2014 Premier League Darts
Player Appearance in Premier League Consecutive Streak Order of Merit rank Previous best performance Qualification
Michael van Gerwen 2nd 2 1 Winner ( 2013 ) PDC Order of Merit
Phil Taylor 10th 10 2 Winner ( 2005-2008 , 2010 , 2012 ) PDC Order of Merit
Simon Whitlock 5th 5 3 Runner-up ( 2012 ) PDC Order of Merit
Adrian Lewis 7th 5 4 Runner-up ( 2011 ) PDC Order of Merit
Dave Chisnall 1st 1 5 Debut PDC Wildcard
Peter Wright 1st 1 7 Debut PDC Wildcard
Wes Newton 2nd 2 8 Ninth place ( 2013 ) PDC Wildcard
Robert Thornton 2nd 2 9 Fifth place ( 2013 ) PDC Wildcard
Raymond van Barneveld 2nd 2 28 Seventh place ( 2009 ) Sky Sports Wildcard
Gary Anderson 4th 4 17 Winner ( 2011 ) Sky Sports Wildcard
Players
The competitors were announced on 1 January 2014 following the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship final , with the top four players from the PDC Order of Merit to be joined by six Wildcards . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The tournament format is identical to that of 2013 , whereby after nine weeks the bottom two players are relegated . All players play each other once at that point . The remaining eight will then compete against each other in the final six rounds for the play-offs places . Andy Hamilton ( world no . 11 ) and 2009 Premier League Champion James Wade ( world no . 6 ) did not return from last year , Wade there by missing out for the first time in seven years . PDC chairman Barry Hearn explained the decision was made to give Wade a rest to enable him more time to gain treatment for his health issues , [ 5 ] but Wade released a statement the following day , describing the omission as `` devastating '' as he was `` one of the four most consistent players in 2013 '' . [ 6 ] Wade also said he did n't ask to be left out and did n't decline an invitation , and that , with regards the reason given by Hearn that he could gain treatment for his bipolar disorder , `` no medical professional has suggested I take a break '' . [ 6 ]
The 2014 Betway Premier League Darts was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the tenth edition of the tournament. The event began at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Thursday 6 February, and ended at The O Arena, London on Thursday 22 May. The tournament was shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland. The new title sponsor was Betway. Michael van Gerwen was the defending champion and he reached the final this year, but lost 10-6 to Raymond van Barneveld who won his first Premier League title.