Security had to keep angry Daryl Gurney away from Gerwyn Price: "He was ready for a nice, friendly chat!"
PDC
The first-round encounter between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney at the 2025 World Matchplay produced fireworks both on and off the oche. Yet while emotions ran high, and even security had to step in, there was an enforced calm during the official post-match interviews. Despite the heated scenes, the PDC barred any questions relating to the incident.
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In the podcast by Darts Draait Door, host Damian Vlottes and former top pro Vincent van der Voort offered a candid and colourful breakdown of what transpired between the two fiery competitors.
“Price versus Gurney… that’s nothing new,” Vlottes began. “We’ve seen this before—remember the Premier League clash? But then they were all loved up again at the World Cup. That was hugs and kisses all around. Today? Far from it.”
Van der Voort agreed. “They hated each other a little more today,” he deadpanned.
Tension Brewing From the Start
From the early stages of the match, it was clear the atmosphere was charged. “You could tell Gurney was already starting to wind things up,” Vlottes said. “Constantly provoking.”
Van der Voort added, “There was a bit of mimicking, body language… you could feel the tension rising between them.”
After the match, Van der Voort caught a brief word with Gurney. “I only spoke to Daryl afterwards. All he said was, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’ He was angry—really angry. There was no calm conversation. He made it clear he’s not a fan of Price.”
The flashpoint came immediately after the match concluded. “He gave him the handshake, very firmly,” said Vlottes. “I thought it was a fantastic moment to watch. Then Price said something, Gurney looked taken aback and stormed off the stage.”
A photo shown to Vlottes later confirmed the aggressive nature of the handshake. “You could see how intense it was.”
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It was a heated clash Monday night between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney at the World Matchplay
Security Intervenes Backstage
But the confrontation didn’t end there. Price was scheduled to give a post-match interview with TalkSport, held in the same media booth used by other broadcasters.
“Gurney was literally at the door with his head round the corner,” Vlottes recounted. “Two security guards had to hold him back. He clearly wanted to confront Price again.”
Van der Voort laughed: “He was ready for a nice, friendly chat!”
The frustration was obvious. “He came in swearing,” said Vlottes. Van der Voort confirmed, “He was absolutely fuming. Still insisting he did nothing wrong, that it was all on Price. But I imagine Price would say the opposite. There’s so much emotion involved. I don’t mind it though, adds spice to the sport. As long as it doesn’t turn physical, this sort of tension has its place.”
Van der Voort wasn’t surprised at Gurney’s antics. “He was at it throughout, gesturing, little games. That’s fine. But to blow up like that straight after the match… clearly a lot of bottled-up frustration. It’s unfortunate, but at least we’ve got something to talk about now.”
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Vlottes pointed out that Gurney, once ranked world number three, is always up for a battle against the elite. “When he plays a big name, he goes all-in. Mind games, the lot.”
No fight but who would win?
Thankfully, things didn’t escalate into a physical altercation, though the podcast duo did joke about the hypothetical.
“You’d think Price would win,” said Vlottes.
“But you told me Gurney’s pretty strong too.”
“He is,” Van der Voort nodded. “But being strong and being able to fight aren’t the same thing. Honestly, no idea who’d come out on top!”
Van der Voort found one aspect particularly striking. “What’s funny is how people get even more worked up the moment they’re held back. The angrier they get, the more dramatic it becomes.”
Vlottes agreed: “Exactly. Once there are security guards between them, suddenly everyone finds their voice.”
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In the midst of the chaos, Michael van Gerwen made a brief attempt at mediation.
“He came out of the players’ room, he had to play next and said, ‘Come on lads, calm down in the corridor,’” Van der Voort shared.
Vlottes laughed: “That was like pouring oil on the fire.”
Press Conference Silence raises eyebrows
Despite the incident dominating social media and TV coverage—Sky Sports gave it a full post-match breakdown featuring Wayne Mardle, the official press conference was off-limits.
“No questions about it were allowed,” Vlottes revealed. “We had plenty lined up, but we were told not to ask. That wasn’t the journalists, it was the PDC’s decision.”
Van der Voort was critical: “That’s where they fall short, in my opinion. It’s a shame. Sport is emotion, and this sort of thing happens in every sport.”
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Vlottes recounted speaking to a young journalist after the conference. “He said, ‘We were treated like mugs.’ No one dared ask anything, they weren’t allowed.”
Van der Voort wasn’t surprised. “Emotion is part of sport. There’s passion, sometimes it spills over. But this doesn’t bring darts into disrepute, it’s just part of the game.”
They pointed to examples from other sports, kickboxing, football, even tennis where similar spats are openly discussed.
“In those sports, it’s fair game to talk about,” said Van der Voort.
Vlottes chimed in, “Except here.”
“Exactly,” Van der Voort said. “Not here.”
“Very strange,” Vlottes added.
“You really do wonder,” Van der Voort concluded. “They’re absolutely allergic to anything negative. Scared stiff. Just let people talk about it, it’s part of the drama.”
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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