Martin Adams - Stance On The PDC

Stance On The PDC

Adams also played in the 2001 World Grand Prix Darts, as well as winning a non-televised Players Championship tournament where he beat Phil Taylor in the final. However, when eligibility rules changed Adams was unable to compete as a BDO player. It would be another five years before he faced Taylor again, at the 2006 World Darts Trophy (a BDO major) when he lost 2-7 in the final of the Dutch competition which invited PDC players.

When the Grand Slam of Darts began in 2007, Adams turned down the invitation to compete in the PDC event and continued to decline the offer to compete in subsequent years, with some believing the PDC removing his earlier eligibility for events as a reason for him refusing to play. The PDC's Board of Directors ruled that Adams will no longer be eligible for invitations into the tournament in future. Adams brushed off their decision, saying that it would simply save him the time in having to refuse them. Commentators at the 2009 Grand Slam confirmed that they had once again unsuccessfully invited him to that year's event.

Rumours of a possible appearance at the 2011 Grand Slam began following an interview with BBC commentator David Croft just before the 2011 BDO World Championship. Adams said that "he had held discussions with the BDO and certain political issues had been sorted regarding the other side of the game" when asked by Croft about whether in theory a match could take place with the winner of the respective PDC World Championship. Despite the rumour, Adams never competed at the 2011 Grand Slam. Bobby George has labelled Adams "stupid" for not taking up his invite.