THE first Players Championship tournaments of 2008 take place this weekend in Gibraltar - with greater significance than ever on the series of £20,000 events.

COLIN OSBORNE is hoping to continue his great start to 2008 in the Stan James Players Championships in Gibraltar.

MANY of the PDC's top stars helped to raise over £1,300 for St Oswald's Hospice in Newcastle on Saturday.

WAYNE MARDLE has been confirmed as the Sky Sports Wildcard for the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts - and he will open this year's event against Raymond van Barneveld in Glasgow on 31 January.

COLIN OSBORNE claimed his second PDC title with an 8-6 defeat of Denis Ovens in the Blue Square UK Open North-East Regional Final.

THE draws for the two Stan James-sponsored Players Championships to be held in Gibraltar on 19 and 20 January.

FOLLOWING some inaccurate comparisons between the PDC and BDO World Darts Championships recently, the PDC have provided the following information.

THE Professional Darts Corporation has suspended Jason Clark from forthcoming tournaments.

MERVYN KING is looking to continue his progress up the PDC Order of Merit in 2008, after scooping the Newcomer of the Year award.

THE PDC are to introduce two new, televised tournaments within the next year as part of the continuing expansion of the professional circuit.