Joshua Granger

Costumes, alcohol and great atmosphere, an evening in a packed arena  watching 180s fly in is a must

I recently attended the Premier League of Darts at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, where eight of the best players went head-to-head in a fantastic night of arrow throwing. The main attraction of the evening was the atmosphere, which showcased the community aspects of darts.

IMAGE: JOSHUA GRANGER

In November, I spoke to Phill Barrs from Online Darts. He said: “Now we are seeing the younger demographic that darts has been missing, as it was always labelled an old man’s sport.” He said: “Darts is the second biggest sport televised on Sky, only behind Premier League football.”

The fans have always been the main part of darts as a sport, and the success it has enjoyed  over the years. This engagement from the punters was on show as darts enthusiasts dressed as minions and traffic cones packed out the arena.

GLASGOW PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS CREDIT PDC YOUTUBE

I was particularly taken aback by how complete strangers came together with their one common interest being darts, where pivotal in creating a fantastic atmosphere.

The chants and songs were also something which added to the night as the capacity crowd belted out some of the well-known chants, such as don’t take me home and stand up if you love the darts.

Darts fan Richard Nesbitt, who attended the event in Glasgow said: “The atmosphere was great and darts nights are the best of the year as at the end of the day you can’t beat a night at the darts with a pint.”

A visit to the darts should be something on your bucket list if you enjoy a good night out and a drink, then you cannot go wrong with an evening watching arrowsmiths at the top of their game.