Joe Cullen shows frustration over nasty messages from punters: ''Some messages have been some of the worst I've had since I've been professional''

Joe Cullen received a lot of comments on social media following his defeat in the first round of the European Darts Open against Owen Bates (6-4). 'The Rockstar' received many angry messages from punters, he reported in a statement on Instagram.

The former Masters champion is quite annoyed by all the nasty messages appearing in his inbox. ''Some of the messages I've had this evening have been some of the worst I've had since I've been professional...'', Cullen wrote.

''I'm not meaning to, nor am I enjoying playing the way I am of late'', he continued. ''I never understand why people feel they have the right to speak/write messages to you calling you all the names under sun when you've lost them a couple of pounds. I'll keep working hard and trying to get my game back to where it should be...''

The 34-year-old Englishman is having a disappointing season so far. He reached the final at the Austrian Darts Open, but that was also the only time in 2024 that he managed to get past the last sixteen at a PDC tournament.

''Got so much going on at the minute. I am trying so f**king hard to get some element of form back! Struggling to concentrate properly during games and losing games I should never lose! But that's where things are at the moment. There's no room for feeling sorry for yourself in high end sport!''