Gerwyn Price's fine over Gary Anderson match halved but disrepute verdict upheld

  • By Frank Keogh
  • BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson clashed verbally on several occasions during an ill-tempered final in November

Champion Gerwyn Price's £20,000 fine for his behaviour at the Grand Slam of Darts has been halved - but his appeal over a disrepute verdict was rejected.

An independent panel found the Welshman resorted to gamesmanship in his ill-tempered final against Scot Gary Anderson in November 2018.

He won £110,000 after fighting back to beat the two-time world champion 16-13.

Price must pay £2,325 towards the costs of the appeal and his £1,500 fine for social media comments has been upheld.

"Many of the grounds of appeal were completely without merit and contradicted by papers in the case," said a statement from the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA).

Price and Anderson were referred to the DRA after clashing in the 15th and 28th legs of the final.

The DRA said Price's behaviour "drew an unprecedented number of complaints from members of the public".

But the player does not believe he should have been punished at all.

"I did nothing different to any other game since day one and my game has not changed thereafter," he said earlier this year.

Price clashed with Anderson over what the Scot viewed as slow play and over-exuberant celebrations by his opponent.

Anderson received a formal warning, while it later emerged Price was also investigated over his antics when beating Australian Simon 'The Wizard' Whitlock in the quarter-finals.

Price was found to have brought the sport into disrepute and was fined £8,000 for his behaviour in the quarter-final and £12,000 for the final, both of which have been halved on appeal.

A further fine of £1,500 for comments on social media has been upheld. He was also warned about his future behaviour.

The BBC revealed after the final that a crackdown aimed at deterring gamesmanship in the sport was planned.

In the best-of-31 final, Anderson led Price 11-8, but then lost eight of the last 10 legs.

After the match finished without the customary handshake, Price lifted the winner's Eric Bristow Trophy amid loud boos from the crowd at the Aldersley Leisure Village.