Darts star makes ‘offensive’ comment after beating German rival as Sky Sports apologise | Other | Sport
Darts star makes ‘offensive’ comment after beating German rival as Sky Sports apologise | Other | Sport
Scott Williams’ comments prompted an apology from Sky Sports as he mentioned ‘two World Wars and one World Cup’ after beating German darts star Martin Schindler. The pair took part in a thrilling third-round match at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday to reignite the World Darts Championship with a bang.
The tournament returned from its traditional three-day break over Christmas with 26th seed Schindler – born in Strausberg – taking on Lincolnshire-based Williams. And fans were treated to an epic, with Schindler spurning numerous chances to take control of the match before Williams stormed back to prevail 4-3 in sets.
Tensions ran high at Ally Pally, where swathes of German fans were vocal in their support of Schindler and hundreds of others backed Williams.
When asked about the atmosphere after his win was sealed, Williams told Sky Sports: « I’ve never had the crowd on my side like that. I know we won two World Wars and one World Cup but that was… the German fans in here were huge. »
Sky Sports subsequently apologised for the use of ‘offensive language’ ahead of Dave Chisnall’s meeting with Gabriel Clemens, which was next up on stage.
In notching an upset win and making the fourth round, Williams extended his deepest run at the World Darts Championship and guaranteed himself a healthy payday of at least £35,000, as well as a significant jump up the PDC’s Order of Merit.
His next match will be against either 10th seed Damon Heta or Berry van Peer, who are due to meet on Friday afternoon. Another win for Williams could set up a quarter-final clash with three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen.
The Dutchman will be on a mission after losing in last year’s final to Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith, and he recently warned rivals that his best form is not far away. « It’s getting close, » he said. « The way I’ve been playing, I think it’s coming and it’s coming at the right time. Hopefully I can show it in the World Championships. »
Despite the high-stakes matches on the horizon, the pressure of the Ally Pally stage has already prompted Van Gerwen to organise a relaxing post-tournament holiday. « You have to have some peace in your mind sometimes and spend some time with your family, » he continued.
« Especially during the World Championships, the pressure and the intensity is so big, you need to relax a bit. With the Premier League coming so close afterwards, you need to make sure you do the right things for yourself too. »
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