The PDC have confirmed the line-up for the 2025 Premier League Darts, with the wildcard picks generating some controversy among darts fans.
Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Gerwyn Price and Chris Dobey will join the top four from the Order of Merit, to complete a stacked line-up, which includes recently crowned world champion Luke Littler, who is looking to defend the title that he won in this event in 2024.
Speaking on Sky Sports News about the wildcard picks, PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter said: “Obviously with Price, Dobey and Aspinall, there are players above them in the rankings who haven’t been selected but we have looked at it in terms of big stage presence, popularity, and the way they can get a 10,000-person crowd every Thursday going.”
The line-up for the Premier League is always selected in two parts. The top four players in the Order of Merit receive an automatic entry into the tournament, which means that Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen and Rob Cross will all be returning to the league this year.
Out of those four players, three managed to make finals night last year, with only Rob Cross falling to elimination after the league stage. It was the two Lukes, Humphries and Littler, who battled in an enthralling final, which saw Littler come out on top while hitting a 9-dart leg in the process. The Nuke will be hoping to successfully defend what was his first major title.
The second part of the selection process is what can be the controversial bit. The PDC select four wildcards entries to receive an invitation to the tournament. They are decided by many factors, which include performance, but also things like stage presence, public following and the potential revenue they can generate. This always means that there are some players who may see themselves as unfortunate not to make the cut.
The players who were lucky enough to get the invitation were Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey and Gerwyn Price. The only name which seems to be universally accepted is Bunting, as the Bullet had a very successful 2024, which included a major title in the Masters and a world semi-final. The others are all at least a little bit controversial. Dobey has likely been saved by a run to the world semis just like Bunting, but Price and Aspinall have had a particularly poor year in comparison, both only really peaking at the worlds with quarter-final exits for the pair.
This has naturally caused some controversy. One of the biggest absentees is Mike De Decker. He becomes the first ever player to win a Sky televised major, the World Grand Prix, and still not be selected for the Premier League. When defending the selection, and helping to explain the absence of players like De Decker, Porter said: “We want people on the edge of their seats. “We want people up and enjoying their darts. “That isn’t to say other players can’t do that. You have to make decisions on who is right at the time.”