Despite player complaints, controversial European Tour changes are what the fans wants insists PDPA Chairman: 'The public are not that silly'

Major changes to the European Tour structure this season have sparked criticism from several players, particularly those ranked lower on the PDC circuit. But former professional and current PDPA (Professional Darts Players Association) chairman Peter Manley believes players are complaining far too much — and without good reason.

Since 2024, the top 16 players from the PDC Order of Merit have been automatically seeded into the second round of European Tour events. Previously, those second-round slots were reserved for the top 16 of the Pro Tour Order of Merit, making the system more fluid and performance-based.

Now, the Pro Tour top 16 are guaranteed a spot in Round One, where they face one of 16 qualifiers from regional or tour card events. This change has not gone down well with some lower-ranked players, who argue that their opportunities have been reduced.

But Manley insists the reasoning is sound — and reflects what fans want. "The public are not that silly. They're not going to sit there and go: "Oh, well I didn't see Luke Humphries, I didn't see Luke Littler, I didn't see Gerwyn Price. They just aren't going to keep buying into it," Manley tells Online Darts.

"They've got places and they've got 14 tournaments to get through to. When they get through, there's nothing to stop any of them players winning that event, and if they do, they're more or less guaranteed to get into the European Championship," he continues. "So it's just a win-win situation, but they have to provide the quality of darts to get there."

The 2025 European Tour is currently on a brief hiatus of over a month. Last weekend, Nathan Aspinall claimed victory at the European Darts Open, continuing his strong form on tour.

The next event is the Baltic Sea Darts Open, scheduled for 11–13 July in Kiel, where Rob Cross will return to defend his title. Cross won the 2024 edition by defeating Luke Humphries 8–6 in a thrilling final.