Don’t criticise Fallon, she’ll make you rich
SMITH DEFENDS SHERROCK INCLUSION AND SAYS: SHE DESERVES PLACE WITH THE BEST – AND SHE BRINGS IN THE SPONSORS, THE VIEWS AND CLICKS
MICHAEL SMITH told the practice-room snipers to stop bleating about Fallon sherrock being handed a place at the top table – because she is making them rich.
‘Bully Boy’ Smith had to recover from 3-0 down to defeat the Queen of the Palace at the Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen at the weekend.
Sherrock, who reached the final last year, was eliminated in the first round at the prestigious US Darts Masters a week earlier, saying she did not “feel comfortable” walking out on stage at the iconic Madison Square Garden.
She is aware of background gripes about her inclusion in World Series events as a triumph of marketing over merit. But Smith, beaten world championship finalist at Alexandra Palace in January, appreciates her pulling power.
And after his 10-6 win over the 27-year-old hairdresser, the world No.4 told Online Darts: “It was a proper test.
“If darts was perfection, no one would watch it. But if you hit a few, miss a few and games turn into a dogfight, it’s entertaining.
“Fallon brings in the big sponsors, she brings in the views and the clicks.
“She’s not here being rubbish, she’s here playing well and competing, so fair play to her and I hope she continues doing that.
“The worst thing is some of the boys who aren’t here are saying she shouldn’t be here.
“If I weren’t here, I’d probably be saying the same, but she generates a lot of money.
“She’s probably generating more than Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright for the PDC, as well as for the boys back home and their future.
“In three or four years’ time, we might be having a tour in America and Canada. She’s generating that because people want to speak to her, they want her there.
“She probably realises it as well, but she’s going to make us boys a lot of money in the future.”
Like Sherrock, Smith has run the gauntlet of online trolls about his displays, notably losing all eight Major TV finals he has reached.
Although his triumph in New York was not classified as a Major, he recognised its significance even if the keyboard warriors did not.
Smith added: “I said to the wife after the US Masters how many people had a tweet written out saying ‘lost another final’ but I finally won it. So a quick delete, then.
“Although it was not a Major you can ask all eight players and they will say that is the tournament they wanted to win.”