Referee forced to intervene as Charlie Manby and James Hurrell clash at UK Open

A heated clash between Charlie Manby and James Hurrell was one of the big talking points from the opening day of this year's UK Open.

The multi-board event at Butlin's Minehead Resort, which takes place from March 6-8, will see 126 PDC Tour Card holders compete against 16 amateur qualifiers and a further 16 players from the Winmau Challenge and Development Tours.

On Friday afternoon, the first four rounds took place across eight stages.

Charlie Manby, who made a name for himself at the most recent World Championship, secured wins over Stefan Bellmont and Tyler Thorpe to secure a place in the third round against James Hurrell.

It was a feisty contest between the pair, and Manby appeared to irk his opponent with some of his on-stage celebrations towards those in the Minehead Resort crowd.

In fact, just moments after Manby secured his spot in the fourth round with a 6-4 win, the pair engaged in a heated confrontation after Hurrell put his fingers to his ears.

The referee eventually had to intervene and could be seen trying to guide Manby away from a furious Hurrell.

Needle on Board Seven! 👀

Charlie Manby wins a feisty affair against James Hurrell to book his spot in round four, averaging 99 in the process!

Live Scores & Streaming https://t.co/gFQK4rQ2wU#UKOpenDarts | R3 pic.twitter.com/4CbOh48EW8

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 6, 2026

One fan commented on the footage, saying: "Why did he have his fingers in his ears? Was he not happy with how loud Manbys fans were?" while another commented: "Hurrell was rattled by Manby's antics in the game and by the crowd. All a bit silly."

Shortly after Hurrell left the stage, Manby decided to celebrate wildly in front of those in attendance.

Charlie Manby returned to working as bricklayer after World Championship

Manby walked away from the Alexandra Palace with £60,000 in prize money after reaching the World Championship last 16, but soon returned to his day job as a bricklayer in Huddersfield.

"For the past three years, I have been doing this job. It has been my main income and I actually enjoy it," he told ITV in January.

"It's a good laugh on the site and you are getting a good week's wage at the end of it as well. You've always got something to fall back on if the darts doesn’t go your way."

Manby's boss on site, Sam Booth, was full of praise for the youngster.

"He's just a character," said Booth. "He's that guy who brings a smile to everybody's face. When things might be getting a bit tough, he will be there making everybody laugh. That is what he is like. Just a good all-round guy."