The competitors were announced on 1 January 2014 following the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship final, with the top four players from the PDC Order of Merit to be joined by six Wildcards.[2][3] The tournament format is identical to that of 2013, whereby after nine weeks the bottom two players will be relegated. 2009 Premier League Champion James Wade (world no. 6) and Andy Hamilton (11) did not return from last year, Wade thereby missing out for the first time in seven years.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn explained the decision was made to give Wade a rest to enable him more time to gain treatment for his health issues,[4] but Wade released a statement the following day, describing the omission as "devastating" as he was "one of the four most consistent players in 2013".[5] Wade also said he didn't ask to be left out and didn't decline an invitation, and that, with regards the reason given by Hearn that he could gain treatment for his bipolar disorder, "no medical professional has suggested I take a break".[5]
stvarno nije ok da james wade-a nisu pozvali, dečko igra odlično
navodno po nekim informacijama ima bipolarni poremećaj, to je vrsta duševne bolesti, dakle ili je manijak ili je u depresiji
