“I bought 100 tickets before I came here” – Mickey Mansell jokes about unexpected army of German fans

Mickey Mansell may have left the European Darts Open with a second-round defeat, but the Northern Irishman was given an unexpectedly enthusiastic reception during his weekend in Leverkusen.

Mansell opened his campaign at the Ostermann-Arena with a convincing 6-1 victory over Michal Smejda before suffering a defeat by the same scoreline against Nathan Aspinall one day later. His tournament may have ended abruptly, but the chants ringing out during his opening match ensured it was not an entirely forgettable visit.

A section of the crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “Mickey Mansell” as the experienced Northern Irishman closed in on victory over Smejda. Asked afterwards whether he had heard them, Mansell was ready with an explanation.

“I did, surely. I bought 100 tickets before I came here, so that’s how that ended up. They were all the Mickey Mansell fans in that corner,” he joked in an interview with Oche180.

The backing was not merely a source of amusement for Mansell. Although players try to block out the atmosphere and concentrate on the board, he acknowledged that a supportive crowd can still provide an advantage. “Well, it definitely does. If they’re cheering for you, there’s no doubt about it. You’d rather they were cheering for you than against you, you know what I mean?”

It was not the first time Mansell had received a warm welcome in Germany. He was unsure exactly why the crowds had taken to him, but suggested his Irish background could be part of the explanation. “For some reason, whether it’s the Irish thing or whatever, I get a lot of support in different parts of Germany. I’m very grateful for that, but look, you’re trying to stay focused on doing your own thing.”

That balance becomes more difficult when a match reaches its decisive stages and every reaction from the crowd feels louder. “It probably becomes a bigger factor if it goes to 5-5, you know what I mean? Obviously, that’s what you’re trying to stay away from.”

Mansell successfully avoided that tension against Smejda, wrapping up a dominant victory before the contest could become close. Aspinall ended his run just as emphatically in the following round, but the vocal support from the Leverkusen crowd gave Mansell something positive to take away from the weekend.