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Welcome to a special edition of the Superstars of Darts newsletter.
As you may or may not know, Superstars of Darts Forum Members have come
up with the idea of sponsoring or part sponsoring a player, probably on
the PDC circuit.
The idea is that collectively and with an individual investment of as
little as £25 per year, the funds raised could contribute towards the
costs of accommodation, entry fees and travel for a player without a
main sponsor.
If you would like to participate in the scheme, please post on the below
thread at Superstars of Darts and also you will find much more
information about this concept and how it will work.
http://www.starsofdarts.com/
We don't charge a fee for this regular newsletter and also all forum
running costs are covered by sponsors, so if you'd like to use this
programme as a mechanism to indirectly support Superstars of Darts -
while helping a player - please do.
Through the scheme a designated player will wear a patch recognising the
SoD forum sponsorship and funds will be administered by the PDPA, as
confirmed by its Chief Executive Alan Warriner-Little.
The rest of this newsletter is turned over to various players and
individuals who have commented on this scheme and what it could mean.
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Rising PDC star Jamie "JABBA" Caven says :
"I think the idea to sponsor a player is a great idea, as with the
current financial situation we are in, it sees us struggling to capture
a corporate sponsor or a main sponsor. Many players are struggling to
finance their chosen profession - and I'm no different. I do have a
sponsor (Mr Tax Ltd) but that amount is only a small amount (around
£100-£200) per month - so that covers 1 or 2 entry fees - and it helps
and I'm very greatful for that. The rest is made up of any winnings that
I recieve, so the added chance to obtain an extra hand from the forum is
a massive boost for whoever the chosen one is. I think it would take a
bit of pressure off as the pro tour now is more important due to the
fact that there will be no qualifiers at the beginning of December for
Alexandra Palace."
Tony Eccles "The Viper" adds :
"I think that the idea of the forum members clubbing together and
sponsoring a dart player is a great idea. With the current economical
climate it is extremely difficult to obtain sponsors and so pay the high
costs to keep on the PDC tour. I currently am full time professsional
and without a sponsor I am really struggling. My last event was the
Player Championships and so I have not earned anything for one month
until my next tournament. Exhibitions are hard to come by as well, as
most fans are booking the players who are in the public eye the most. So
the Premier League guys normally clean up as they are on TV every week.
With entry fees going to £100, a few extra pounds would go along way.
The total cost for entries alone this year is £4000 so even covering
half of that would be a massive help to a famliy man like me."
New PDC player and former World Champion Andy Fordham also adds his
support to the campaign :
"This is a terrific idea and I think it will be a massive boost for
players with potential who are not yet in the public eye or those
without a main sponsor. The cost of playing on the Pro Tour is not cheap
and covering some of the expenses in this way will help relieve the
pressure somewhat. It is great that fans of the sport have found a way
they can support Darts and help a struggling player."
PDPA board member, PDC Player and TV commentator Chris "Mace The Ace"
Mason shares his views:
"I think the whole idea is a fantastic one that could get an up and
coming player on the ladder to success. Selection of the events to
invest the 2k in is of utmost importance, I think the player should
compete in the double header weekends, as that gives an almost instant
chance of success via the UK Open. With the current economic situation
securing any kind of financial backing is almost impossible, so the
lucky chosen one will be very fortunate. Let's not forget how Phil
Taylor got his big break - let's hope just 10% of that success is
achieved."
A final word from one of the organisers of this project, PDPA member
Dave Ahmet :
"Dear members,
I would just like to thank all the forum members who have thrown their
weight behind this project. I see it as a very exciting opportunity for
players and fans alike and hope that it will continue to grow over the
coming months and maybe years. The offers of project support have been
quite overwhelming and we have quite a collective expertise at our
disposal, which includes sports journalists, IT, sports promotion,
accountants and solicitors, not to mention starsofdarts.com which has
been our platform for the development of this project.
So far we have 62 members that have pledged their support and I am
expecting this to translate into approximately £2000. We are hoping to
attract some more interest until we have to close this years round in
about a weeks time.
I would then hope that during the following week we will begin to
collect the money with the help of the PDPA, who have also offered
administrative support. Once all cash has been collected, we will begin
the first round of voting for the player we want to support.
Thank you"
******
Thanks for your interest and full information is on the below linked
thread and don't forget to post saying that you are interested in
supporting this idea!
http://www.starsofdarts.com/
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