THE organisers of the UK Open at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium are expecting record crowds at this summer's event.

The £200,000 darts tournament held from June 3-6 features 128 players and is screened live on Sky Sports.

Tickets for the UK Open went on sale this week, and almost half have already been snapped up by fans excited by the prospect of seeing the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade in the flesh.

“More than 80,000 fans will watch the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts through to May and there seems to be no stopping their appetite for seeing the world's best players live,” said PDC chairman Barry Hearn.

“The UK Open’s popularity has increased every year since we launched the event in 2003, and we are expecting record sales this year.

“The UK Open is darts’ FA Cup, giving 128 top players the chance to play on the big stage and the tournament always seems to throw up a new star.”

The top 96 professional players, following eight qualifiers, are joined by 32 amateur players who will win through a series of knockouts held in Rileys Darts Zones around the country over the next six weeks.

In a change to previous years, tickets for play on Thursday and Friday will now be unreserved, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis and additional standing areas to allow for fans to see games around the arena more comfortably.

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday will be assigned to specific seats. Tickets are limited to eight per person per session and all bookings are subject to a £2.50 booking fee.