RAGING BULLSEYE
‘Bully Boy’ Smith wants a happy ending at this year’s World Championship after breaking a bone his hand punching a toilet door during a break in last year’s final defeat to Van Gerwen
MICHAEL SMITH wants to shoot his last scene at Ally Pally again – because he played most of the World Championship final with a broken hand.
‘Bully Boy’ Smith was so narked at going 3-0 down against Michael van Gerwen on New Year’s Day that he punched a toilet door in frustration backstage.
The dial on his chunky watch dug into the back of his left hand so hard from the blow that it snapped a bone.
And the undisputed nearly-man of darts – who has lost every major final he’s reached – went on to lose 7-3 while hiding his secret as a one-armed bandit.
Smith, 29, will open his campaign at the William Hill PDC World Championship against Luke Woodhouse or Paul Lim on Sunday – and this time he is determined to make a good fist of it.
He said: “Knowing what I know now about losing finals in major tournaments, I’m more determined than ever to win it this year.
“It was weird playing when the trophy was on stage – every time I walked back from the board I was looking at it and thinking ‘You’re coming home with me, son.’ But I got left behind at the starting gate.
“Out of the seven sets Michael won, I missed darts to win five of them, but every hard-luck story is full of ifs and buts and maybes.
“It was a bit gutting to lose because I got married three days later and it was still a bit raw. I’m not saying my smiles were fake because nobody has to force a smile on your wedding day, but I was grimacing because I broke my left hand in the final.
“When I was 3-0 down, during the break I punched a toilet door out the back in frustration. My watch button dug into the back of my hand and snapped a bone.
“I knew I had done some damage straight away because I couldn’t clench my hand or hold anything properly, so when Barry Hearn presented me with the runner-up trophy I had to cradle it under my arm instead of holding it aloft. I’m just lucky I didn’t throw that punch with my right hand – my throwing arm – because I’m not sure I would have been able to carry on.
“I didn’t mind losing the first two sets because I was never at the races, but I had a chance to go in at the break only 2-1 down and I blew it. That’s why I was so annoyed.
“I only had it X-rayed after I got home a couple of days later and it was still throbbing when I woke up. It was getting sorer and some nice, colourful bruising was coming out.
“There’s no way I was going to my wedding with a pot on my arm – and I was never coming back from my honeymoon in the Dominican Republic with half a tan on one arm!
“This ‘anger management’ inside is something I’ve had since I was 14 or 15 – if I feel frustrated with myself.
“The first major is always the hardest one to win. I believe 100 per cent that it will come – and once it does, hopefully I will turn into another winning machine like Michael van Gerwen.”