Darts star in brutal X-rated gesture just moments before suffering heartbreaking loss at Austrian Darts Open
DARTS star Matt Campbell made a stunning X-rated gesture before crashing to defeat at the Austrian Darts Open.
The 35-year-old was facing Dirk van Duijvenbode in the European Tour 5 in Austria.
He had fallen 5-0 behind before he knew what hit him.
But the Canadian managed to fight back to 5-4 to keep the match interesting,
However, Van Duijvenbode was able to deny Campbell a thrilling comeback win by stumbling over the line with a 6-4 win.
It was a frustrating match for Campbell, not just for his defeat, but also for his display as he landed 36.4 per cent of his checkouts.
And at one point, that frustration boiled over into a stunning gesture while he stood at the oche.
While needing a double 16 to win the leg from a 107 checkout, Campbell missed the crucial dart he wanted to score a second consecutive leg.
In response, he abruptly presented a middle finger towards the dartboard before retrieving his arrows.
Five missed match darts from his rival saw him eventually win the leg anyway, not that is curved his heat of the moment reaction.
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Reacting to the remarkable gesture, one fan on social media said: “After missing double 16. Matt Campbell is one of us.”
A second said: “We’ve all been there.”
A third added: “Legend.”
However, Campbell may have landed himself in hot water with the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) over his middle finger gesture.
The darts disciplinary committee has been busy this month after Scott Williams made the same gesture at the German Darts Grand Prix last week.
Premier League star Nathan Aspinall is also facing a fine for using strong language to blast the quality of the darts boards during Players Championship 13.
The DRA’s rulebook, under Code of Conduct 3.14, says: “During Match play Players must not use offensive language or ‘mouth’ any offensive language or be seen to be making offensive gestures.”
The rulebook also states that first-time offenders on the European Tour can land fines of up to £1,000.
You can catch all of the Austrian Darts Open action by following SunSport’s live blog here.