Darts shock before the start of the World Championship! Is the Ally Pally facing the end?

London (United Kingdom) - The unimaginable now seems quite conceivable. For over a decade and a half, fans have been making pilgrimages to the legendary Alexandra Palace dressed as bananas, childhood heroes or living dartboards. The iconic venue, affectionately known as the Ally Pally, and the World Championships in London have always seemed inseparable. But the darts Mecca is facing an uncertain future.

Last January, Luke Humphries was allowed to cuddle the World Championship trophy at the Ally Pally.
Last January, Luke Humphries was allowed to cuddle the World Championship trophy at the Ally Pally.  © Kin Cheung/AP

It only took 15 minutes for all 90,000 tickets for the World Cup, which starts on Sunday, to be sold out. Many fans were left empty-handed, and the displeasure was correspondingly great.

Barry Hearn, head of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and a businessman through and through, later told British radio station Talksport that just under 300,000 tickets could have been sold for the 16 days of the tournament.

Hearn already had a (temporary) solution ready. The 76-year-old, who is also active in boxing and snooker with his company Matchroom Sport, announced his intention to increase the number of participants from 96 to 128 from the World Championships after next in order to allow the sport to "grow" further.

This would add 32 matches over eight sessions and 25,000 more tickets. In other words: more money. A relocation of the World Cup should therefore be off the table, at least for the time being. However, Hearn has been keeping the option open for some time. Hearn can even imagine staging the World Cup in Saudi Arabia in the future.

"I spoke to the Saudis and they were very enthusiastic," said Hearn. This idea is unlikely to go down well with the majority of fans. After all, alcohol is strictly forbidden in the desert state.