“People just like to write stories” – Daryl Gurney debunks altercation with referee Kirk Bevins
Daryl Gurney isn’t one for the drama—especially when it’s manufactured. After cameras caught him in a tense post-match huddle with referee Kirk Bevins following his 5-3 group-stage exit to Karel Sedláček on Sunday, the Northern Irishman has fired back at the “altercation” headlines with a classic Gurney shrug.
“People just like to write stories.”
The blunt dismissal, dropped in a no-nonsense interview with Darts News this afternoon, has already racked up 150k views on X. Gurney, 39 and fresh off a World Cup triumph with Josh Rock earlier this year, called the whole saga “a storm in a tea cup” and urged fans to “focus on the darts, not the whispers.”
The “incident” that wasn’t
It unfolded in the dying embers of Group E at the Aldersley Leisure Village. Gurney, needing a win to keep his slim knockout hopes alive, fell short against the Czech debutant after Sedláček nailed an 11th-dart double to seal the deal. As the handshake wrapped and darts were yanked from the board, Gurney veered off-script: instead of the usual backstage bolt, he strode straight to Bevins for a 20-second chat.
TV replays showed furrowed brows and animated gestures—Gurney shaking his head, Bevins nodding calmly. No raised voices (mics were off), no wild arm-waving, no dart-throwing tantrums. Eyewitnesses pegged it as “frustrated but civil,” yet social media lit up: “Gurney loses it!” “Ref row rocks Grand Slam!” By Monday morning, outlets from GB News to The Sun were running with “confrontation” clickbait.
Gurney? He saw it coming.
What really went down: The crowd noise culprit
In his first public word on it, Gurney revealed the chat was about “abuse” from the stands—not aimed at him, but loud enough to drown out on-stage calls. Wolverhampton’s 6,000-strong crowd, buzzing for Luke Littler’s looming clash, had been rowdy all session.
“Look, I was fuming after the match—lost fair and square to a lad who deserved it. But I just asked Kirk if he’d clocked the abuse flying around. Shouting, whistling, the lot. Made it hard to hear him calling scores or whatever. He said he couldn’t pick it up over the noise. End of. No row, no aggro. Just two pros talking shop.”
Bevins, the Countdown champ turned ‘Kirkulator,’ backed the version in a quick PDC statement: “Daryl raised a fair point about crowd volume. We’ve got protocols, and it was handled on the spot. All good.” No formal complaints, no follow-ups—just another day in the oche trenches.
Gurney’s frustration? More about the defeat than the decibels. “Sedláček was class—took his chances when I bottled mine. That’s darts. But yeah, the noise didn’t help when you’re trying to focus.”
Gurney’s year: Highs, lows, and zero time for tabloids
The Dubliner’s 2025 has been a mixed bag. Glory in Frankfurt (World Cup gold with Rock) clashed with a slide down the rankings (world #25, his lowest since 2016). Grand Slam elimination marks his third first-round-ish exit in majors this autumn, but he’s not dwelling.
“I’m gutted, yeah. But stories like this? They sell papers. Me? I’ll be back grinding Pros next week. Northern Ireland doesn’t quit.”
His X post this morning (45k likes) summed it: “Lost a game, not my head. Onwards. #SuperNorthernIreland”
The bigger picture: Darts’ crowd control conundrum
Gurney’s aside shines a light on a growing gripe: raucous fans vs. razor-sharp focus. Just last year, Mike De Decker blasted Bevins for ignoring whistles during a Littler thriller. “Why’s the ref even there if he won’t pipe up?” the Belgian fumed. PDC chiefs are mulling mic’d refs and “quiet zones” for 2026—but for now, it’s player beware.
TL;DR for the group chat
Copy-paste:
“Daryl Gurney on ‘ref bust-up’: ‘People just like to write stories’ 😂
Was just a quick chat about noisy crowd after Sedlacek loss. No drama, lads.
Back to the board—Pros next week! #GSODarts #SuperNI”
Bottom line
In a sport where a missed double can spark a thousand memes, Gurney’s keeping it real: beats over beefs. Sedláček advances (and topped Group E after Littler’s slip), but Daryl’s already eyeing redemption. Stories? Let ’em write themselves. The darts? Those are Gurney’s story.
Want the full 90-second Darts News audio (Gurney’s laugh at the end is gold), the Sedláček match highlights, or that viral X thread of “Gurney vs Ref” memes? Say the word. 🎯
