A new elite-level darts venue called Hangar 61 has opened in Bristol, drawing lavish praise from four-time PDC World Darts Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle. Created by the Junior Darts Corporation, the facility has transformed the old Patchway Sports and Social Club into what they describe as 'one of the UK’s premier destinations for darts'. The venue features 32 'world class match boards' and fully equipped dart lanes, with a main stage area and broadcasting facilities set to be used for the first time. All of this has been funded by dart board manufacturer Winmau.
Mardle, who visited the venue, called it "groundbreaking" and noted, "This isn't the norm, by the way." He believes that with the sport growing rapidly, more such venues will appear, stating, "It will become the norm, because this is hopefully the blueprint of what's to happen." He emphasized that the facility is "predominantly for the youth players of everywhere," predicting it will be a hub for developing future talent. "This is going to be the main place for the youth that are just starting out, or the seasoned pros, by the time they get to 17, 18," Mardle said, adding that it will host "the biggest and best, even World Championship qualifiers."
Confidently, Mardle made a bold prediction about Hangar 61's impact: "There's going to be World Champions coming through these doors, of that there's no doubt. And when you look around, it's not hard to realise it's a world-class facility - it really is. Back in the day, this didn't exist." The founder and chairman of the Junior Darts Corporation, Steven Brown, shared his excitement, calling the completion of Hangar 61 a 'dream come true' after hard work. The JDC's prior base was in Congresbury, but skyrocketing popularity necessitated a relocation to accommodate new talent.
Brown explained, "Hangar61 gives us a permanent home that matches the ambition of our programme and the talent of the young players coming through. We’ve created a facility that not only supports elite development but is rooted in the local community and open to the next generation discovering the sport for the first time." He highlighted the social benefits, noting his background as an ex-foster carer: "For me, giving the kids somewhere meaningful to go to and somewhere they can progress and feel confident and social, really. I think society is lacking social skills and darts is the perfect vehicle for that." Brown also reflected on darts' evolution, saying, "It's quite interesting to see a typical pub game brought into a different environment. I think Darts has moved on so much. I think the old cliche of it being a pub game is slowly disappearing."
