"If I'd been playing now, I'd be fined all the time": Former World Matchplay winner misses fiery personalities like Gerwyn Price in darts

Former World Matchplay champion Peter Evison believes today's top darters have become too nice. According to Evison, there is an urgent need for more fiery figures like Gerwyn Price.

The frequency with which top darters compete against each other, especially in events such as the Premier League, has perhaps toned down the feuds that used to be common. And according to Peter Evison, winner of the 1996 World Matchplay, this has made the game less entertaining. Evison sees players nowadays fooling around and hugging each other more after a match.

He feels the sport lacks fiery personalities and calls on players to be more ruthless, even at the risk of fines. Evison himself was a controversial figure during his heyday, so he knows a thing or two about the subject.

"We need characters like we had in the 80s and 90s, a bit of fun. It's taken too seriously now," he told the Daily Express. "If I'd been playing now, I'd be fined all the time probably.

"Why be pally? At the end of the day, they're taking money off you. These people are playing you and if they beat you, they're taking the bread and butter out of your mouth. I'd rather talk to no-one, get on with no-one and get out there and earn the money for myself. People are too friendly, too nicey-nicey. You've got to be ruthless, I'm afraid."

Price caused quite a bit of controversy especially in his early years, but has mellowed over the years. One of the most famous matches in which Price caused consternation was the 2018 Grand Slam final against Gary Anderson. It ultimately earned "The Iceman" a fine of 11,500 pounds.

"Gerwyn Price, that's the way you've got to be," added Evison. "They've [the PDC] changed him. They've told him not to act like that, do this, do that.

"If I was him, I'd act like that, pay my fine. I wouldn't care, as long as I was getting up people's noses and winning. He's a character of the game."