Wayne Mardle has appealed to darts fans not to boo at the Ally Pally this year as the controversy over Fallon Sherrock's place at the PDC World Championships rumbles on.
Sherrock was dubbed the 'Queen of the Palace' after the 2019/20 tournament, becoming a cult hero with the fans as she embarked on a history making run to the third round. Having become the first female player to both appear and win at the sport's showpiece event, she qualified again two years later, but this time was beaten in the first round by Steve Beaton.
This time around though, she seemed to have missed out. Two places were made available to female stars via the Women's Series - with veteran Lisa Ashton and teenage sensation Beau Greaves the two to book their slots.
However, the Professional Darts Corporation handed Sherrock a controversial call-up after concluding that her victory at the inaugural Women's World Matchplay this year was enough to seal her inclusion. Popular pundit Mardle has since criticised the call, but now fears a crowd backlash against the 28-year-old.
"To all those attending the World Darts Championship next week," wrote 'Hawaii 501' on Twitter. "Cheer for the player you want to win, not boo the player you don’t. You guys can make the atmosphere so special. Enjoy."
There is irony in Mardle's pleas, giving crowd jeers were a feature of Sherrock's first run in the Ally Pally, where she beat Ted Evetts and 11th seed Mensur Suljovic before losing to Chris Dobey. Throughout, her male opponents were booed when throwing at the oche, leading to pleas for spectators to be respectful.
Following her dubious call-up, Sherrock made further headlines when she claimed she was "hated" by rivals on the women's tour. Insinuating she had now become a target and made to feel unwelcome, she outlined her intention to seal a permanent place alongside her male counterparts with the main PDC competition.
"I could be the best person in the world and I still get hate or I could do everything wrong and still get it," she said. "I am at a point now where I am like, 'If you are going to hate me, hate me'.
"I am not going to beat around the bush, I even get it with players now and I genuinely don't care anymore. I am at a point where I don't care what anyone does or says to me. It is mostly the women, I am not welcome with the women much anymore."
