Vincent van der Voort and Ron Meulenkamp gave their reaction Thursday night at Viaplay to the statements of Joe Cullen, who stated in an interview with Online Darts that he believes there are too many Pro Tour tournaments being played in Germany.
Meulenkamp and Van der Voort could have little sympathy for these comments. Meulenkamp points first to the fact that there are many more non-British Tour Card holders these days.
It used to be that 95 percent (of the number of Tour Card holders) came from the United Kingdom. And then you had guys like Vincent (van der Voort), Jelle (Klaasen) and Michael (van Gerwen). Those came over with a Tour Card when it was just all possible. At some point more Dutch people came over. Belgians came over, now it’s maybe fifty-fifty. So many people from the mainland, it can’t be at all like that.”
Van der Voort then concurred with his Dutch darts colleague. ”You also want to make the sport worldwide and go to as many countries as possible so it becomes popular there, right? In Germany it’s getting bigger, Belgium…. The Netherlands…”, Van der Voort summed up.
”I also want every Pro Tour to be held in Purmerend,” he continued cynically. ”That’s top right? I also want the World Championship to be held in Purmerend. It’s always England, England, England. The important TV tournaments are always in England.”
Meulenkamp then stated that the English darters have little reason to complain. ”Then when they come this way, it’s always close to the airport. Everything is done for them. They really have nothing to complain about.”
