Rod Harrington hails World Matchplay as sign of darts' bright future

The World Matchplay was the best tournament I have ever witnessed.

Better

If this is the way our game is going then I'm so pleased to be a part of it. The PDC board have approved prize money of more than £100,000 for the Youth Tour next year and more than £160,000 for the Challenge Tour so things are only going to get better. We're going to bring the next generation through and alongside the PDPA we will give them media training and look at bringing in guest speakers and motivational experts. All those little things will make the game better and enhance our business. The players that are on the drift and don't play properly will be on the way out. There's no sympathy in this game any more and the PDC and Sky Sports are only interested in the best players taking on the best players in every match. As our chairman says, the only criteria we ask for is ability. I filmed some scenes for our sponsors for the commercial breaks at the Matchplay (which I only did because there were no players available) and people complimented me on my smooth action. A few people have asked if I'll ever play again - but when you see the standard in Blackpool you'd have to say 'don't be silly'. Peter Manley is thinking about coming back and I told him before the final that he shouldn't embarrass himself! The old players have had their day. I have no intention of throwing darts again, but I still wake up every morning with a smile on my face to be involved in this sport. Some mornings I have to drive across the country to Wigan or somewhere for a tournament and I can't wait to get there and walk around and watch the players. After a tournament like the World Matchplay, it's impossible not to be upbeat about where our game is going.