Adam Smith-Neale’s long and tumultuous darts career has been nothing short of dramatic, and it all began with a reckless twist ahead of his Lakeside debut in 2019.
The then-25-year-old rising star had defied the odds by winning the prestigious World Masters as an 80/1 outsider the previous year. Expectations were high as he prepared for his moment on the big stage at the BDO World Darts Championship until he arrived at the event nursing a broken leg.
Smith-Neale’s injury, sustained in November 2018, was still healing by the time the tournament kicked off in January 2019. However, it wasn’t just the injury that left fans stunned it was how it happened. The darts bad boy admitted he had broken his leg in a drunken fall after a tournament in Italy.
Despite his compromised condition, Smith-Neale refused to miss out on the tournament, even though it was clear he couldn’t perform at his usual level. With his leg tightly strapped and relying on crutches to make it to the oche, his campaign was over before it even began. His first-round opponent, Mark McGrath, breezed through the match with a dominant 3-0 win, claiming all nine legs with ease.
But this was just the beginning of Smith-Neale’s rollercoaster career, which would be marred by controversy.
In 2024, he was hit with an eight-month ban after physically assaulting an opponent. The shocking altercation took place at an amateur event in his hometown in March, following a bitter defeat. After losing the match, his opponent, Sam Whittaker, extended a handshake only for Smith-Neale to respond with a punch to the face.
A stunned Whittaker, seemingly unharmed, retrieved his darts and made a gesture toward Smith-Neale, who then attempted to confront him again. A bystander intervened, pushing him against a wall. The entire incident was caught on CCTV, leading to Smith-Neale’s suspension from all Darts Regulation Authority (DRA)-sanctioned events until November 12.
This wasn’t the first time his behavior had sparked outrage. In 2011, his antics took a bizarre turn when he playfully jumped on Simon Whitlock’s back, only to leave the Australian star with a broken ankle.
Over the years, Smith-Neale’s reputation has become increasingly polarizing, with some fans even calling for him to be banned from professional darts entirely. When he secured his PDC tour card in 2023, a petition titled “Remove Adam Smith-Neale from the Professional Darts Corporation” surfaced on Change.org, amassing 184 signatures.
Former player and talkSPORT commentator Paul Nicholson didn’t hold back when addressing Smith-Neale’s troubled image.
“In all my years in the sport, I’ve never seen anyone as widely disliked in the darts community as Adam Smith-Neale,” Nicholson said in 2023. “And that’s saying something, given the competition for that title.
“He’s got a tarnished reputation, to put it mildly, because of his actions off the oche. Now, he has the chance to redeem himself but he’s got a target on his back. Players will be eager to take him down on the Pro Tour and silence him for good.
“The fans don’t like him. They even started a petition to strip him of his Tour Card I don’t think that’s ever happened before.
“When he turned up at Lakeside on crutches with a broken leg, many players were laughing, remembering that he was the same guy who once jumped on Simon Whitlock and injured his ankle. Whitlock has never been the same since.”
Despite his checkered past, Smith-Neale made a controversial return to the sport in January, competing at the PDC UK Q School. However, his comeback was short-lived, as he crashed out in the last 32.
Only time will tell if Smith-Neale can salvage his career or if his reckless reputation will continue to define him.
