Darts’ pantomime villain Gerwyn Price says he would ‘rather not even go to Ally Pally’ for the World Championship after wearing EAR DEFENDERS to drown out jeers
- The Welsh star has had a difficult relationship with the raucous Ally Pally crowd
- The 2021 champion had previously claimed he might never compete in the event again
Gerwyn Price has admitted he hates going to Alexandra Palace for the PDC Darts World Championship and claimed he would have won the event several times if the tournament had taken place elsewhere.
The former Welsh rugby player has had a difficult relationship with the venue and last year wore earmuffs to drown out the cheers of a hostile Ally Pally crowd.
Price, whose only world title came in 2021, later claimed he was 'not sure if I will ever play in this event again'.
And the Iceman risks further upsetting the raucous darts public ahead of the 2024 World Championship by admitting the famous London venue is not his favourite.
“If I could pick him up and take him to Wolverhampton I would already be a multiple world champion,” Price said. Air sports.
Gerwyn Price famously wore earmuffs during the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship
The world number 1 wore the headgear during the quarter-final of the PDC World Championships
Price later switched to a pair of quieter earbuds in an attempt to block out the crowd noise
'For me it's about the longevity of the tournament. It's like playing four different tournaments in one tournament.
“You go through your first round and then when you come back it's like playing another tournament, so it's not my favorite, it's not my favorite format. I hate playing the set format so I have to grin and bear it.
'I would rather win any other major and not even go to Ally Pally. That would do me good.'
Price bizarrely tried to block out the crowd noise by donning a pair of earmuffs midway through his quarter-final against Gabriel Clemens at the 2023 tournament.
He later swapped the big defenders for less bulky earplugs, but they didn't have the desired effect as he crashed out of the competition with a defeat to the German.
Price was embroiled in further controversy when Sky Sports was forced to apologize to viewers after making a gesture that could have been construed as insulting to people with disabilities during his win over Jose de Sousa.
The world number 5 will play either Connor Scutt or Krzysztof Kciuk in the second round of this year's event, which starts on December 15.
There is a total prize pool of £2.5 million, of which £500.00 will be awarded to the winner.
England's Michael Smith is the reigning world champion after beating Michael van Gerwen in an epic final, in which Smith hit a nine-darter after the Dutchman failed with his own attempt in the same leg.
Price's comments about not liking the location are likely to upset the Ally Pally crowd even more