Darts legend John Lowe has launched an attack on Gerwyn Price for turning the PDC World Championships into a "pantomime".
The Iceman controversially wore ear protectors during his crushing 5-1 defeat to Gabriel Clemens in the quarter-finals at Ally Pally in an attempt to block out noise from the crowd.
Price claimed he is considering quitting the biggest tournament in darts as a result of the reception he continues to receive, although the social media post has since been deleted.
Lowe, 77, claims Price brought the hostility upon himself and had very little sympathy for the former world No.1 as he was sent packing by Clemens.
Writing on Facebook, he said: “I do not like sitting on the fence... my first reaction when he came out with them on in the fifth set was to smile. A joke, I thought – then I realised he was for real. It was intentional. A bigger smile – he had managed to turn the biggest event in world darts into a pantomime.
“The it all went wrong: the defenders kept slipping on his head, they only lasted for that one set, and the next set – which was the last – he lost 3-0.
“The joke was over for Gerwyn, the player who said he didn't care what the crowd thought, or what they did, it didn't bother him – but they had quite clearly won. The real truth is he did not play well enough to bother Gabriel Clemens after the first set. The German outclassed him.
“As for the crowd's behaviour towards Price which resulted in him wearing ear plugs (even under the defenders), that began at the Grand Slam in 2019.
“Price was fined £21,500 [later reduced on appeal] for bad behaviour, first to Simon Whitlock and then to Gary Anderson in the final.
“Gerwyn openly said, 'They don't like it up 'em' – he should have realised both those top players had many loyal supporters in the audience and the paying fans do not forget.
“Clemens had massive support from his German fans at Ally Pally, Price was outclassed on stage, outnumbered in the audience, what he did have was how own karma at fault.”
His comments were echoed by Sky Sports pundit John Part, who added: “I was stunned. I was already feeling low with a bit of a bug. That kind of woke me up a little. I thought I’d taken too many drugs.
“I really didn’t know what was going on. I never expected to see anything like that.
“I think it was a strategy, but if it was a strategy, that backfired. It was never going to work. I don’t think it should ever have happened.”
