
All eyes are set to be on Butlins Minehead this weekend, as the Players Championship Finals returns once again. A full year of Player Championship events combine to produce the top 64 seed TV tournament, where the world’s best tungsten wielders step up to the oche for the final ranked event before the blockbuster World Championships.
Mighty Michael van Gerwen, 6-time Player Championship Finals winner, will be looking to defend his 2020 title and win the event for a third consecutive year. The Green Machine matches Kevin Doets in his first game.
The PC Finals starts with a bit of magic with Simon 'The Wizard' Whitlock taking on Player Championship 22 winner, Ryan Searle. In the 3rd game of the opening session, we see William Borland taking on the man who was on the wrong side of the first 9 darter seen at the tournament, Michael 'Bully Boy' Smith.
The Rockstar 'Joe Cullen' is looking to spark up the crowd at Minehead with a win against Andy Boulton.
Canadian superstar Jeff Smith made it to the last 16 in last year’s competition. 'The Silencer' will be looking to make a strong start against Englishman Nathan Aspinall.
2015 BDO World Champion, Scotty Mitchell will be looking for his first PDC major this weekend facing Martijn Kleermaker in the second session of the Finals.
Two-time Players Championship Finals runner-up Mervyn King will be looking for his crown and an opening victory against Darius Labanauskas.
The following match we see Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan take on Online Live league player Chas Barstow, with fellow Northern Irishman Daryl Gurney taking on Alan Soutar.
Danny 'The Freeze' Noppert will be looking to beat Rowby-John Rodriguez, whilst German number 1 Gabriel Clements will play ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Steve Beaton.
The last Winmau player to step up to the oche on the first day of the tournament is Dutchman Vincent Van der Voort, who starts his campaign against fellow countryman and 2006 Lakeside Champion, Jelle Klassen.
Friday's first round winner's progress to compete in two further games on Saturday, with the second round in the afternoon session ahead of the evening's third round.
The tournament then concludes on Sunday November 28, with the afternoon's quarter-finals followed by the semi-finals and final in the evening session.
Sunday will also see the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship take place, with the 32-player event being played down to the semi-finals in Reds from 1100 GMT.The final will be held on the Main Stage before the final of the Players Championship Finals.
The Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals will be broadcast on ITV4, through DAZN in various worldwide territories, via RTL7 in the Netherlands and the PDC's global broadcast partners. PDCTV coverage on Friday and Saturday from Stage Two will be available worldwide.
2021 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals Friday November 26
First Round Afternoon Session (1245 GMT) Main Stage -
Ryan Searle v Simon Whitlock
Krzysztof Ratajski v Ron Meulenkamp
Michael Smith v William Borland
Joe Cullen v Andy Boulton
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Madars Razma
James Wade v Ricky Evans
Nathan Aspinall v Jeff Smith
Adrian Lewis v Kim Huybrechts
Stage Two -
Scott Mitchell v Martijn Kleermaker
Ryan Joyce v Luke Woodhouse
Martin Schindler v Ian White
Mervyn King v Darius Labanauskas
Brendan Dolan v Chas Barstow
Ross Smith v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Danny Noppert v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Gabriel Clemens v Steve Beaton
Evening Session (1900 GMT) Main Stage
Stephen Bunting v Gary Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld v Maik Kuivenhoven
Rob Cross v Jermaine Wattimena
Jose de Sousa v Devon Petersen
Gerwyn Price v Jason Lowe
Michael van Gerwen v Kevin Doets
Peter Wright v Keane Barry
Jonny Clayton v Alan Tabern
Stage Two
Vincent van der Voort v Jamie Hughes
Daryl Gurney v Alan Soutar
Damon Heta v Steve Lennon
Callan Rydz v Mensur Suljovic
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Ryan Meikle
Luke Humphries v Jason Heaver
Chris Dobey v William O'Connor
Dave Chisnall v Ritchie Edhouse
Saturday November 27
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Main Stage
8x Matches TBC
Stage Two -
8x Matches TBC
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Third Round
Main Stage
4x Matches TBC
Stage Two
4x Matches TBC
Sunday November 28
Afternoon Session (1245 GMT)
Main Stage
Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Main Stage
Semi-Finals
Final
Plus
PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship final
Format
First Round - Best of 11 legs
Second Round - Best of 11 legs
Third Round - Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals - Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals - Best of 21 legs
Final - Best of 21 legs