Darts qualifiers tempt local players

The Rileys Amateur Qualifiers for the 2017 PDC Coral UK Open will take place on Saturday January 21 and Saturday February 4 at Rileys Bar. The winners of each of the national events will advance to the finals in Minehead in March.

Known as the FA Cup of Darts. It’s the one chance a year that amateur darts players have to play on the professional stage.

Rileys’ business excellence manager Scott Griffin said: “The events attract a diverse range of darts players in terms of quality and it’s generally taken very seriously by the county players. For others, it’s a chance to discover a hidden talent or to put their skills to the test. The success of the qualifiers at the finals in Minehead last time was phenomenal and it’s all become a bit more surreal following those heroics. It’s the equivalent of your local non-league football club attempting to make it to the FA Cup proper and then causing a few upsets once they’ve made it! The events also capture the imagination of the community.”