The PDPA
The PDPA = Professional Dart Players Association is an organisation looking after the interest of the professional dart
players now-a-days the players of the PDC.
It has got a board with five members, every second year an election takes place.
In 2010 it were the following five members:
Peter Manley chairman
Alan Warriner-Little CEO
Andy Scott director
Andrew Tweedale director
Steve Beaton director
The PDPA already was founded at the beginning of the 1980's by John Lowe, Cliff Lazarenko, David Whitcombe and Tony Brown.
When the decline in darts started it were the members of the PDPA who in 1992 split of the BDO and founded the World
Darts Council = today PDC.
So the PDPA changed into an organisation for the PDC players while the players of the BDO and the WDF founded the IDPA.
To play the tournaments of the PDC you normally have to be member of the PDPA only in the Pro Tour Events not played in the
UK local not PDPA members are allowed to play.
For some Major tournaments of the PDC PDPA qualifiers are played only for members of the PDPA.
BDO/WDF players have to recognize the Tomlin Order from 1997 which doesn't allow being member of the PDPA.
Every player, who doesn't play in the BDO and plays on a reasonable level, can join the PDPA.
Beside those playing members there exist honorary members and extraordinary members.
To join the PDPA you have to pay an enrolment fee and an annual membership fee but to play the Pro Tour events the members
have to pay an entrance fee as well.
With the introduction of the Tour Card in 2011 there might be some changes - one can read on the PDPA homepage the annual
fee for 2011 will be 400 pound.
Players joining the PDPA should be 18 years old but there are certain exceptions.
On the PDPA Homepage in July 2010 267 members are listed.
You can find the PDPA Homepage here: PDPA