Embassy World champion Les Wallace is threatening to quit the sport unless the present restrictions in the game are lifted. The darts war between the British Darts Organisation, who run the Embassy, and the Professional Darts Corporation, who are staging the Skol World Championship at Purfleet this week, was supposed to have been settled following a court case last summer.

But players who reach the second round of the Embassy, which starts at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, this afternoon, will not be allowed to play in the next Skol Championship.

On the other side of the coin, the quarter-finalists at Purfleet and the eight players who finished second in their respective groups will not be allowed to play in the Embassy in 1999.

Scotsman Wallace, now based in Southampton, is angered by the situation and said: "I have become thoroughly frustrated with the current state of the game. Darts was originally split by the row and that rift has not yet been healed.

"There are certain restrictions which are preventing players from freely taking part in the BDO and PDC tournaments and achieving ranking points.

"Unless there are big improvements over the next 12 months, I'll get out of the sport."

Wallace is seeded only eighth for the Embassy this year despite his 1997 triumph, mainly because he has concentrated on exhibitions and played few ranking tournaments.

But he hopes to hit top form when he meets Andy Smith in the first round this evening.

"I'm not making any predictions about lifting a second Embassy title," said 35-year-old Wallace. "But I don't think I will feel any pressure about defending the title. I'll just give it my best shot."

Top seed this year is Dutchman Raymond Barneveld, who was runner-up in 1995, with Lancastrian Ronnie Baxter number two.

Richie Burnett, the 1995 champion from Wales, and Leamington Spa's Steve Beaton, who won the title in 1996 will also be strong contenders despite being unseeded.