Jonny Clayton criticizes Pro Tour events in Germany. The darts star faces pushback from a veteran for his comments.
Jonny Clayton has caused a stir with his critical remarks about holding Pro Tour events in Germany. The darts star now faces pushback from a veteran.
On the podcast Darts Draait Door , Vincent van der Voort addressed the topic and expressed surprise. “Jonny is one of the nicest guys you can meet on the tour,” the Dutchman began, adding: “But that’s just a stupid remark. He can’t be serious, can he?”
Jonny Clayton faces pushback from a darts veteran
Clayton’s statements? “That makes no sense at all”
Clayton recently canceled the Pro Tour events in Hildesheim because he felt “they shouldn’t be held there.” However, the world number six did not provide a proper justification for this.
“He seems to believe that all Pro Tours should take place in Wales or England – basically in his own neighborhood,” speculated van der Voort, making it clear: “That makes no sense at all.”
Darts is growing worldwide – not just in Germany
The 49-year-old explained: “The sport of darts needs to continue growing worldwide, and countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium play a big role in that.”
The former professional emphasized that the PDC’s expansion is crucial for developing new talent outside of Great Britain. “Thanks to the tournaments in Hildesheim and the Euro Tour, we’re seeing more and more European players making their mark. That’s exactly what this sport needs. And then someone like Clayton says everything should just stay in England? I really don’t understand that.”
Clayton? “That’s just laziness”
Van der Voort also called for a more even distribution of events across Europe. In his opinion, no more than ten Pro Tour events should take place in England. “Why not more in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Eastern Europe? Or in Wales, Scotland, or Ireland? It’s time for darts to become truly international.”
Additionally, the veteran countered that players who prefer to stay in their home country: “That’s just laziness. For English players, it’s easy – they get in their car, drive to the venue, and that’s it. The rest of us have to fly, sometimes with two layovers. And then Mr. Clayton says Hildesheim isn’t good? “That just shows he doesn’t get it.”