Ranked: The 10 most hated darts players ever

Darts has been a traditionally masculine game played by men in the pub. Many of today's stars are products of that environment, leading to hatred for certain players from fans and players alike. Here are the most disliked players.

Former player Ted Hankey was jailed for two years for sexual assault caught on camera. The girl was between the ages of 16 and 18.

Hankey had terrible oche rage. To express his anger, he punched the dart board after being jeered by the fans and swung his darts uncontrollably on numerous occasions.

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2021 world champion Gerwyn Price has always been a provocative player at the Oche and has stirred players and fans up with his eccentric celebrations and roars at the crowd.

The crowd has constantly booed his personality, and he even once wore ear defenders to block the crowd out in the 2022 World Championships.

When someone wins as much as Phil Taylor (16 world titles), the crowd will naturally root against you and hope the other player wins.

Outside of darts, Taylor was convicted of indecent assault in 2001 and is famously known for abandoning his two youngest children.

Former world championship runner-up Kevin Painter was known for antagonizing players, and did so mainly with Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. He had many run-ins with Taylor and often tried to check out on Bullseye to annoy him.

In 2005, Taylor hit Bullseye to win the match, and Painter verbally abused Taylor on the stage. In 2008, he and Adrian Lewis were disqualified from an event for nearly fighting on the stage.

A winner of 157 PDC events, Michael van Gerwen, has been hated for winning so much during his career and for his provocative manner when celebrating.

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The Dutchman has made some crazy comments during his career, admitting he can 'hate' players when he's at the Oche and he wants to punch a 'few' players in the face.

After controversially refusing to shake Phil Taylor's hand at the 2002 World Championships, Pete Manley was booed by darts crowds for years.

Many players accused Manley of gamesmanship. He tried to taunt players like Dennis Smith and Adrian Lewis by talking to them while they threw. Wayne Mardle also called him a cheat in his autobiography.

11-time major champion James Wade has bipolar disorder, and his condition has not helped him in some situations.

After beating Japan's Seigo Asada over five years ago, Wade said: "I did it for my country. I kept giving it to him. I wanted to hurt him to his face." He also had instances of shouting in players' faces and refusing to shake players' hands.

Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena is relatively new to the major stage of darts, and he's relishing playing in front of big crowds, much to the disgruntlement of other players.

The Dutchman repeatedly tried to get the crowd roaring at the Dutch Darts Open. His opponent, Joe Cullen, became much angrier and eventually lashed out at the Dutch player.

Adam Smith-Neale was banned for eight months from playing in any darts tournaments in July 2024 after punching an opponent in the face because he lost at an amateur event in Nuneaton in March 2024. The 30-year-old was banned until November 2024.

Barny has been a darts favourite for years, but he made headlines when he apparently said something not so nice to Luke Littler at the 2023 World Championships.

His arrogance in claiming he can reach the final of majors has rubbed players the wrong way, including Nick Kenny, who at the most recent world championships claimed the Dutchman "isn't bothered" about their match.

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