The Bdo’s New mc “Little” Richard Ashdown Joins Winmau!

“Little” Richard Ashdown is riding a wave of euphoria at the moment! He still can’t quite believe that he has been awarded one of the most prominent positions in the BDO, and now he has been signed by the world’s leading darts brand Winmau!

Richard Ashdown is a full time darts MC/referee, spotter, statistician and event organiser. Affectionately known as "Little Richard" (due to his height), he is one of the big personalities on the professional scene.

Richard has been an MC for Winmau sponsored legend Bobby George since 2002 and he has worked alongside all of the top names in the sport (including Scott Waites, Andy Fordham, Trina Gulliver and Darryl Fitton).

Richard has vast experience as both a master of ceremonies and a referee at countless tournaments across the world. He has co-hosted the WDF World and European Cups every year since 2008, and will do so again in Canada in October 2013. Richard has also been the frontman and head referee for every England Darts Organisation event since their inauguration in 2007. He has officiated the finals of over forty BDO world ranked events over the past 9 years across England, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.

Richard’s new position as the BDO’s master of ceremonies will see him host all its major tournaments, including the BBC televised Lakeside World Championships and the Winmau World Masters (which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year).

Renowned as one of darts top statisticians, Richard has now completed 12 years as a member of the BBC's production team at the Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships, with various on screen appearances. His main role was as a 'spotter', telling the director and cameramen where the player is about to throw on the dartboard. His skills and knowhow have proved invaluable to various television and internet production teams including sports channels ESPN, ITV4, Eurosport and Setanta, along with Dutch broadcasters SBS6, RTL7 and Darts In Motion.

Richard said “The last couple of months have been like a whirlwind! I was honoured to be selected as the BDO’s MC and to then be recognised by the sport’s largest brand Winmau is truly unbelievable. I have always known that Winmau has the best products on the market and it is a pleasure to be able to officially voice and endorse this through a partnership with them. My first BDO event is the International Open this weekend, and I will be wearing my Winmau badge with pride!”

Ian Flack, Winmau’s Sales and Marketing Director, added “We are so pleased that Richard agreed to join the Winmau team! I have known Richard for many years, and he has an impeccable reputation in the darts fraternity for his professionalism and friendly personality. I have no doubt that he will be a great ambassador for our brand and we look forward to working with him in the future.”