President of PDPA slammed online after bizarre Interview: 'Comes across like he couldn’t give a f*** about the players'

Peter Manley, former top darts player and current president of the PDPA (Professional Darts Players Association), is under fire on social media after a controversial interview with Online Darts.

In the interview, Manley accused several players of complaining too much, especially when they are underperforming. Those statements went down well with fans as well as colleagues in the darts world. Many critics wonder aloud whether Manley is still the right person to represent the interests of dart players.

In the interview in question, Manley strongly criticized some of the Tour Card holders. "The golden ticket really starts, that you can now earn £1million for being a world champion and no one can stop you!" Manley said as per Online Darts.

The tone became even sharper when it came to prize money. Players who lose in the first round of a tournament receive no compensation, something that is a topic of discussion within the darts world. "Obviously, the prize money went from £1,000 to £1,250 and everyone is saying: 'Why didn't you give the £250 to them (first round losers)'," Manley added. "But why? You haven't won a game. Barry's words from the beginning were that you've always got to win a game. You cannot just turn up and earn money."

Meanwhile, the PDC did announce that the winner of the upcoming World Championship will pocket a whopping £1 million, double the £500,000 that Luke Littler pocketed as world champion in January. "You've got so many chances to qualify now for the world championship If you don't, you've got to look at yourself and think."

Manley's statements almost immediately led to fierce reactions on social media, particularly on Twitter. There, his suitability as a representative of the players was openly questioned. A common criticism is that Manley is acting as a representative of the PDC, and not of the darters he is supposed to protect.

The image that stuck was that of a union leader who does not take his own members seriously. One fan summed it up succinctly: "It's the equivalent of a union leader turning round to the the employees they represent and telling them to suck it up and get a grip."

"Manley couldn’t have made a bigger mess of this interview. A complete faux pas in my opinion. Comes across like he couldn’t give a f*** about the players despite his role at the PDPA," another fan wrote. "Take on board what players are saying, don’t rebuff them just because you see them as “moaning too much” Talks about looking after players/wellbeing then mentions about how many players are skipping events. Keeps referring to in his day, darts has moved on, it’s grown rapidly of late, almost like it’s outgrown him, perhaps he should be more willing to change! The PDPA - like a Union - should be looking after the best interests of the players. Absolute wrong take by him, out of touch and I’d be worried if I was a player. At the least that’s not the kind of representative I’d want from my 2% levy."

Outrage also arose among fans over the fact that players contribute a percentage of their earnings to the PDPA, while the president publicly downplayed their concerns. "I'm concerned for lesser players after hearing that, what’s their 2% levy actually going towards," another wrote.

Even Manley's position is being questioned. "Peter Manley should definitely reevaluate what his job description is: he should be there for the players, not the PDC. If players 'complain too much', maybe listening to them would be an option?"

The PDPA board currently consists of seven people. In addition to chairman Peter Manley, these include Alan Warriner-Little, Andy Scott, Jacques Nieuwlaat, Jamie Caven, Glen Durrant and Nicola Johnston.