Gerwyn Price’s apology, response to Michael van Gerwen’s ban request, ‘absurd’ threat

Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen are on a collision course to clash in the semi-final of the PDC World Darts Championship.

Price and Van Gerwen are both on the same side of the draw and will face off in the final four if they both beat those in front of them. The two men have a rich and fiery history with each other.

While the focus has been on 17-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler, darts fans will have the many battles that Price and Van Gerwen have had at the forefront of their minds. Wales online looks back at the rivalry between the two men.

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Price’s apology for almost hitting Van Gerwen

During the 2020 Premier League darts campaign, tempers flared when Van Gerwen and Price clashed in Liverpool. The first would emerge victorious from a tense match which would end 7-5 in their favor.

However, it will be remembered that Price almost sent a dart into the side of his opponent’s head. Van Gerwen had barely finished collecting his darts from the board when Price launched his first leg arrow.

Van Gerwen’s header narrowly missed and, although the Dutchman wasn’t too angry about the incident, the entire darts world was surprised by what they saw. The Iceman immediately apologized for what had happened, but Van Gerwen shrugged it off, stating that the former rugby player had done the same thing during their previous meeting in the Open final of the United Kingdom.

Van Gerwen denounces Price’s absurd threats

Price has always had a troubling relationship with the Alexandra Palace audience, who regularly jeer and boo him. This came to a boiling point in December 2022, when he appeared on the Ally Pally stage wearing a gigantic set of ear protection during his match with Gabriel Clemens.

Price would then say he was considering not coming to play, saying: ” I was a little worried; I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was sitting at home at 6 o’clock [on Sunday] and I probably wasn’t going to play the tournament.

However, Van Gerwen did not believe the threat, calling his comments “nonsense.” The Dutchman also added: “With all due respect, Gezzy can also blame himself a little for receiving all the boos. If you keep doing that to the crowd, then you’re going to get it and I keep telling him that.

Price responds to Van Gerwen ban request

The PDC responded to Price’s noise-cancelling headphones incident by banning their use altogether. This news may have pleased Van Gerwen, as the Dutchman previously said players should not be allowed to wear them.

Price finally responded to Van Gerwen and the news by saying, “I wore the noise canceling headphones once and I won’t wear them again.” It’s best to leave it at that if I’m honest with you.

“I’m not a fan of the earplugs Mervyn King wears. I just have to smile and take whatever comes my way like I have done for the last few years, and just play darts.

Handshake refusal

Shortly after nearly impaling Van Gerwen with his dart, Price would find himself on the losing side in their Liverpool clash. Disappointment was etched on the Iceman’s face, as Van Gerwen pumped his fist and celebrated his result.

As the Dutchman approached him to shake his hand or give him a fist bump after the match, Price turned his back on him and walked towards his table. Van Gerwen persisted and the two eventually had a brief embrace on stage.

Yet it was another example of the icy rivalry between the two men, playing out in front of thousands in the arena and millions watching at home.

A rare accord

As the popularity of darts continues to grow, there has been talk that the PDC World Darts Championship could be moved overseas, where wealthy backers like Saudi Arabia could be waiting for it. Given his history with Ally Pally audiences, it was no surprise that Price supported the decision to move the competition overseas.

He wrote on Instagram: “Maybe this is the way forward, less drunken hooligans who aren’t fans, causing fights, which appear once in a blue moon. This ruins/dictates the outcome of the game in what is the most important event of the year for players. If you want that atmosphere, there are four months with the Premier League. People can still have fun without alcohol.

Van Gerwen agreed with his Cardiff counterpart, saying: “[It] it will be great, I think. They want sports to be big in this country. There, you saw the big boxing matches, the football. For me, it doesn’t matter where I play. I’m going to compete, and that’s how it is.

Autograph refusal

Another subject that united Van Gerwen and Price was that of sneaky autograph hunters. Both were approached by fans in Manchester in April, where they were asked for autographs and photos.

While they both posed for selfies with their fans, both men refused to sign anything. Van Gerwen was heard saying “only photographs, please” and “I know what you do with them”. Price was later heard telling a fan: “I won’t sign but I’ll have a picture.” I don’t sign anything.

When a video of the incident was released, Price said, “I’m so happy this was released. These people are the reason we don’t sign things and they are the ones ruining the lives of true darts fans. What we don’t see are hands and bags full of goods… and this guy is filming from a pair of glasses unknown to the players. It shows what kind of people there are there.