"The way it's been done is absolutely appalling" - Fallon Sherrock offers support to Noa-Lynn van Leuven amidst storm of controversy and criticism

Fallon Sherrock has made an excellent start to the Women's Series. With four tournaments played, she leads the overall standings.

Sherrock won two of the first four tournaments of the Women's Series and reached the semi-finals at the other two. "I feel like my game's there now. The consistency is back and the only thing that is doing me wrong, is my complacency. But the more I play, the complacency is going to go," she told Online Darts recently, explaining how she's already thinking about her Ally Pally return. "It's where I make the scene you know. I work all year to get there and worst case scenario, I don't make it, then maybe look at Lakeside. I've already qualified for it so why not. But yeah, my main objective is the Ally Pally."

In the talk of the women's game recently, there was a lot of controversy surrounding Noa-Lynn van Leuven. The Dutch transwoman has won tournaments on the Women's Series and Challenge Tour over the last few weeks, but also faced criticism from fellow players, with two of her Dutch compatriots refusing to play on the national team alongside van Leuven, with her also the victim of insults across social media.

"You could definitely tell the room was divided and I'll be honest, it wasn't a great atmosphere to be in," Sherrock recalls of the awkward tension in the air at the recent Women's Series events. "I actually went over to Noa a few times, said 'Are you okay? And just keep going, don't let all the haters win.' I sent her messages to make sure she was alright. Because that's what you got to do, pick someone up when all this negativity is circling. I think the way it's been done is absolutely appalling, I think there's ways of doing it and people have gone completely the wrong way about it and it's turned nasty and it should never have turned nasty."

Sherrock herself has experience with criticism via social media. "I got it, but obviously she's getting it 100 times worse. So if I can help her, she should feel better and ignore everyone and just play how she can."