{"id":217640,"date":"2023-12-15T11:16:45","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T11:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/?p=217640"},"modified":"2023-12-15T11:16:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T11:16:45","slug":"voice-of-darts-russ-bray-admits-his-real-pet-hate-ahead-of-ally-pally-swansong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/sport\/voice-of-darts-russ-bray-admits-his-real-pet-hate-ahead-of-ally-pally-swansong\/","title":{"rendered":"Voice of Darts Russ Bray admits his real pet hate ahead of Ally Pally swansong"},"content":{"rendered":"
  • Bookmark<\/span><\/path><\/path><\/svg><\/path><\/svg><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Offbeat news from the world of sport<\/p>\n

    Offbeat news from the world of sport<\/p>\n

    We have more newsletters<\/p>\n

    Iconic darts ref Russ Bray admits there is one thing that bugs him more than anything ahead of his Paddy Power World Championship swansong. <\/p>\n

    Bray will call at the Alexandra Palace for the final time after announcing his retirement from refereeing after almost 30 years as a top official. Dealing with rowdy crowds \u2013 and occasionally rowdy players \u2013 has been part and parcel of his beloved job over the years. <\/p>\n

    The party atmosphere at the Worlds and in the Premier League is something he dearly loves about the sport. But there is one particular crowd issue that irks the 66-year-old \u2013 known by many as the \u2018Voice of Darts\u2019 \u2013 more than anything else. <\/p>\n

    READ MORE: Darts ref Russ Bray brutally puts disruptive fan in their place during Josh Rock match <\/b><\/p>\n

    READ MORE: Darts legend Russ Bray \u2018winding down career\u2019 with ref set for Ally Pally farewell <\/b><\/p>\n

    \u201cYou get a general noise, but there is one person that will whistle over and above everything else,\u201d he tells Daily Star Sport.<\/b> \u201cThat is my biggest gripe, I hate it with a passion because it goes right through you. <\/p>\n

    \u201cWhat these guys [who whistle] don\u2019t realise is that these lads are playing for an awful lot of money, they\u2019re playing for their dinners, their mortgages, things like that. People just don\u2019t realise that. If you\u2019ve got a bricklayer and you\u2019re going up to him whistling in his ear and stopping him from working, it\u2019s no different.<\/p>\n

    Who are you backing to win the Paddy Power World Championship? Tell us in the comments section below<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cThe rest of it, the singing, that\u2019s all part and parcel of it. It\u2019s just the whistling that really annoys me. You try and shut them up as best you can, but the worst thing you can say as a ref is \u2018don\u2019t whistle\u2019 because then you\u2019ll have 4,000 people start whistling. You have word it carefully and say things like \u2018thank you\u2019 and \u2018best of order\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Bray put one whistling fan firmly in their place at a tournament earlier this year. As Josh Rock took on Stephen Bunting at the German Darts Championship, one fan decided they wanted to be the centre of attention by annoyingly whistling while both players threw.<\/p>\n

    Get your ultimate World Darts Championship 2024 preview here<\/h3>\n

    <\/p>\n

    It's the most wonderful time of the year – and we've got the perfect magazine to get you in the Ally Pally spirit!<\/p>\n

    With this year's PDC World Darts Championship set to be another thriller, Daily Star Sport<\/b> have prepared your ultimate 40-page preview magazine to get you ready for all things arrows. <\/p>\n

    From interviews with Grand Slam of Darts champion Luke Humphries and former world champions Gary Anderson and Rob Cross to in depth features on the PDC's angriest moments and why they start on 501 – we've got you covered.<\/p>\n

    Order yours to buy immediately right here!<\/p>\n

    Bray wasn\u2019t having any of it though. Just after a Rock visit in the third leg, with Bunting 2-0 up, Bray, in his distinctive gravelly voice, said: \u201cYeah, thanks mate, we all know you can whistle, just leave it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The retort triggered laughter in the commentary box while fans lauded Bray\u2019s response while bemoaning the behaviour of the fan.<\/p>\n