Raymond van Barneveld hits out at spitting charge

The five-time world champion was fined 3300 Euros (£2900) for spitting, and further indiscretions in the practice room. The spitting incident alone cost Barney £1900. The Darts Regulation Authority disciplinary committee stated that the Dutchman spat on a camera after defeat to John Henderson at the Grand Prix. But the 50-year-old cited his diabetes as the cause of his spitting misdemeanour. He told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad: "At the end of the game I took a sugar cube because of my diabetes. I spat out what was left of it. " The other £1000 of his charge was for throwing a glass of cola on the practice room oche, and kicking a darts case. Van Barneveld admitted that the allegations were correct. "It was not good behaviour, but I was heavily frustrated," fumed the Dutch darting icon. "Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor did not participate in the tournament, and Henderson had already eliminated Michael van Gerwen. So the road was pretty open for me to finally win that tournament. "And normally I beat Henderson nine times out of ten, just not at that moment, and I really hated that." Van Barneveld reiterated: "Again; what I did wasn't good, but there is nuance to it. With spitting that sugar cube, I think that the practice room is a private space, where you have to be able to do things privately. So to have to pay more than 3000 Euros for this is sour. "Will I appeal? No, I'll just leave it. It has been a while now, and the money has already been written off"