IN JUST over a month's time, some of the most recognisable darts players on the planet will descend on Blackburn's King George's Hall when the Legends of Darts bandwagon rolls into town.

Eight of the greatest names of yesteryear - Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Bob Anderson, Keith Deller, Bobby George, Cliff Lazarenko, Dave Whitcombe and Peter Evison - will toe the oche in the second leg of the Legends of Darts tour.

The tournament kicks off at the famous Circus Tavern in Purfleet, the former home of the PDC World Championships, on May 30, before the bandwagon moves north to East Lancashire.

The eight involved were at their peak in an era when darts went hand-in-hand with beer and cigarettes.

With the sport now having cleaned up its act, the smoke may have gone but you can bet the crackling atmosphere will still be the same.

And the format will be similar to that of the PDC Premier League tournament.

Each player will play every other player once over the best of 12 legs of 501. The first player to win seven legs will be deemed to be the winner of the match, although a 6-6 draw is a possible result.

The top four players in the league table after the completion of the round robin stage will then progress to the play-offs at the Circus Tavern.

Semi-final matches are to be played over the best of 21 legs and the final to be played over the best of 31 legs.

And, at a press conference at Old Trafford Bristow, Lowe, Lazarenko and Anderson - who boast nine world titles between them - couldn't wait to get the action under way.

Bristow, nicknamed the Crafty Cockney, was the king of the tungsten flingers in the 1980s.

The former five-time world BDO champion and five-time Masters champion ruled the roost until dartitis - a psychological condition that stops the player releasing the dart properly - severely interrupted his career and he quit playing professionally in 2000.

His world finals against the likes of Jocky Wilson and Deller, who won the title in 1983 at the first attempt in 1983, are the stuff of legend.

He combines his work as a spotter for Sky Sports - helping the cameraman determine where the players are going to throw when aiming for a finish - along with lucrative exhibition matches.

But now back with the darts in his hand in a competitive arena, Bristow said although the tour was between players who had quit the main tour, all of the players had their eyes on the £15,000 first prize He said: "We've all been talking about it for months and now even just thinking about it gets the adrenalin going.

"The first event is only a couple of weeks away now and we are all getting ready and preparing in our own way.

"This is a great thing for the future of darts, because it's an independent event featuring eight people that had retired but who still want to go up there and beat each other on stage.

"That's the way it should be and the way it has been for the last 30 years. It opens the door for great players to remain competitive at the game they love.

"It will be a fun night out for all the fans. The older generation who watched us in the 1980s will be sitting in the audience and the memories are sure to come flooding back. And they will bring their families along to join in the fun.

"We will be doing the walk-ons to our chosen music, we have some great venues and a superb stage set - everything is in place for a terrific event and it's just up to us to play the darts."

The Limestone Cowboy, aka Bob Anderson, has quit the main PDC tour specifically to join the Betfred.com League of Legends, and he believes the competition is a major step forward for darts.

The former world champion, who beat Lowe to take the coveted title in 1988, is now in his 50s but is still as determined as ever.

He said: "This is the most exciting prospect I've had for years, even though I played in the PDC World Championship as recently as last December.

"It's a whole new venture and a chance to lock horns with a lot of old adversaries.

"I think we will have tremendous crowds, especially at places like Blackburn, for both young and old.

"The older folks will want to come back and see us all again and meet old friends and as for the youngsters - let's show them what we can do."

The Betfred.com League of Legends schedule (all matches to be screened live on Setanta Sports): May 30 - Circus Tavern, Purfleet, Essex; June 20 - King George Hall, Blackburn; June 27 - Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham; July 18 - Batley Frontier Variety Club, West Yorkshire; August 1 - Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading; August 8 - The Spa, Bridlington; August 15 - Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent; August 22 - Circus Tavern, Purfleet, Essex (semi-finals and final).