The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsAll darts fans know that November brings with it a bumper month of TV darts, with the Grand Slam, World Series and the Players Championship finals all taking place in November.
With three TV tournaments all taking place within a matter of weeks, all those involved will be looking to impress those that will be selecting the Premier League line-up for 2016 at the end of the World Championships.
Here are three players that could lose their Premier League places.
Raymond van Barneveld
2015 has been a poor year for Raymond van Barneveld. A late surge in the Premier League saw him reach the playoffs in London, and it could be a late surge that sees him claim a wildcard spot at next year’s Premier League.
Barney’s lack of participation in the ProTour events has seen him slip down the rankings and out of the top sixteen in the World, and his first round defeat in the recent European Championships against Jelle Klaasen hasn’t helped his cause.
With the Grand Slam now being a PDC ranking event for the first time in the competition’s history, Barney has no money to defend, so any money won will be a plus. The Grand Slam, Players Championship finals and the World Championships are the remaining opportunities for Barney to climb up the rankings, and the World Series could be a good place to build up form midway through this month. Van Barneveld will certainly need to make quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals if he wants to appear in the Premier League next year. However, it could be sheer reputation that earns Barney a Premier League place next year.
