William Hill to sponsor Grand Slam of Darts - 28/10/2011
WILLIAM HILL, Britain's biggest bookmaker, have been confirmed as the title sponsor of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts, which will be held at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall from November 12-20.
William Hill, who offer betting via mobile, online, telephone, and across their 2300 betting shops, will support the Sky Sports-televised nine-day extravaganza in Wolverhampton.
The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts will feature 32 players - including three-time winner Phil Taylor, reigning champion Scott Waites and World Champion Adrian Lewis - who initially compete in eight four-man groups before the top two in each proceed to the knockout last 16. 
The Wiliam Hill Grand Slam of Darts will be held from November 12 to 20
The tournament will culminate on Sunday November 20, with the semi-finals and final played across two sessions as players battle for the £100,000 first prize.
"We'd like to welcome William Hill as the new title sponsors of the 2011 Grand Slam of Darts and look forward to working with such a well-known and respected brand," said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
"This tournament brings together the greatest players in darts, who have qualified by virtue of their achievements in major tournaments over a two-year period, and in William Hill we have a sponsor whose stature reflects that."
William Hill Chief Marketing Officer Kristof Fahy said: "The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of darts and it's a privilege to be able to put our name to such an event."
The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts will be the best-supported since the tournament was introduced in 2007, with more tickets already having been sold than in the whole of last year's event.
The field for the Grand Slam of Darts will see stars such as Taylor, Waites and Lewis joined by Premier League Darts champion Gary Anderson, UK Open winner James Wade and former World Champions Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Mark Webster, Steve Beaton and Ted Hankey.
Brendan Dolan qualified to make his Grand Slam of Darts debut recently when he won through to the World Grand Prix final in Dublin, while the finalists from the forthcoming PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship - to be held on November 4 - also qualify.
They will be joined by two players from the Wildcard Qualifier, which will also be held on Friday November 4 in Crawley and gives any darts player the chance to win through to play in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Tickets for the Grand Slam of Darts are now on general sale from the Wolves Civic Box Office, either in person or by calling 0870 320 7000.
William Hill Grand Slam of Darts - Current Qualifiers
Gary Anderson, Barrie Bates, Steve Beaton, Dave Chisnall, Jan Dekker, Brendan Dolan, Ted Hankey, Terry Jenkins, Wayne Jones, Mervyn King, Adrian Lewis, Arron Monk, Wes Newton, Paul Nicholson, Tony O'Shea, John Part, Martin Phillips, Co Stompe, Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade, Scott Waites, Mark Webster, Simon Whitlock, Dean Winstanley
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