Mike De Decker is furious about his Premier League omission and he’s called for a PDC rule change after becoming the first Sky Sports major winner to miss out on the competition.
The Belgian won the World Grand Prix in October 2024 to secure his first-ever major win, but it wasn’t enough to convince PDC bosses of a Premier League place.
Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen, Chris Dobey, and Nathan Aspinall were selected for the tournament which runs from February to May.
Mike De Decker has opened up about his Premier League snub, but he’s also suggested there should be a change of ethos for the Premier League.
Premier League should be ‘purely entertainment’, says Mike De Decker
Mike De Decker won two PDC ranking titles in 2024, while Aspinall – who did secure a Premier League place – had a barren year.
The Belgian believes The Asp was selected for the crowd’s benefit rather than his 2024 form, which he suggests goes against the rules of the tournament.
In an interview with Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad Sport, De Decker revealed: “Aspinall is in it purely for the entertainment. Okay, but then the PDC should change the rules.
“Now they say that you get into the Premier League based on results. Apparently that is not the case. It just has to be fun for the audience, be clear about that.”
De Decker suggests his snub, alongside fellow major winners Dimitri van Den Bergh and Ritchie Edhouse, means the Premier League loses credibility.
The Real Deal continued: “You now get a glorious exhibition tournament of seventeen weeks, nothing more. And… I also have a good walk-on.
“At almost every tournament these days they sing along to my song. Everyone loved it at the World Cup too.”
De Decker currently sits at World No. 24 in the PDC Order of Merit after 2024 which saw the Belgian reach the Players Championship Finals quarterfinals and the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts.
The Premier League should be extended
2024 was one of the most competitive and compelling years in PDC history, with several new major winners and stars on the rise.
Littler, De Decker, and Edhouse became first-time major winners while the likes of Gian Van Veen, Callan Rydz, and Wessel Nijman proved they could go on to reach that feat.
With so many different winners across floor and stage tournaments, the Premier League became the hardest in years to predict.
To combat so many popular stars around the top 32, the PDC should’ve opened up the field to 10 or 12, or, introduced a ‘Championship’ version of the Premier League.
The PDC Tour is simply too box office at present for such a small field in the Premier League.