Gerwyn Price was left red-faced after wearing ear-defenders during his shock PDC World Championships defeat.
Try as he might to blot out the Ally Pally soundtrack, the Iceman crashed out of the PDC World Championship quarter-finals in a shock 5-1 defeat by German giant Gabriel Clemens. And in an emotional outburst on Instagram, Price threatened to boycott playing at the iconic London venue again.
He said: “Not sure I will ever play in this event again. So frustrating, you play all year round preparing for this one tournament. So gutted I wasn't let play but good luck everyone left in Not sure I will ever play in this event again.” This traumatic loss will knock Price off his perch as world No.1 – and the astonishing sight of a former champion clamping industrial ear defenders over his lugholes was unprecedented.
Shellshocked fans at Alexandra Palace responded to a desperate gimmick by chanting: “What the f****** hell is that?” Price had been given permission by the Professional Darts Corporation to use ear protectors before his easy third-round win against Raymond van Barneveld.
But it was still a remarkable image, in a building swarming with fancy-dress comedians, to see a top player come to the party dressed as one of Doctor Who's feared Cybermen adversaries. Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle said: “Gerywn was toying with wearing ear defenders in earlier rounds, which shows there's a bit of frailty there. Obviously, he is feeling the pressure and not feeling confident.
“When you put on these over-elaborate ear defenders, you are doing it for the crowd. You are saying, 'This is me saying to you: Just shut up, keep quiet, keep out of it'. But even with earplugs and ear defenders, they were still booing him. It didn't make any difference.
“The bottom line is that Clemens was the better player, almost from start to finish. Absolutely amazing.”
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Price brought out the ear defenders when he was 3-1 down and dispensed with them after only one set, settling for airline-style earplugs instead.
In major professional sporting accessories, only Aussie cricket legend Dennis Lillee marching out to take guard with an aluminium bat in a Test match has been more extraordinary.
Apart from dropping the first set, Clemens - whose 99.94 average matched another Ashes legend, Don Bradman - was the vastly superior player. With more than 600 German fans in the stalls roaring their man on, Welshman Price must have felt as if he was playing away from home.
And he could have done without the controversy over a momentary pulled face and gesture and gesture, during his fourth-round win against Jose de Sousa, which prompted Sky Sports to apologise on air. Price showed few signs of nerves out of the blocks, taking out the opening set at a 107.36 average with 140 and 110 checkouts.
Then, inexplicably, the Iceman melted. Dropping his darts, shaking his head and doubles going astray, suddenly Price found himself 3-1 down and pulling faces in 50 shades of frustration. His response to crisis was to bring out the ear defenders in an effort to drown out the noise, but it was the futile gesture of a beaten man.
Former locksmith Clemens, 39, was a 250-1 outsider before the tournament and he had never been beyond the last 16 here. But at almost 6ft 5in – only Martin Kleermaker stands taller on the PDC circuit – he almost looks big enough to lean across the oche and plant the arrows in his bed of choice. Clemens will meet Michael Smith in Monday's semi-finals.
