"Tinkerbell won't come along and move your darts, horrible mentality and player": Michael Smith fumes over Mickey Mansell's slow play

Michael Smith was left fuming for a multitude of reasons during his European Tour qualifier defeat to Mickey Mansell earlier today that even saw him withdraw from the subsequent qualifier for Gottingen later that day.

Smith was aiming to qualify for the Poland Darts Open which takes place next weekend from February 20-22 but he lost at the final hurdle in Hildesheim after two prior days of action on the Players Championship series.

Smith lost 6-3 to Mickey Mansell and lamented the slow play of the Clonoe Cyclone saying that it shouldn't take 15 seconds between throws for him to retrieve his darts. Being a quick player, Smith of course is more likely to be perturbed about the slow play of someone like Mansell than others.

"Imagine doing that to win a game. Tinkerbell won’t come along and move your darts for you. No need stand looking at the board for 15 seconds. Horrible mentality. And horrible player," wrote Smith on his Facebook page.

Among the leading lights to qualify included Cristo Reyes who makes his European Tour return as well as Connor Scutt, Ritchie Edhouse and Jeffrey de Graaf albeit Peter Wright also will miss his first European Tour ever.

Smith also took the opportunity to showcase how he is struggling with the swelling on his ankle with pictures of his feet which he apologised for on his Facebook but document his issue especially when it comes to flying to somewhere like Hildesheim for a ProTour double header. He also used it to justify the annoyance he faces when he takes on someone like Mansell being so slow and methodical.

"Just want to show what happens now when I travel and what the pressure of the plane does to me. It’s not sympathy or anything it’s just annoying because I put myself through this to play the sport I love and just infuriates me, I have to deal with tactics like that," he added.

"It shouldn’t bother me but it does because it makes me questions myself why do I bother to put up with the pain and suffering to please everyone else over my health. This was Sunday night just after I landed. And this what I have to deal with now for no doubt rest of my life. And I know flying tomorrow, it will be bad again for another few days before it settles again. But please Ignore my trotters by the way."