Minority ruin great night of darts

Adrian Lewis knew he was going to be in for a tough ride when he was drawn to play Scotsman Gary Anderson in Glasgow in the Premier League of darts.

But he would have had no idea just how tough a ride it would be.

Not content with putting him off by booing as he threw, they threw a pint of beer over him and even launched coins at him while he was throwing.

PDC crowds are, generally, fantastic. They get behind their man and get involved in the game, unlike the stale affair that is the BDO.

Booing isn't great for the game, but it does help provide a good atmosphere, keeps the crowd in the game and is acceptable at certain times.

Some players, like Paul Nicholson and Mervyn King, do themselves no favours with their actions on stage, off-stage comments and general reactions towards the crowd.

But in this case, Lewis had done nothing wrong other than beat Anderson in the World Championship final.

If he had merely been booed, that would have been expected and brushed under the carpet.

But the object throwing, particularly coins, was just unacceptable.

It could have more than just hurt Lewis, it could have killed him.

He would have had no idea it was coming, there was just no need to do it.

Of course, some had had a lot to drink and probably didn't even think before throwing the coins.

But action should be taken against anyone who did it. There are cameras galore at darts venues, surely they will be able to find the culprits.

The majority of the crowd were fantastic. However, the actions of a few brainless idiots have ruined the occasion for the genuine fans there to enjoy the darts and cheer their man on.

The actions of the minority actually affected Anderson more than Lewis.

He was disgusted by it and seemed to concede a few legs because of it. He showed great sportsmanship and should be applauded for how he handled the situation.

It would have been easy for him to play up to the crowd or even ignore it, but he showed his sympathy towards Lewis and has surely gained more fans, both north and south of the border.

Lewis showed great composure to finish off the match, when his temptation must have been to walk off the stage and concede the match.

Scottish darts fans, even Scottish sporting fans in general, are fantastic for getting behind their men.

The scenes during Anderson's walk-on were fantastic, with the crowd creating a cacophony of noise which would leave anyone in awe.

They can help inspire players, as they did for Raymond van Barneveld in his match.

He is loved in Scotland, and received an amazing reception as he took to the stage.

There was a tear in his eye and he is clearly humbled by the support he gets. His match showed how great the fans can be, as they pushed both players on to superb performances.

But they musn't let this spill over into violence.

Make all the noise you want, but don't put people at risk. They are only doing their jobs.

As for the other games, it was good to see Simon Whitlock in form, although it still wasn't enough to stop Phil Taylor.

He seems to be back on top form, although his doubles need improving, and has silenced the doubters.

Barney was fantastic against Webster, and it looks like he is starting to get back near his best. Darts needs a firing Raymond van Barneveld.

James Wade battled the crowd to defeat Terry Jenkins, and the performances of Wade and Lewis shows how players should react when the crowd gets on their backs.

By and large, it was a great night of darts ruined by a handful of people.

They should hang their heads in shame.