Coventry PDC darts star suspended after punching opponent in face at Nuneaton match

Coventry darts player Adam Smith-Neale has been banned for eight months for assaulting an opponent after losing a match at a club in Nuneaton. At the time, footage emerged of the incident at the Lucky Break Bentley Road Pool and Sports Bar and showed him “bumping” into an opponent who had hit a game-winning double.

Smith-Neale, ranked 82nd in the world, has been suspended by the Darts Regulatory Authority (DRA) pending a hearing. This hearing was held on May 15 by the DRA disciplinary committee.

A statement on the DRA website said Smith-Neale accepted the charges against him but claimed he felt threatened by his opponent, which is why he punched him.

READ MORE: Hurt and shaken family left ‘unable to sleep’ after horror Exhall crash

READ MORE: Aldi’s £5 school uniform bundle is back but Specialbuy shoppers need to hurry

This was not fully accepted by the committee and he was banned from professional darts for eight months.

It means he cannot play or participate in any events until November 12th. Nicknamed the Big Dog, Smith-Neale regained his Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) Tour card in 2023, paving the way for him to play at the highest level.

Full statement of DRA

The full statement reads: “The Darts Regulatory Authority (DRA) Disciplinary Committee met for a hearing on 15 May 2024 to consider a case involving Adam Smith-Neale.

“The case relates to allegations of assault and threatening behavior by Smith-Neale. On 9 March 2024, Smith-Neale played a match in the Nuneaton Darts Open at Lucky Break Sports and Pool Bar in Nuneaton. After Smith-Neale lost the match, his opponent offered him his hand and Smith-Neale punched him in the face.

“The incident was caught on CCTV and attracted considerable media attention. Smith-Neale has been suspended by the DRA pending a hearing.

“At the hearing, Smith-Neale. he accepted the charges against him and claimed that he felt threatened by his opponent, which is why he punched him. This was not fully accepted by the committee.

“The committee subsequently gave their decision in writing and the sanction imposed is that Smith-Neale is banned from playing or being involved in any capacity in any DRA sanctioned event for a period of 8 months. This ban is backdated to start on March 12. 2024, this being the date of its initial suspension by the DRA. This means Smith-Neale cannot play or participate in any events until November 12, 2024.

Sign up here for our FREE daily newsletter for all the latest news on Coventry.