It is time for the annual New year dilemma for all darts fans, after being juiced up with the razzmatazz of the PDC darts on Sky sports with their delightful “walk on” girls and superior quality of darts, do you put yourself through the BDO darts on BBC where all the glamour is replaced with a game almost unrecognisable from the sky version and with a quality of darts that makes you think after watching the PDC version “I’m sure I could win this”

This year’s PDC darts was in my opinion the best in a number of years, having dominated the sport of a number of years Taylor is no longer invincible, he still remains one of the best players in the game but that is all he is, one of the best players, but no longer unbeatable. His air of invincibility has slipped which allows each player if he raises his game as Dave Chisnall did this year the chance to beat him. Previously, such was the awe of Taylor that players were not able to produce their best darts against him. This can only be good for the game and the result is this year’s competition was very open which allowed a number of games not only to go to a deciding set but also a sudden death leg. This is when darts becomes exciting when the tension and pressure is at its greatest. Every dart player worth their salt go throw nine dart finishes for fun on the practise board but on the stage in a deciding set in front of thousands of fans who can swing from booing to cheering within the time it takes to throw 3 darts, then all of a sudden three darts at double 16 is no longer the certainty it is stood in your front room of local boozer.

Time after time we were debating was this the greatest darts match of all time. Wade versus Part was the greatest darts match of all time for about 24 hours until Lewis played Wade and after a 30 minute delay for high winds!! (it’s not just cricket that is vulnerable to the weather) Lewis came back from 5-1 to win at nearly 1 o’clock in the morning 6-5 with what can only be described in football terms as a game of two halves. Lewis eventually won the tournament but the fact that he was nearly twice out the competition before even getting to the final only highlights how open the competition was and but for the width of a wire any number of players could have won.

This is what is going to make watching the BDO so hard to watch. Everything about it seems inferior - the quality of darts, the standard of commentary (even without the great Sid Waddell), the prize money and even the quality of WAGS. The BBC seem to be obsessed with showing the players’ wives at every opportunity and with the greatest respect to Mrs Adams or Mrs O’Shea I do not need to see a close up of you cheering every time your husband hits 45 or above. Maybe if you looked like Kim Huybrechts’s girlfriend it would be different!!