Daryl Gurney Confronts Referee in Heated Grand Slam of Darts Incident

A visibly frustrated Daryl Gurney could be seen confronting referee Kirk Bevens, just moments after being knocked out of the Grand Slam of Darts.

The 39-year-old, who is currently ranked number 24 in the PDC Order of Merit, was eliminated from Group E on Sunday after suffering a 5-3 defeat to Czech opponent Karel Sedlacek.

Gurney was far from happy with the outcome. In fact, as soon as the game ended, the two-time major winner headed straight over to referee Kirk Bevens.

A tense exchange between the pair followed and, according to a report from Darts News, eyewitnesses described Gurney as "clearly agitated" during the heated incident.

Gurney eventually walked away and could be seen shaking his head as he walked off the WV Active Aldersley stage in Wolverhampton. He reportedly refused to take part in any post-match interviews.

Gurney's actions could land him in trouble with the PDC, who are renowned for enforcing strict rules on player conduct and respect for officials.

A report from The Sun on Sunday claims the PDC were not aware of the situation involving Gurney on stage, but similar incidents involving others in the past have led to a fine or other punishments.

Gerwyn Price received biggest-ever darts fine at Grand Slam of Darts

Price was hit with a £21,500 fine and a suspended three-month ban for his behaviour during the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts.

The Welshman was found to be in breach of the Darts Regulation Authority rules and was fined £8,000 for his behaviour against Simon Whitlock, after he had to be warned by referee Russ Bray to calm down during the quarter-final clash.

😯 @GezzyPrice has been handed a punishment from the Darts Regulation Authority for THIS behaviour at the Grand Slam of Darts... 😯

Full details here: https://t.co/qfFlyLYwzM pic.twitter.com/KXfXY2h3v2

— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 23, 2019

Price was also fined £12,000 for his behaviour in a bad-tempered final against Gary Anderson, who pushed the former rugby player after being "significantly provoked" by Price, according to the DRA.

Speaking after his win over Anderson, Price said: "He can't handle playing me. He just moans every time that I'm doing this, doing that. Concentrate on your own game. I'm throwing my darts. He needs to wait for his turn, hold back. He doesn't like it with a little bit up him."

Price was also fined £1,500 for his social media posts, but several months later, his £21,500 fine was halved.