.
Screened live on ITV4 over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the tournament sees darts return to the iconic Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex - the former home of the PDC^s World Championship.
The new sponsorship agreement with leading bookmakers Coral sees them link up for the first time with the Professional Darts Corporation.
"We^re delighted to welcome Coral as the headline sponsor for the coral.co.uk Players Championship," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"We thank them for their support of this new event, and their backing is a reflection of the interest this event has created in the sport."
Keith Hawkins, Managing Director of Gala Coral Remote Gambling, said: "Everyone at Coral is delighted to be involved with this exciting addition to the darts calendar.
"We^re looking forward to three days of exciting, top-class action from one of the sport^s most recognisable venues.
"Betting on darts has exploded in recent years, and it^s entirely fitting that coral.co.uk is sponsoring the Players Championship."
Gala Coral operates over 1600 licensed Betting offices throughout the UK, as well as offering online sports betting and gaming.
Gala Coral also owns and operates the Romford and Brighton and Hove greyhound stadia.
The coral.co.uk Players Championship will begin on Friday January 30 at 1pm with the clash between quick-fire Dutchman Vincent van der Voort and Chris Mason.
Essex^s Colin Lloyd takes on emerging Leicestershire star Jamie Caven in the afternoon session^s second game, while Ronnie Baxter meets Tony Eccles in the third best-of-11 leg match.
Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts stars Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King face Wayne Jones and Felix McBrearty before Colin Osborne takes on Andy Smith.
The opening session will conclude with the meeting of Dennis Priestley - who won the first ever PDC World Championship staged at the Circus Tavern in 1994 - and Southend^s Steve Maish.
Friday^s evening session will see the first round conclude, and opens with the eagerly-awaited clashes of Kevin Painter and Alex Roy and Alan Tabern against Adrian Lewis.
Three Purfleet World Champions, Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and John Part, will also be in action on Friday night alongside new world number two James Wade, who meets Steve Beaton.
Taylor
- the number one seed for the tournament after winning 11 Players Championships in 2008 - meets Holland^s young star Michael van Gerwen, while van Barneveld is drawn against Andy Jenkins and Part faces Denis Ovens.
Andy Hamilton takes on three-time World Championship finalist Peter Manley, while Scottish ace Robert Thornton faces Mark Dudbridge and Romford^s Wayne Mardle meets Mark Walsh.
Saturday^s afternoon session sees the second round take place, with the evening session featuring the quarter-finals.
Sunday will see the semi-finals take place in the afternoon session before the evening^s final decides the £50,000 champion.
Tickets for the coral.co.uk Players Championship are still available from the Circus Tavern Box Office on 01708 863838 or 01708 867271.
coral.co.uk Players Championship Schedule of Play
Friday January 30
First Round
Afternoon Session
1.00pm - Vincent van der Voort v Chris Mason
1.35pm - Colin Lloyd v Jamie Caven
2.10pm - Ronnie Baxter v Tony Eccles
2.45pm - Terry Jenkins v Wayne Jones
3.20pm - Mervyn King v Felix McBrearty
3.55pm - Colin Osborne v Andy Smith
4.30pm - Dennis Priestley v Steve Maish
Tickets £15
Evening Session
6.15pm - Kevin Painter v Alex Roy
6.50pm - Alan Tabern v Adrian Lewis
7.25pm - Andy Hamilton v Peter Manley
8.00pm - James Wade v Steve Beaton
8.35pm - Robert Thornton v Mark Dudbridge
9.10pm - Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen
9.45pm - Raymond van Barneveld v Andy Jenkins
10.20pm - Denis Ovens v John Part
10.55pm - Mark Walsh v Wayne Mardle
Tickets £20
Saturday January 30
Second Round
Afternoon Session
1.00pm - Tabern/Lewis v Thornton/Dudbridge
1.35pm - Priestley/Maish v Ovens/Part
2.10pm - Osborne/Smith v van Barneveld/A Jenkins
2.45pm - Wade/Beaton v Painter/Roy
3.20pm - King/McBrearty v Walsh/Mardle
3.55pm - Baxter/Eccles v T Jenkins/Jones
4.30pm - Lloyd/Caven v Hamilton/Manley
5.05pm - Taylor/van Gerwen v van der Voort/Mason
Tickets £20
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session
6.15pm - Priestley/Maish/Ovens/Part v Tabern/Lewis/Thornton/Dudbridge
7.25pm - Wade/Beaton/Painter/Roy v Osborne/Smith/van Barneveld/A Jenkins
8.35pm - Baxter/Eccles/T Jenkins/Jones v King/McBrearty/Walsh/Mardle
9.45pm - Taylor/van Gerwen/van der Voort/Mason v Lloyd/Caven/Hamilton/Manley
Tickets £25
Sunday February 1
Afternoon Session
1.00pm - Semi-Final
Not Before 3pm - Semi Final
Tickets £25
Evening Session
7.15pm - Final
Tickets £30
coral.co.uk Players Championship Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 11 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 17 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 25 legs
Final - Best of 31 legs
coral.co.uk Players Championship Prize Fund
Winner £50,000
Runner-Up £25,000
Semi-Finalists £12,500
Quarter-Finalists £8,500
Second Round Losers £4,000
First Round Losers £2,000
High Checkout £2,000
Total £200,000