Sporting Life
Gerwyn Price lifts the Eric Bristow Trophy (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
Gerwyn Price lifts the Eric Bristow Trophy (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Gerwyn Price proud to lift Eric Bristow Trophy despite the chorus of boos at the Grand Slam of Darts

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Mon November 19, 2018 · 6y ago

Gerwyn Price has spoken of his pride in being the first player to claim The Eric Bristow Trophy following his heated victory over Gary Anderson in the Grand Slam of Darts final.

The unique trophy was renamed in honour of the legendary five-time world champion, who passed away earlier in 2018.

The Crafty Cockney enjoyed something of a love-hate relationship with darts fans during his playing days due to his self-confidence on and off the oche, so some observers felt it almost poetic that the Iceman became the first man to lift his trophy.

Price displayed superb fighting spirit yet again to end Anderson's bid for a first Grand Slam of Darts title but he continually got under his opponent's skin for his bellowing celebrations and histrionics on stage.

With virtually all the crowd cheering for the popular Flying Scotsman, who had previously added his maiden UK Open, World Matchplay and Champions League titles to his glittering CV in 2018, a chorus of boos rang out at the Welshman's moment of triumph and during the trophy presentation.

After becoming the first player from his country to win a major PDC televised title as well as collecting £112,500 in prize money, that lifted him to sixth in the world rankings, Price told www.pdc.tv: "It's pushed me right up the ranking table, the money is good but this trophy - the first ever Eric Bristow Trophy - probably means more to me than anything. Nobody can ever take that away from me.

"I was pretty confident at the beginning of the week and I knew that I had a good chance of getting to the final, and I knew that the final was going to be tough.

"I was chasing Gary for most of the game and I knew if I just stuck with him until the end that there would be a few chances. One or two came along and I took them."

As for the boos, Price stated: "I do what I do because it gets me going - people either love it or they hate it.

"I'm up there to do my own thing. I'm just playing my own game and when I'm on the oche it's my go. I don't rush anybody else who's slow.

"I don't dislike Gary, I just dislike the way that he thinks about me. My game is my game, just play your own."

Following Price's defeat in last month's World Grand Prix quarter-finals, the Iceman had his suitcase stolen on the way home to Wales, including his darts and darts shirts.

That didn't stop the 2017 UK Open runner-up enjoying a good run of form in the European Championship and World Series of Darts Finals in the build-up to his Grand Slam triumph.

"I've had a new set of darts which took a lot of pressure off me," Price added. "If I'm winning, I'm winning and if I'm not, I'm not - they're new darts.

"I lost my suitcase but from that point on I've built a bit of momentum and built a bit of confidence - I hope I don't find my suitcase now!

"Everything's going well. Winning builds confidence."

Price is back in action again at this weekend's Players Championship Finals as he opens up against Krzysztof Ratajski in Friday's first round in Minehead.

"We've got the Players Championship Finals and that's going to be a tough tournament," he said.

"It's a long weekend but I'm building - there's a lot of confidence coming off this and I'm confident for the World Championship.

"I'm looking forward to the next two tournaments, it's going to be good."

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