08 Aug '17 17:15>
Originally posted by @chaney3On 25th March 2005 the news was received that, after much tubthumping from both the BDO and the PDC, Sport England, at last, recognised darts as a sport.
There are many hours in each day. Plenty of time to lead a full, rich life.....and also to take a few moments to join RHP.
This is a non-issue.
Please go through your 'insult toolbox' and find something else.
It had taken a long, long time for those with the power to agree. How long? Well, I recalled at that time providing information to my local MP for Maldon and East Chelmsford, John Whittingdale OBE, for a debate in the House of Commons back in June 1996. Mr. Whittingdale, in 2005 the Shadow Minister for Culture, had always fought rigorously for darts recognition.
But one other MP who took up the metaphorical cudgels way back when and who fought even more rigorously than anyone else in Parliament to secure sport status for darts was Bob ‘Silver Fox’ Russell (now 'Sir Bob'😉, the MP for Colchester. When the Chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation, Barry Hearn, heard the news that Sport England had classed darts as a sport he told Planetdarts, “I’d like to specifically thank…Bob Russell for his hard work in promoting this cause.”
The announcement that Sport England had finally recognised darts and officially classed it as a sport came just twenty four hours after Phil Taylor, Colin Lloyd and Bob Anderson joined over fifty MPs in a special exhibition of darts at the Houses of Parliament on 23rd March. Speaking to Planetdarts, Chairman Barry Hearn said, “I’m delighted. It’s the news we have been waiting for and we believe darts deserves.
“It’s great news for our players that they are now officially seen as proper sportsmen, which is what they deserve for the hard work and dedication that they show week-in and week-out. This will help us continue to take darts to the next level…”