The DRA, News, Information

The DRA's challenge is to ensure good governance within Darts. Playing standards, commercial revenues and the reputation of the game are undoubtedly in the ascendancy.

The challenge for the current Committee is to ensure good governance within Darts. Playing standards, commercial revenues and the reputation of the game are undoubtedly in the ascendancy. Professional Darts has never been more popular. It is the responsibility of the DRA to protect and enhance that position both within Darts and outside.

The DRA is the Governing Body of Professional Darts. Through management of the drug testing programme, review of DRA rules, disciplinary hearings and its many other functions the DRA is committed to protect that good name for the sake of everyone involved in Darts; players, officials, sponsors, media, fans and spectators alike.

Schedule 6 Gambling Act 2005:

The DRA have now been added to schedule 6 effective as of December 2017. This means that they are now a recognised SGB under the act and the Gambling Commission can share information with them.

DRA Contacts:

The DRA
Moore Tibbits Solicitors,
34 High Street,
Warwick,
Warwickshire, CV34 4BE
Email: [email protected]

Correspondence for hearings and referrals
Chair of the Disciplinary Committee,
Darts Regulation Authority,
58 St Marys Crescent,
Hendon,
London NW4 4LH
Email: [email protected]

The DRA Board of Directors who meet quarterly are:

Chairman:
Mr Nigel Mawer QPM
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +44 (0) 7973 989986

Nigel left the Metropolitan Police Service in 2011 where he was a Detective Chief Superintendent in the Specialist Crime Directorate based at New Scotland Yard. He now works as a specialist advisor in the areas of sport regulation, integrity in sport, anti-corruption, economic and e-crime.

As well as being the Chair of the DRA he is also the Vice Chairman of the WPBSA and deals with all discipline and corruption issues relating to snooker. He has extensive experience in dealing with sport integrity issues. He is a member of the Sports Betting Group and the Sports Betting Integrity Forum. He is a Sport Resolutions UK Panel of Arbitrators Special Member.

He was formerly the Head of Economic and Specialist Crime at New Scotland Yard where he on some of the most sensitive enquiries conducted by Scotland Yard. In 2010 he ran the corruption enquiry into members of the Pakistani Cricket Team.

He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for Distinguished Police Service in the 2009 Queens Birthday Honours. He has an MA in Individual and Organisational Development from Westminster University and he is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Vice Chairman: Mr Tim Ollerenshaw
Email: [email protected]
Address: Moore Tibbits Solicitors, 34 High Street, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 4BE

Tim Ollerenshaw has spent many years in the legal profession (and has held a number of disciplinary positions in the sports field). He uses his considerable experience as chair of the Disciplinary Appeals Panel.

Tim also leads on the drug testing programme for the DRA working closely with regulatory authorities and the DRA’s medical expert to ensure that Darts stays at the forefront of all developments in this hugely important area.

Tim is passionate about sport, as a player, administrator and spectator.

Director: Mike Titmus
Mike’s career was spent in the Brewing Industry starting in 1958 and lasting for 38 years with what became known as Allied Breweries and then eventually Carlsberg-Tetley. Mike held several positions at Managing Director level finishing with the MD’s job at Carlsberg-Tetley South where he was based at the famous Romford Brewery managing the free-trade business.

Throughout his career Mike dealt with many hundreds of clubs and pubs that had dartboards and appreciated the value of darts as a sponsorship vehicle for the company’s brands, doing deals for Skol and Double Diamond with initially the BDO and later the PDC.

Throughout this time Mike had a great affection for the sport of darts and in March 2000, after retiring from Carlsberg-Tetley, he became Chairman of the PDC and along with the then Board he restructured the company as part of a long-term PDC strategy plan which led directly to the appointment of Barry Hearn as Chairman in August 2001.

Mike was appointed the first Chairman of the DRA in November 2002.

Director: Ritchie Gardner
Ritchie is a former professional player. Some of his many achievements in the sport of darts include victory in the World Pairs Championship in 1988 with Jocky Wilson, he was selected as an England International for 5 years, ranked in the World Top 16 for seven consecutive years and winning numerous other international and national open titles.

Ritchie very much brings the player’s perspective to the DRA Council having experienced the pressures and challenges of competitive darts. In addition to his continuing love for darts Ritchie also takes a huge interest in golf and football.

Director: Jake Marsh
Jake Marsh has been working in investigations and risk management for many years having started his career working for the private investigations firm of Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner. This has seen him investigate and advise clients on fraud and corruption issues across a wide-range of sectors including finance, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and sport. He has been a lead investigator in numerous sport industry cases covering football player transfers and club ownership, doping, and match-fixing.

In the last few years he has specialised exclusively in certain areas of sport governance, namely betting and match-fixing. This sees him working on a daily basis with governing bodies and rights holders to protect their competitions from betting fraud and match manipulation through education, intelligence, and investigation. His experience in sport integrity will be of great value to the DRA.

Jake has an MA from King’s College London and the Advanced Certificate in Sport Governance from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). He currently works for an international sports media and content firm as their Head of Integrity.

The DRA Disciplinary Committee

Chairman: Nigel Mawer QPM
Committee Members: Ritchie Gardner, Jake Marsh

Where possible hearings will take place on the same day as Board meetings. The DRA Disciplinary Committee are keen to speed up the process of discipline and where there is an allegation of the breach of the DRA rules.

Once the necessary facts have been established the player or member will have 14 days to respond, shortly after which the DRA Disciplinary Committee will hold a hearing to deal with the allegation.

The DRA Disciplinary Appeal Hearings

These will be chaired by Tim Ollerenshaw sitting with two independent people not directly associated with the Board of the DRA.

The DRA Disciplinary Committee are keen to speed up the process of discipline and where there is an allegation of the breach of the DRA rules, once the necessary facts have been established the player or member will have 14 days to respond, shortly after which the DRA Disciplinary Committee will hold a hearing to deal with the allegation.

Referrals

Any PDPA Member who receives a DRA referral must contact Alan Warriner-Little CEO of the PDPA immediately, so you are aware of what you need to do.

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07798 693998
PDPA Office: 01228 594273

Fines

To pay a DRA fine CLICK HERE

Suspensions:

Here is the current updated list of players who are suspended after DRA hearings.
2015
Ben Horan, Conan Whitehead
2016
Tommy Legius
2017
Sion Thomas, Jordan Matthews
2018
Chris Wilson, Darren Mawer, Baran Oezdemir, Dennis Verhaegen, Ryan Cowans, Chris Millward, Glen Honore

DRA Website

Link to the current DRA Website CLICK HERE

DRA News Reel

SEPTEMBER 2018 – Disciplinary HEARING

In February 2018 Gilbert Ulang and Masumi Chino were found to have a case to answer in relation to the manipulation for betting purposes of their respective matches with Kevin Simm and Tengku Shah at the PDC World Championships at Alexandra Palace in December 2016. A hearing was held in London on 23rd May 2018 and on 5th June 2018 Masumi Chino was found not to be in breach of the DRA Betting Rules.

Gilbert Ulang was found that he had breached the DRA Betting Rules by manipulating the outcome of his match with Kevin Simm played on 18th December 2016 for betting purposes. On 14th August 2018 The Disciplinary Committee suspended Gilbert Ulang for a period of seven years from 18 December 2016 until midnight on 17 December 2023. He was also ordered to pay £2,500 as a contribution towards costs of the DRA. There is no suggestion whatsoever that his opponent Kevin Simm was aware of the match manipulation that took place.

The full finding of the Disciplinary Committee can be found here. The full decision on sanction can be found here.

FEB 2018 – DRA Registered Agents

The list of DRA Registered Agents is available CLICK HERE

DEc 2017 – DRA Referral

The DRA can confirm that the PDC have referred an incident that took place on 20th December 2017 in the match between Justin Pipe and Bernie Smith at the World Championships at Alexandra Palace . The DRA Chairman will consider the case to decide whether there is a case to answer for a breach of the rules in accordance with the DRA Rules.

DEC 2017 – DRA Registered Agents Renewal Process

All DRA Registered Agents are required to renew their registration by 31st January 2018. The renewal application form can be found here and the letter to explain the process can be found here.

SEPT 2017 – Jake Marsh appointed as a DRA Director

The DRA are very pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Marsh as a Director. Jake has extensive experience in player education, sports investigations into anti-doping and match-fixing for betting purposes. He has worked with various Sport Governing Bodies and is currently the Head of Integrity for an international sports media and content organisation. He is a welcome addition to the DRA Board and he will become a member of the DRA Disciplinary Committee.

AUG 2017 – DRA Registered Agents

The list of DRA Registered Agents is available here.

JUNE 2017 – Val Pallister

Val Pallister, who has been a long-time director of the DRA, has stepped down from her role as a director.

Val joined the DRA in 2004 after a long history with the sport. Since 1980 she has been involved with darts both at County and International level. Val was a former Chair of Gloucestershire County Darts Organisation, an England Selector and Director of the British Darts Organisation.

The DRA would like to thank Val for her valuable contribution to the sport of Darts over many years and for the insight and support that she has given me since I became Chairman in 2011. We wish Val, Mike and her family all the best for the future.