Stakes raised as Grand Slam of Darts begins

Thousands of people are expected to descend on a Wolverhampton sports centre over the next nine days as the Grand Slam of Darts returns to the city.

It is one of the sport's major tournaments and is taking place at WV Active Aldersley until 22 November.

The competition is bigger than ever this year with 48 players stepping up to the oche compared to the previous 32. Meanwhile the total prize fund has increased from £650,000 to £1m.

All eyes are set to be on reigning champion Luke Littler who will be attempting to lift the iconic Eric Bristow Trophy for the third time and scoop the £200,000 winner's jackpot.

Here's all you need to know about the competition set to take the city by storm once again.

The tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has a new format this year, with 16 more players taking part than in previous years.

The players will be divided into 16 groups of three, rather than the previous eight groups of four, with each player receiving two points for a win and zero for a loss.

The stakes are higher as this year only the top player in each group will progress to the next round. It had previously been the top two players.

The 16 who progress from the group stages will then play in a knockout competition.

The quarter finals will take place on 20 and 21 November, with the semi-finals the following day, followed by the final at 19:30 GMT.

All eyes will be on the double Grand Slam winner Luke Littler who is yet to be defeated in Wolverhampton.

But despite his success at the last two tournaments, the 19-year-old will face tough competition in Beau Greaves to kick off his group.

It will be the first time the pair have met on the Grand Slam stage; however Greaves came out on top when the pair met in last year's Winmau World Youth Championship semi-finals.

Dutch champion Niels Zonneveld rounds off Littler's group and three-time Grand Slam winner Michael van Gerwen is also expected to be among the high-profile talent.

Other recognisable names include 2023 champion Luke Humphries, Dutch number one Gian van Veen and three-time Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price.

West Midlands fans will also have one of their own to cheer on in Luke Woodhouse, the current world number 17, who will be stepping up to the oche to represent his hometown of Bewdley, Worcestershire.

About 24,000 people are expected to head to the city's sports venue, which has hosted the Grand Slam since 2018, when it moved from its former home at the city's civic centre.

As is tradition with darts competitions, many wear fancy dress, and people dressed as a traffic cone or in Where's Wally stripes are a regular feature in the crowd.

Josh Phillips, head of media at PDC, credited the television coverage with helping to put Wolverhampton "in front of an international audience".

He said: "The city has been central to the tournament's identity, with the passion of the local crowd matched by fans travelling from across the UK and overseas."

The competition also offered the chance to "showcase established stars" and catch a glimpse of those who could become "the next big names", Phillips added.

There is more to play for than ever this year, as the overall prize fund has been increased by £350,000 to £1m due to the larger field.

The overall winner is set to take home the competition's biggest ever jackpot of £200,000, meanwhile the runner-up will get £100,000.

Those who finish at the bottom of their group will win £5,000. Players finishing second in their group will receive £12,500 while winning the semi-finals will see them taking home £60,000.

Simon, who works at Cue and Dart World in Codsall, South Staffordshire, said there was "a massive influx in sales" whenever a major darts competition was being played, but even more when the Grand Slam is so close to home.

"It's a big thing [for the city], you see a big increase in people getting involved in the sport and darts fans love it," he said.

He described the atmosphere at darts competitions as "an experience in itself" thanks to the fancy dress costumes and often raucous atmosphere, but noted the benefit to the city's economy as "a real boost".

Richard Doody, captain of the darts team that plays at Fordhouses Cricket Club in Wolverhampton, has attended the tournament since its days at the city's civic centre.

He credited not only the Grand Slam with boosting the sport's popularity but also the "Luke Littler effect".

He said: "It brings people from different cities and really benefits the economy. "People are always calling me asking if they can play for the team, my 14-year-old son also wants to get involved now."

The first group games start at 13:00 GMT on Saturday.

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