ADRIAN LEWIS will receive no special favours or wildcards after losing his darts Tour Card.
Jackpot is one of the sport’s greatest players – he has one of the smoothest throws around – and is well-respected among his peers.
Yet he has not appeared in a TV tournament since the UK Open in March 2023 and has generally been inactive during weekly events.
He is also not part of the 96-player field for the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts next Sunday at Ally Pally.
Personal problems have meant he has not been so dedicated or focused on life on the oche and come the New Year, he will no longer be a professional player.
Given that he is a two-time world darts champion and four-time World Cup winner alongside England teammate Phil Taylor, some might argue that he deserves a freebie for the 2025 season.
That is not going to happen, according to sports promoter Barry Hearn, who says Lewis, 39, must go through Q School like everybody else and there will be no rule-bending.
A qualifying event involving 100s of amateurs – those chasing the dream and wanting to emulate Luke Littler or Luke Humphries – will be staged at Milton Keynes’ Arena MK between January 6-12.
Asked if there would be any special dispensation given the circumstances, Hearn, 76, told SunSport: “Absolutely none. Nor can they be.
“It’s not about what you used to do – it’s about what you can do.
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“Does he have to go through Q School? Yeah. We’d welcome him back with open arms.
“He’s a great lad and a great player. He has had his own personal problems.
“Which he has to come to terms with.
“But they are not our problems, they are his problems and it is up to him to solve them.”
The Barry Hearn Show is available on all podcast platforms – with exclusive video episodes on Spotify.
Second round draw (seeded vs first-round winner)
