The 2020 Premier League Darts season was unlike any other, forever etched in history by the global Covid-19 pandemic. After a dramatic six-month suspension, the tournament resumed behind closed doors, transforming familiar packed arenas into eerily silent venues. This unprecedented season culminated in a thrilling all-debutant final, where Glen Durrant, in a truly remarkable campaign, defied expectations to claim his first major PDC title, while established giants like Michael van Gerwen shockingly missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. It was a year of resilience, surprise, and unforgettable darting drama.
A Season Interrupted: The Early Days
The 2020 Premier League Darts season began in **familiar vibrant arenas**, but it quickly became one of the strangest in the tournament’s history. Following the initial six nights, the competition was suspended for almost six months due to the escalating Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the halt, the season offered plenty of early drama:
- **Glen Durrant’s Stellar Debut:** “Duzza” marked his Premier League debut with a dominant 7–3 victory over Michael Smith, hinting at the remarkable season to come. He missed only two darts at double, showcasing incredible composure.
- **Anderson’s Return:** After missing the previous season due to injury, Gary Anderson made a winning return against Daryl Gurney.
- **Van Gerwen’s Strong Start:** Defending champion Michael van Gerwen averaged 104.13 in a 7–5 win over world champion Peter Wright.
- **Fallon Sherrock’s Historic Draw:** In Nottingham, “The Queen of the Palace” Fallon Sherrock, fresh from her World Championship heroics, received immense crowd support and secured a **hard-earned draw against Glen Durrant**. Her exceptional finishing proved the moment was about more than just the atmosphere, with Durrant later calling it “the toughest game I’ve ever had”.
- **Michael Smith’s Nine-Darter:** In Dublin, Michael Smith hit the **first Premier League nine-darter in three years** during his 7–5 victory, a truly perfect leg of darts.
- **Luke Humphries Makes History:** As a “challenger,” Luke Humphries became the **first contender to record a Premier League victory**, capitalizing on missed doubles from Gary Anderson in Exeter.
The sixth night in Liverpool proved to be the last played in front of a crowd. With the world grappling with the pandemic, nobody knew when, or if, the Premier League would return in 2020.
The Return to the Oche: Behind Closed Doors
After a near six-month hiatus, the Premier League finally resumed, but in a dramatically altered landscape. The remaining matches were played **behind closed doors at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes**, with players facing empty seats and a compressed schedule. The vibrant, travelling atmosphere was replaced by an intense, silent battle for supremacy.
The restart brought immediate high-quality darts and significant shifts in the standings:
- **Explosive Restart:** Gary Anderson averaged an incredible 109.24 in a 7–3 victory over Michael Smith, who himself averaged 107.02 – a testament to the level of play despite the empty venue.
- **Daryl Gurney’s “Great Escape”:** After failing to win a single match before the break, Gurney staged a remarkable comeback. His crucial victories, including one against contender Chris Dobey, helped him avoid elimination on “Judgement Night.”
- **Rob Cross Eliminated:** Despite a strong performance on Judgement Night, averaging 103.97, Rob Cross was ultimately eliminated, unable to overcome Durrant.
- **Durrant Tops the League:** Glen Durrant continued his sensational form, consistently performing well and managing to **finish top of the league table in his debut season**.
- **Van Gerwen’s Shocking Miss:** In one of the most astonishing turns of the season, **Michael van Gerwen, who had topped the Premier League table for seven consecutive seasons and won four titles in a row, missed the play-offs for the first time in his career**. A downturn in form towards the end of the league phase marked a clear departure from the tournament’s usual script.
The league phase concluded with Durrant, Anderson, Aspinall, and Wright securing the coveted playoff spots, setting the stage for an unpredictable finale.
The Finals: A Debutant Showdown
The 2020 Premier League Darts season reached its climax in Coventry, again without the roar of a crowd – a fittingly unusual setting for an unprecedented campaign. The semi-finals delivered high tension, if not always the highest quality:
Semi-Finals:
- **Glen Durrant vs. Gary Anderson:** In a tense, lower-scoring affair where both players averaged below 90, Durrant narrowly defeated Anderson. Despite Durrant admitting issues with his throw, and Anderson missing crucial darts for victory, “Duzza” clinched his spot in a major PDC final for the first time. Anderson later called it “one of the worst games in Premier League Play-Offs history.”
- **Nathan Aspinall vs. Peter Wright:** World champion Peter Wright entered as the favourite, but **Nathan Aspinall delivered another impressive performance** in his debut campaign. “The Asp” secured his place in the final, setting up an extraordinary all-debutant title decider.
The Final: Durrant vs. Aspinall
The final, while not a classic in terms of overall averages, was a gripping battle. **Glen Durrant’s clinical finishing proved decisive**. He defeated Nathan Aspinall 11–8 to claim his first major PDC title and complete one of the greatest debut seasons in Premier League history.
Durrant joined an elite group, alongside Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen (and later Luke Littler), as players who topped the league table and went on to win the title in the same season.
“This supersedes everything I’ve achieved before. Tonight I feel like the best player in the world and I’ve never had that feeling before. I’m feeling absolutely fantastic, I’m ecstatic. This means an awful lot to my family, friends and supporters. It’s a mammoth achievement and it makes my move over to the PDC worthwhile.”
A Legacy Forged in Crisis
The 2020 Premier League Darts season remains inseparable from the extraordinary circumstances that shaped it. It began with the familiar spectacle of packed arenas and hometown contenders, only to be dramatically transformed by a global pandemic.
When the tournament returned, empty venues and a relentless schedule created a version of the competition that nobody had ever experienced. Yet, amidst the challenges, it delivered **unforgettable moments and narratives:**
- **Michael Smith’s perfect nine-darter** in Dublin.
- **Luke Humphries becoming the first contender to win** a Premier League match.
- **Daryl Gurney’s improbable “great escape”** from relegation.
- **Michael van Gerwen’s unprecedented absence** from the play-offs.
- And ultimately, **Glen Durrant’s fairytale debut triumph**, where “Duzza” not only topped the table but also navigated a difficult Finals Night to lift the trophy.
Given everything that transpired, Glen Durrant’s victory stands as one of the most distinctive and inspiring Premier League stories of the modern era, a true testament to resilience and unexpected glory in a year that defied all expectations.
Source: Based on an article from Darts Planet TV.
