Menzies puts blood on the floor in dark side of darts

The Scot isa wry ex-plumber who wears his heart on his sleeve - why do the Ally Pally crowd enjoy goading him?

- Jonathan Liew

By the time Cameron Menzies finally leaves the arena, the blood gushing from the gash on his right hand has trickled its way down the whole hand, down his wrist, part of his forearm and - somehow - up to his face.

Smeared in crimson and regret, and already mouthing sheepish apologies to the crowd, he disappears down the steps, pursued by a stern-looking Matt Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Darts Corporation.

The physical scars from Menzies’ encounter with the Alexandra Palace drinks table after his 3-2 defeat against Charlie Manby will be gone within a few weeks. Most probably there will be a fine of some sort. What about the rest? Man loses game of darts, punches table three times in fury, goes to hospital, repents at leisure: simple cause and effect. But of course this is not, and this is never, the whole story. Ina way this tale isa kind of parable for elite darts itself, a pub game elevated to the level of a prize fight and even - very occasionally - abloodsport.

Credit, first of all, where it is due. The 20-year-old Manby is clearly going to be some talent: a star of the Modus Super Series who this year posted a mind-bending average of 130.7 on the Development Tour, smashing the previous record held by Luke Littler. This was his debut on the big stage and he owned it.