World Champs 180’s will unlock the entrance for Stockport youngsters

World darts star Nathan Aspinall is hoping to use his talents to ‘maximum’ effect at the forthcoming World Darts Championships after striking a unique partnership  with a new venue in his home town of Stockport

The Players’ Entrance,  the world’s first indoor, sports theme park, opened recently in the former Top Shop 5,000 sq ft site in the town’s Merseyway Shopping Centre and is attracting visitors from across the county to try the innovative concept.

Now Aspinall, 28, is hoping to give youngsters in the area  the opportunity to realise their sporting dreams for free by donating a £100 voucher for The Players Entrance to Stockport schools for every 180 he hits at the famous Ally Pally event.

Aspinall reached the semi-finals of the event last year, and is hoping that 2020 may see him eclipse that achievement and top the world game.

A run like that could lead to thousands of pounds in voucher donations to The players’ Entrance, and founder Steve Mottershead believes it will a great way of getting the town supporting their local hero.

He said: “Our business is rejuvenating the high street and attracting people into the town centre at a time when footfall all over the country is falling.

“There is nowhere like The Players’ Entrance in the world – giving people the chance to see what it would be like to open the batting for England, kick a conversion for the All Blacks or race in a Grand Prix. We have darts games where you can take on real players from across the globe and much more.

“We have had youngsters come in that have never held a cricket bat and hours later they are asking their parents about joining a club.

“I worked in darts for over a decade as the agent for the likes of Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and the late Eric Bristow, and I got in touch with Nathan to get him to come down and see what we were doing here.

“He couldn’t believe it and saw first hand the impact it was having on the town and also the youngsters that came along, we chatted about how we could open the opportunity up to more kids in the area and we hit upon this idea.”

Aspinall will get his bid for the title underway on Friday December 20^th and he is hoping to hammer the treble twenty.

He said: “The venue is fantastic and it is a real coup for Stockport that the very first one has opened here.

“It provides a fantastic opportunity for people to experience the real thrill and excitement of sport, including Darts ,  and I am hoping for a long and successful run at the World’s with plenty of 180s to get kids all across the town playing sport for free.”