FOOTBALL fans may have their attentions focused on Germany this weekend but for darts lovers, all eyes will be on Bolton.

The world's best players will be converging on the Premier Suite at the Reebok Stadium for what has become known as the FA Cup of darts the Budweiser UK Open.

It is the fourth year the competition has been held at the Reebok, and the 6,000 tickets for the three-day tournament sold out within hours of being released.

A spokesman for the Professional Darts Corporation, the event organisers, said: "It is our best yet. It is going to be a fantastic event."

The tournament is the third biggest in the country, behind the World Championships in Essex and the World Matchplay competition in Blackpool. But it is the only one in which amateurs and professionals can compete together.

A total of 133 players are taking part, from as far away as Holland, Belgium and Canada.

Competing for the £30,000 first prize are three players from Bolton.

Paul Williams is ranked 42 in the world, Steve Coote plays professionally when he is not on duty as a fireman, and the Reebok Stadium is familiar territory for Dave Johnson, who once worked there as a Bolton Wanderers steward.

The action starts at 6pm on Friday.

The tournament's weekend games usually start in the afternoon, but this year the Saturday session will be delayed until 5pm so fans can also see England's opening game of the World Cup.

By Sunday, the players will have been whittled down to the last 16 for the semi-finals and finals, which will be broadcast by Sky TV.

Darts fan Michelle Wild and her partner Alan Proctor, of Westhoughton, are among those looking forward to the tournament.

The couple have planned their holidays for the last three years so they can attend all three days of the competition.

Alan even got up at 4am to queue at the Reebok the day the tickets went on sale.

Michelle said: "I love the atmosphere. Even though people are drinking, there is never any trouble like you get at a football match.

"It is done a lot more professionally now. The players all dress really smartly and don't drink on stage. It is not about big blokes with beer bellies like it used to be."

Fireman Steve sets darts world alight ONE of the largest cheers of the tournament is expected to be for Bolton fireman Steve Coote.

Steve, aged 35, will be competing in his second UK Open after making it through to the final 32 last year.

The popular player is the opposite of the darts stereotype he does not smoke and has to stay fit for his job with Red Watch at Farnworth fire station.

Steve said: "It was my uncle, Kevin Coote, who got me into it. I was 15 and got an injury playing football. I started playing darts and never went back to football."

As a 16 year old, Steve started playing for a pub darts team although his uncle made sure he stuck to soft drinks! He has been on the professional circuit for the last 17 years, and has played in tournaments in the United States, Mexico, Finland and Germany.

"I am very lucky," he said. "Darts has taken me round the world a few times and I have made a lot of good friends."

But although there is a darts board in his fire station, Steve never gets to use it.

"We are always too busy," he said.