Darts Legend Wants Answers From PDC Over Premier League Decisions
A darts legend has called for answers from the PDC after receiving messages from fans over a number of selections for the 2026 Premier League.
The PDC confirmed the eight players that will compete across the 16-week campaign on Monday.
The top four players on the two-year Order of Merit - Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen - all received automatic invites.
Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock were the other four players invited to compete by the PDC.
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Bunting and Clayton both occupied a top four spot at different points during the World Championship, with Clayton overtaking Bunting into fourth by beating Andreas Harrysson in the last 16.
They were both usurped by Gian van Veen's run to the final, but the PDC decided that both had done enough to earn invites.
Bunting won six titles during 2025 but only reached two televised quarter-finals before being eliminated in round three of the World by James Hurrell.
Similarly, Price only made it to round two at Ally Pally, but did top the PDC ProTour Order of Merit standings during 2025.
Bunting was also placed under the microscope as he finished eighth and last in the standings during the 2025 Premier League.
That is one of the points raised by three-time world champion John Lowe, who said in a Facebook post that he had received 'many messages from around the world' from fans questioning the Premier League picks.
Lowe, who won the BDO title in 1979, 1987 and 1993, explained that those messages included support for Ryan Searle - who reached the semi-final at Ally Pally - and Beau Greaves, adding that he 'can only assume players are chosen from the ranking table, and the players outside of the top 8 are invited because they have an impact on ticket sales and TV audiences'.
On Searle and Greaves' omissions, he wrote: ""Ryan Searle [is] being the most talked about, after climbing the ranking table from 20th to 8th after his performance in the biggest event in darts, the World Championship, that must be hard to accept for Ryan, not just his supporters.
"Many question the invite for Gerwyn Price, down at number 12, below [James] Wade and [Danny] Noppert.
"The space left by the decline of Gary Anderson [Anderson said he would decline a Premier League invite] did leave an invitation open, but only if the order of the ranking players was the criteria for selection, so I can only assume, players are chosen from the ranking table, and the players outside of the top 8 are invited because they have an impact on ticket sales and TV audiences.
"The number of questions [about] why did Beau Greaves not receive an invite, was enormous. I question that also after her performance on the big stage, and the exposure it would have given to the ladies of the sport, after Bunting's performance in the league last year, no-one can say she would not have a serious threat."
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Lowe concluded by stating that he would ask the PDC for a 'clear answer' over their selections.
"I cannot answer all the remarks made, I can only ask the PDC, how are the invitations decided, does the ranking table have any influence, a clear answer would be welcome by players overlooked, and their supporters."
The 2026 Premier League Darts will take place from Thursday, February 5 to Thursday, May 28. You can purchase hospitality tickets on Seat Unique or watch live on Sky Sports via NOW TV.
Topics: Darts, Premier League
Ryan Smart