For the next eight days BBCtv outside broadcasts will be covering a brand-new tournament - the British Professional Championship, in which 32 of the top darts players in Britain will compete. Total prize money is £22,700, with a special prize of £25,000 for a nine-dart check-out - the world record of ten darts being at present held by Leighton Rees from Wales.
The first round begins this afternoon with four matches, and featured will be the No 1 Seed and World Champion, Eric Bristow, against Tony Ridler, and the No 8 Seed, Cliff Lazarenko, who plays Lionel Smith. Each match is the best of five sets, three legs per set. Introduced by Peter Purves from the Club Fiesta, Stockton
Commentators
SID WADDELL , TONY GREEN
Producers KEITH PHILLIPS BILL TAYLOR , MIKE ADLEY Executive producer NICK HUNTER