Van der Giessen reveals remarkable incident with Van Barneveld at 1999 BDO World Championship: "He was furious with Baxter's wife"

Raymond van Barneveld captured his second world title with the BDO in 1999. At the reception afterwards, a remarkable incident occurred.

Van Barneveld played his second consecutive World Cup final at Lakeside Country Club in 1999. In the final, Barney defeated Englishman Ronnie Baxter. "At the reception afterwards, he spoke the legendary words 'The postman always wins twice', much to the delight of all present," said reporter Arjan van der Giessen in the podcast 'Everybody Loves Darts'.

Incident with Rachel Baxter

Yet it wasn't all laughter at that reception. "It is tradition that the loser gives a gift to the winner. Rachel (the then wife of Ronnie Baxter) came up with a bottle of champagne. She promptly squirted it all over van Barneveld, who was at the reception in his best suit. Raymond first reacted astonished but then became furious and shouted that he was going to kill her. I then jumped in with some other attendees. When I told Raymond that champagne does not stain, he quickly calmed down", Van der Giessen can still laugh heartily about this incident.