The World Darts Championships returned on Wednesday afternoon after a three-day slumber brought on by the Christmas holiday. It will be hard for anything today to top the game between England's Scott Williams and Germany's Martin Schindler, which kicked off proceedings.
It was arguably the game of the tournament so far, with Schindler racing out to a two set lead, only for Shaggy who battled back to win in a tiebreak and claim a spot in the Round of 16 for the first time.
The crowd rose to the occasion, with Schindler receiving plenty of vocal support from the travelling German contingent.
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Sky Sports apologise for Scott Williams darts interview
Speaking to Sky Sports after his victory, Williams lost the run of himself entirely. With the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the proverbial mask slipped, as Williams indulged in the kind of 'banter' you might find in the Daily Express comments section or on the terraces of an England soccer game in the 1990s.
"That was unbelievable. I never had the crowd on my side like that. I know we won two War Worlds and one World Cup but ... the German fans [indistinguishable] was huge. All I could hear was these guys. Oh, what a game!"
If you listen closely, it's clear that Williams got the 'two World Wars' quote backwards in the heat of the moment.
In a social media post on Wednesday afternoon, Williams described himself as "British and Proud!!!!"
What a game, as Scott Williams says after he beats the German number 2. And refers to the World Wars and Cups 😮😮🤣🤣🤣 #pdcdarts #darts https://t.co/j5mavRkqRd pic.twitter.com/W1MYpGMAoC
— Jezza Claret (@J50Claret) December 27, 2023
Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton would apologise later apologise for the comments, saying:
"It was Scott Williams who held his nerve. He is the man who goes through to the last 16 for the first time in his career. He was just a little bit happy with it, wasn't he? We just have to apologise if any of the language offended you there. Emotions were running high here this afternoon."
This is why people love the darts. This is why people hate the darts.
Williams spoke more after the game to the media about today's crowd.
"It was the most intense crowd. Genuinely, I was just so drained from hearing them. I was trying not to join in the chants and stuff, because I'm such a bubbly guy. I want to give them the game that they've paid for."
Williams will either be out again Friday or Saturday to play in the Round of 16.
