Cameron Menzies has issued a heartfelt apology after an emotional and chaotic exit from the PDC World Darts Championship, following his first-round defeat by debutant Charlie Manby at Alexandra Palace.
The Scottish number 26 seed was beaten 3-2 in sets after leading 1-0 and 2-1, with 20-year-old Manby holding his nerve to land his seventh match dart and book a famous win on his Ally Pally debut. But the post-match scenes quickly became the main talking point.
As Manby celebrated, live firework sparks shot out across the stage. In a moment that largely went unnoticed in the immediate aftermath, Menzies placed his hand over the sparks in an apparent attempt to suppress them, likely burning his hand in the process. Moments later, clearly overwhelmed, the 36-year-old punched the drinks table on the stage three times, cutting his right hand badly and leaving blood visibly pouring from the wound.
Menzies held his hand up in apology to the crowd as he left the stage and was escorted away by officials. He later released a statement taking full responsibility for his actions.
“First of all, I would like to apologise for what happened. I am sorry that I reacted in the manner that I did,” Menzies said. “It’s not an excuse, but I have had a lot of things on my mind recently and I suppose it all just became too much at the end.”
Menzies revealed he has been dealing with the recent death of his uncle Gary, explaining that had he beaten Manby, his next match would have fallen on the day of the funeral.
“That hasn’t been lost on me,” he added. “But let me say again, that’s no excuse. It was the wrong thing to do and I don’t want it to take anything away from Charlie. He played well.”
PDC chief executive Matt Porter confirmed the incident will be reviewed by the Darts Regulation Authority but stressed that player welfare remains the priority, with support available through the PDC and PDPA.
Former world semi-finalist Wayne Mardle also weighed in, saying on Sky Sports: “The frustration boiled over, but you’ve got to control that. You can’t do it anywhere, let alone on the biggest stage of them all.”
It is the second successive year Menzies has exited in the first round at Ally Pally, after an emotional defeat in 2024 when he later revealed his father was seriously ill. For now, the focus will be on recovery, reflection, and ensuring a deeply human moment does not define his career.
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