DARTS star Adam Smith-Neale has been suspended after footage emerged of him PUNCHING his opponent.
A video that has gone viral online shows a man attacking another during an amateur match.
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Adam Smith-Neale seemingly punches his opponent in embarrassing scenes Credit: Twitter @anonymous_darts
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Another man jumped in and pushed him against the wallCredit: Twitter @anonymous_darts
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Smith-Neale suspended Credit: Rex
Reports claim that Smith-Neale, who is ranked 82nd in the world, is the player in the video.
The Darts Regulatory Authority released a statement confirming he had been suspended over the allegations.
It read: “On 12 March 2024, Nigel Mawer, President of the DRA, made a decision to suspend Adam Smith-Neale from participating in or competing in DRA sanctioned events.
“This relates to an allegation that he assaulted another player at the end of his match in an amateur event in Nuneaton played on 9 March 2024.
“He has the right to appeal the suspension decision and will face a disciplinary hearing at a date to be agreed.”
In the video, Smith-Neale’s opponent won and then reached out for a handshake, but instead felt the full force of Smith-Neale’s fist.
The shocked player appeared to be unharmed as he walked back to the board to retrieve his darts and pointed towards him.
Smith-Neale then tried to fight back at his rival – only for a man to jump in and push him against the wall.
Security cameras at the Warwickshire stadium on Saturday night captured the embarrassing scenes.
Meanwhile, the National League clash between Southend and Dagenham & Redbridge was on the TV in the background.
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PDC Tour Card holders are covered by the Darts Regulatory Regulations (DRA) for all darts activities and must behave appropriately whenever they play, regardless of level.
Smith-Neale was slammed by fans, with one saying: “Terrible attitude, now he’s also going to have his tourist card revoked and rightly so.”
Another wrote: “Complete idiot and should be banned.”
Between 2010 and 2018, Smith-Neale held a PDC Tour Card but was never able to do enough to qualify for an Ally Pally appearance.
The Coventry-born hurler has twice lost in the early rounds of the BDO World Championship, once at Lakeside in 2019 and then at the O2 Indigo Club a year later.
But the highlight of his career came when he won the £25,000 Winmau World Masters 2018, beating Glen Durrant in the final at Bridlington
Expert Paul Nicholson previously said Smith-Neale had a “tarnished reputation”.
He told Sporting Life back in January 2023: “In all the time I’ve been involved in the sport, I’ve never known anyone as universally unpopular with the hurling fraternity as Adam Smith-Neale.
“And that says something considering the competition for that honor.
“He’s got a tarnished reputation, to put it mildly, because of the way he’s behaved away from Oche, and now he’s got a chance to try and fix that.
“However, there is a target on his back and when he is in action on the Pro Tour, many players will want to take him out and shut him up.
“The fans don’t like him and have even started a petition to have his Tour Card revoked. I can’t remember this happening to anyone else.
“When he played at Lakeside on crutches with a broken leg a few years ago, a lot of the players laughed because he was the one who jumped on Simon Whitlock once and damaged his ankle. It hasn’t been the same since.
“Don’t get me wrong, The Big Dog is a great player with a lot of confidence, but he has a reputation to repair and two years to do it.
“He has to behave himself because when more players find out what he has done to others in the past, they will want to step on him. Darts players stick together like a family.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education