Cross will check out to beat online bullies

ROB CROSS has warned social media is becoming a no-go area for darts stars because online abuse is “getting way out of hand”.

Former world champion Cross faces Nathan Aspinall, Joe Cullen and Jonny Clayton in group two of the PDC Home Tour semi-finals tonight admitting he could quit Twitter again because of vile comments from keyboard pond life.

After winning both his Home Tour groups to date – despite losing his grandfather to the Covid-19 virus – Cross has been on the receiving end of scurrilous abuse.

Peter Wright, Jelle Klaasen, Kyle Anderson and Paul Nicholson have also copped fearful stick on Twitter, and now Cross (inset) is calling out the knee-jerk tendency. ‘Voltage’ said: “The charm of darts is that the players are all down to earth. None of us is a diva. “But over the past few weeks it has got so bad online that I think players will stop using social media because it will alienate them.

“I definitely stepped back from social media a couple of years ago when myself and my family were getting death threats.

“You just don’t need that sort of thing, and it’s getting way out of hand.

“I’ve played in the Home Tour despite losing my grandad to coronavirus just a few weeks ago – we’ve had the funeral to deal with, and all the grief – yet after winning both my group stages, my social media has been full of insults.

“I think most of it is people losing bets and then blaming the player for it.

“If I can win this Home Tour it will be nothing short of a miracle, considering what has been going on.”