DARTERS from across East Lancashire have a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to share the stage with the world’s greatest players.

John Smith’s have launched an exciting new competition to find the People’s Champion — and the final will take place before the BDO World Professional Darts Championships at the Lakeside in January.

A series of qualifying rounds are taking place across the country at pubs and clubs who have signed up to the event run by John Smith’s, an official sponsor of the British Darts Organisation (BDO) Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships.

And one such qualifier will take place at Stanley Street Working Men’s Club in Accrington, starting on Friday.

The event is not open to England and County players but those who have played Super League darts are eligible to enter.

“This was just too good an opportunity to miss out on,” said Stanley Street owner Phil Miller. “I’m not too sure how many other local pubs or clubs have signed up but when I found out, we jumped at the chance.”

Stanley Street will hold four qualifying rounds with the semi finalists from each event winning through to the grand final. Qualifying rounds will take place on Friday, October 3, Monday, October 6, Monday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 15.

The grand final will take place on Friday, October 16 with 16 players battling it out to be ‘house champion’ and progress to the regional finals which will be held at King George’s Hall on Sunday, November 23.

“This is not just open to lads from around here,” added Miller. “I would love to see quality darters from across East Lancashire take part and make sure we are well represented at the regional finals.”

The winner of the King George’s Hall North West regional heat will join champions from Scotland, North East, North Wales, Central, South Wales, Yorkshire and the South of England for the latter stages of the competition which will be held at the Lakeside.

The quarter finals and semi finals will take place on January 6, 2009, and five days later, the two finalists face the extraordinary challenge of competing in the John Smith’s People’s Darts Final before the BDO World Darts Final.

Bobby George heads a team of darts mentors who will coach and prepare the ‘Lakeside 8’, hosting exhibition and tuition evenings at the pubs and clubs they represent, in the run in to the finals.

The ground-breaking amateur darts tournament that will give club and pub players the chance to take centre stage at the 2009 World Championships and play to win a £15,000 prize for charity, £1,000-worth of games equipment for their ‘local’, plus a week in Spain for two people at the BDO Torremolinos Open next March.

Registration for the Stanley Street Working Men’s Club qualifiers is 8pm for a 8.15pm start.

For further details, contact Phil Miller on 01254 301705.