Glen Durrant made darts history at the beginning of January, winning the BDO World Championship for the third successive year after beating Scott Waites 7-3 in the Lakeside final
The 48-year-old from Teesside became the first man to win three Lakeside World titles in a row since the legendary Eric Bristow in 1986. But when interviewed on the Lakeside stage moment’s after his historic victory, Durrant played down his achievement, signs of a man who hopes there is still much more to come.
“Eric Bristow, three times,” Durrant said. “(But) Eric Bristow won it when it was a unified organisation. I’m not playing Michael van Gerwen or Michael Smith tonight, all I can do is beat legends like Scotty Waites. I’m mega happy.”
Waites was the last man not named Durrant to win the BDO World title, winning his second crown in 2016 and defeat this year marked his third appearance in a Lakeside final. The Bradford man probably will go down as a Lakeside legend, but Durrant has a point.
Ever since the split in 1993, the PDC has evolved to become the most prestigious organisation in darts and that’s where the accolades (and the money) now lie. The Grand Slam of Darts (organised annually by the PDC) is the only major tournament that features players from both organisations. Since its inception in 2007, a BDO player has won the event only once, that being Waites in 2010.
So should Durrant now opt to change codes and join Barry Hearn’s showpiece on Sky?
It has been talked about for the past couple of years and now after winning a third world title, Durrant must be more open than ever to switching over to the PDC. If he does, and particularly if he has more success than previous BDO defectors, it will be cap a remarkable rise for the man from Middlesbrough in recent years.
Durrant’s first appearance at a BDO World Championship was in 2014, where he lost in the second round. Despite having first picked up the arrows in 1985, his first appearance at any major tournament came almost two decades later, when he entered (and was eliminated early) from the Winmau World Masters.
Durrant did not win a major international tournament until 2012, when he won the EDO England Classic. For him to be standing here six years later as a three-time Lakeside champion, is a remarkable rise. He might be fast approaching 50, but his surely inevitable switch to the PDC feels like a hot young prospect making the move.
He’s improved dramatically in recent years and you can currently get odds of 66/1 with bet365 on Durrant to win the PDC World Championship next year, which you’ll be able to watch across live darts streaming sites.
With a range of darts betting markets to bet on across a number of tournaments, betting on darts continues to grow in popularity across the UK and Europe.
If Durrant’s rise continues, don’t be surprised if he does switch codes and defies the bookies odds next year. Matter of fact, we believe at that price maybe it’s worth sticking a pound or two on him with bookmaker bet365 right now!
