Adam Smith-Neale banned for eight months following assault on opponent

Adam Smith-Neale has been banned from professional darts for eight months after assaulting an opponent at a local tournament.

The incident took place during the Nuneaton Darts Open on March 9, with CCTV footage showing Smith-Neale striking his opponent in the face at the end of the match.

The 30-year-old, who is a PDC Tour Card holder, was subsequently been suspended from attending or competing in DRA sanctioned events pending a hearing.

At the hearing, Smith-Neale accepted the charges and claimed that he had felt threatened by his opponent, which was why he punched him, a plea which was not accepted by the committee.

The committee imposed the sanction of an eight-month ban on Smith-Neale from any DRA sanctioned events, backdated to start from March 12.

This means that Smith-Neale is unable to participate in any PDC events until November 12, 2024.

Smith-Neale notably won the Winmau World Masters in 2018 before regaining a PDC Tour Card at Qualifying School last year.

The world number 87 has been no stranger to controversy over the years, with multiple fans complaining they had been left out of pocket over dartboards and other merchandise they had agreed to purchase from him.

Prior to the 2019 BDO World Championship, he suffered a broken leg after a ‘fall’ following a tournament in Italy.

He played his preliminary round match at Lakeside on crutches, using both during his walk-on and using his right crutch while throwing, but was beaten 3-0 by New Zealand’s Mark McGrath.

Adam Smith-Neale at his tricks again …
a local open getting beat by a county player. Clearly can’t take it !

What do you think about this @OfficialPDC @AlanWarriner @TheAsset180 @KDeller138 ? pic.twitter.com/889iddZSTb

— John Connelly (@JohnCon29930717) March 11, 2024