Announcements

MICHAEL Smith will take on Michael van Gerwen on the opening night of the 2019 Unibet Premier League season on Thursday February 7 in Newcastle, with the fixtures for the first nine nights now confirmed.

The season will include Judgement Night after nine matches, after which the bottom two players in the table will be eliminated after the players have faced each other once in the league phase.

The road to The O2 begins at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena, with Smith seeking to avenge his defeats to Van Gerwen in the 2018 Premier League final and the recent World Championship decider at Alexandra Palace.

Night One will also see former Premier League winners James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld clash in the opening match of the tournament, while Mensur Suljovic takes on Gary Anderson in a replay of the classic 2018 World Matchplay final.

The following week will see reigning World Matchplay and UK Open Champion Gary Anderson take on Daryl Gurney in his Scottish homecoming at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

The Scottish number one meets Peter Wright at 3Arena Dublin in a replay of the 2018 Champions League of Darts final, on a night in Ireland which will also see Van Gerwen face former World Champion Rob Cross.

Another replay of a televised final from 2018 will see Anderson face Gerwyn Price in the opening game of Night Four at Westpoint Exeter as he seeks to avenge his defeat to the Welshman in the Grand Slam of Darts decider.

The Premier League roadshow returns to Aberdeen for Night Five, where Van Barneveld - starring in his final Premier League campaign before his impending retirement - will hope to replicate his nine-dart feat of 2010 at The BHGE Arena in his meeting with Wright.

Anderson will play Smith in a rematch of last year's Premier League semi-final at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena, while Gurney will hope to repeat his miraculous Players Championship Finals victory over Van Gerwen on Night Seven at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin.

Wright, who defeated Van Gerwen twice in the 2018 Premier League, will take on the world number one on the first of two nights at Rotterdam Ahoy on Wednesday March 27.

The following night will see Van Barneveld make his final Premier League appearance in the Netherlands against Van Gerwen in a mouth-watering all-Dutch clash.

Following Judgement Night’s elimination of the bottom two players, the remaining eight players will then do battle for Play-Off places by facing each other once more in the league phase, with fixtures to be confirmed after the second night in Rotterdam at www.pdc.tv.

2019 Unibet Premier League

Night One - Thursday February 7

Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle

James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld

Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney

Gary Anderson v Mensur Suljovic

Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith

Peter Wright v Rob Cross

Tickets: 0844 493 6666 & ticketmaster.co.uk

Night Two - Thursday February 14

The SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Peter Wright v Michael Smith

Rob Cross v James Wade

Raymond van Barneveld v Gerwyn Price

Daryl Gurney v Gary Anderson

Mensur Suljovic v Michael van Gerwen

Tickets: 0844 395 4000 or thessehydro.com

Night Three - Thursday February 21

3Arena, Dublin

Gerwyn Price v James Wade

Gary Anderson v Peter Wright

Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross

Michael Smith v Daryl Gurney

Mensur Suljovic v Raymond van Barneveld

Tickets: 0818 719 300 (Ire) & 3arena.ie

Night Four - Thursday February 28

Westpoint Exeter

Gary Anderson v Gerwyn Price

Daryl Gurney v Rob Cross

Mensur Suljovic v Peter Wright

Michael van Gerwen v James Wade

Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld

Tickets: 08444 99 99 55 or ticketzone.co.uk

Night Five - Thursday March 7

The BHGE Arena, Aberdeen

Michael Smith v Rob Cross

Daryl Gurney v James Wade

Mensur Suljovic v Gerwyn Price

Raymond van Barneveld v Peter Wright

Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson

Tickets: 08444 77 9000 & ticketmaster.co.uk

Night Six - Thursday March 14

Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

Gary Anderson v Michael Smith

James Wade v Mensur Suljovic

Rob Cross v Raymond van Barneveld

Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen

Peter Wright v Daryl Gurney

Tickets: 0843 373 3000 or motorpointarenanottingham.com

Night Seven - Thursday March 21

Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin

Gerwyn Price v Rob Cross

James Wade v Peter Wright

Michael van Gerwen v Daryl Gurney

Michael Smith v Mensur Suljovic

Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld

Tickets: 030 20 60 70 88 99 (Ger) or mercedes-benz-arena-berlin.de

Night Eight - Wednesday March 27

Rotterdam Ahoy

Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith

James Wade v Gary Anderson

Rob Cross v Mensur Suljovic

Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen

Raymond van Barneveld v Daryl Gurney

Tickets: 0900 300 1250 (Ned) 0031 88 123 24 25 (Outside Ned) or ticketmaster.nl

Judgement Night - Thursday March 28

Rotterdam Ahoy

Daryl Gurney v Mensur Suljovic

Peter Wright v Gerwyn Price

Rob Cross v Gary Anderson

Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen

James Wade v Michael Smith

Tickets: 0900 300 1250 (Ned) 0031 88 123 24 25 (Outside Ned) or ticketmaster.nl

Fixtures for Nights Ten-16 will be confirmed following Judgement Night.

Night Ten - Thursday April 4

The SSE Arena, Belfast

Tickets: 028 9073 9074 or ssearenabelfast.com

Night 11 - Thursday April 11

M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

Tickets: 0344 8000 400 or mandsbankarena.com

Night 12 - Thursday April 18

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Tickets: 029 2022 4488 or motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

Night 13 - Thursday April 25

Arena Birmingham

Tickets: 0844 338 0338 or arenabham.co.uk

Night 14 - Thursday May 2

The Manchester Arena

Tickets: 0844 249 1000 or manchester-arena.com

Night 15 - Thursday May 9

The FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield

Tickets: 0114 256 5656 or flydsaarena.co.uk

Night 16 - Thursday May 16

First Direct Arena, Leeds

Tickets: 0844 248 1585 or ticketmaster.co.uk

Play-Offs - Thursday May 23

The O2, London

Tickets: 0844 856 0202 or axs.com