Michael Smith saw Raymond van Barneveld come back from 5-2 to send it the distance on his birthday. But the birthday boy was quelled by 'Bully Boy' as he saw off the doyen of Dutch darts 6-5 to reach the Last 16 at the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen.
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Smith spoke afterwards with a gesture aimed at silencing the crowd. But he said that it was more to do with a member of Van Barneveld's entourage annoying him and it was more about shutting him up than anything else.
"It should never have been 5-5. That's what was annoying me. I know it's his birthday and he can go and have a happy birthday backstage. One guy who was with him just wouldn't shut up, that's why I gave it large and pointed to him at the end," said Smith. "He just wouldn't be quiet. Apart from that the rest of you fans were amazing, thank you so much."
"If you watch the game back, treble 20, treble 20 and my shoulder dropped and I was hitting 1 or 5 and was thinking keep them straight. Next leg I went 140, 180 and thought that's how you do it. 5-2 up the foot came off and I went back to dropping the shoulder. At the end of the day, the 83 there was perfect."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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BULLY BOY BEATS BARNEY! 💥
What a game!
Birthday boy Raymond van Barneveld recovers from 5-2 down to level against Michael Smith, but Bully Boy keeps his cool to triumph in a last-leg shoot-out!
🔜 Damon Heta v Mickey Mansell
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