Michael van Gerwen “annoyed” by referee Russ Bray during Premier League

Michael van Gerwen “annoyed” by referee Russ Bray during Premier League

Following his defeat in the Premier League’s Night 11 final in Aberdeen on Thursday, Michael van Gerwen says that referee Russ Bray “annoyed” him.

Van Gerwen was defeated 6-5 by Jonny Clayton in the P&J Live final after leading 4-2. As a result, he lost top spot in the league table to the Welshman.

The partisan Scottish crowd booed and whistled Clayton, who had earlier defeated home favourites Gary Anderson and Peter Wright en route to the final.

At different points during the final, Bray was obliged to intervene, but the whistling continued into the deciding leg.

Van Gerwen, on the other hand, looked dissatisfied with Bray’s timing of his “thank you” before his throw, and the two had a heated disagreement at the end of the match.

“I was so annoyed by the referee,” Van Gerwen told Sportnieuws.nl. “I think he put his stamp on this match too much.

“That ‘thank you’ from him to the crowd happens every time I have to throw.

“But I can’t blame that, I just have to learn from this.”

 

Speaking to Dutch broadcasters ViaPlay, MvG added: “It was extremely irritating. I was dissatisfied because of my own game, but the referee made a mistake.

“I have a whistling audience a hundred times a year, that’s part of it, but now every time I wanted to throw it, he turned to say something.

“As a referee he doesn’t have the authority to kick anyone out, and it was clear that one annoying whistler wouldn’t stop. Still he went on. That distracts me.”