BARRY HEARN has hit back at dining Dutchmen and ‘ignorant’ stars as the William Hill World Darts Championship reaches its climax.
Though he took a back step in 2021 from running pro darts and passed the baton to son Eddie, Hearn Sr still keeps a close eye on all oche matters.
And as the event prepares for its final on Monday night despite numerous high-profile Covid withdrawals, the country’s leading sports promoter has gone on the attack.
Three-time world darts champ Michael van Gerwen tested positive for coronavirus following Christmas lunch with pal Vincent van der Voort.
While in self-isolation Mighty Mike then accused the PDC of lax health and safety protocols — calling Ally Pally a ‘big corona bomb’.
His exit from the third round prompted world No 1 Gerwyn Price to call for a postponement though he later backtracked on those comments.
Yet Hearn was having none of the criticism, accusing the two Dutch stars of potentially exposing themselves to the virus in the first place.
PDC president Hearn, 73, said: “When I hear these people say postpone, they don’t really understand the sports business.
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“It is not really a question of postpone, it’s a question of cancel or carry on.
“When you have an event, 17 or 18 days long, which is a global TV production, it’s too long an event to say to broadcasters: ‘Can you slip us in in a couple of weeks please?’
“The TV business doesn’t work like that. These people are ignorant. So we have to carry on. We have to battle through.
“In that regard, how good have the players been at the PDC? Ninety-five out of 96 have been double-vaccinated. The 96th player has had a single dose.
“Compare that to other sports, particularly football, it shows that they are really trying. Of course, they are self-isolating themselves, they are testing themselves regularly, and they are declaring when they fail.
“We lost Michael van Gerwen — a big loss. We lost Vincent van der Voort. We lost Dave Chisnall. But I have to say it, hindsight is a wonderful adviser.
“I see on social media Vincent van der Voort and Michael van Gerwen out in a restaurant, going to a hotel. You know, not the smartest move, was it?”
Hearn has promoted darts, snooker and boxing over 45 years and also owned Leyton Orient — and the Covid pandemic is proving to be the most testing challenge of his career.
Yet he believes there is an obligation to carry on, with or without fans, to ensure live sport continues on TV in 2022.
Hearn said: “Self-employed people are earning a living the only way they know how — and that is by performing.
“You can’t take that away. Don’t worry about three, whoever they are. Worry about the 93.
“The crowd at the darts are safe because they all have to show they are double vaccinated. That is as far as we can go.
“They have all to show they have been tested in the last 24 hours. If not, we have a testing station on site.
“Now, is that perfect? No. We don’t live in a perfect world in case that has escaped everybody. We live in a world where somehow or another we have to get through this.
“Frankly, we are not going to get through this, whether it is a sporting or business asset, just by closing the doors.
“In 45 years I’ve done thousands upon thousands of events. I had 700 event days in 2021. But I have never come across anything like this in my life.
“And in a way it’s strangely stimulating to get the brain working and the appetite and juices flowing and refuse to be bullied or surrender.
“We have staged so many events behind closed doors, it was really hard.
“But we have a responsibility to players, fans and to the country to make sure that people can turn on their TV and watch live sport.
“Get a little bit of relief from the aggravation of this dreadful pandemic.”
