Why Gerwyn Price got three-month ban and huge fine as Welshman gears up for Luke Littler

is no stranger to darting controversy or confrontation. The Welshman has endured a tense relationship with fans, as well as a number of his rivals during his years at the top of the sport. And there could be more fireworks when he meets on finals night.

Price was perhaps at his fieriest at the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts, where his behaviour over the course of two matches saw him given a suspended ban and a hefty fine. 'The Iceman' clashed with Simon Whitlock and en route to victory, and according to the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA), his actions 'drew an unprecedented number of complaints from members of the public'.

Price was told to calm down by referee Russ Bray during his quarter-final showdown with Whitlock, which finished 16-15 in the Welsh thrower's favour. He celebrated wildly after levelling the match at 10-10, having been behind early on, sparking a bickering match with his Aussie opponent.

There was even more controversy in the final between Price and Anderson. They clashed over claims of slow play and over-the-top celebrations at two points in the contest, and it nearly got physical.

After Price won eight of the last 10 legs to prevail 16-13 and claim the title, he said: "[Anderson] can't handle playing me. He just moans every time I'm doing this, doing that. Concentrate on your own game."

Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle was not impressed, saying: "It was brewing. It got beyond a darts match. It got ridiculous in the end. You shouldn't be touching other players. You shouldn't be backing in, pushing. Gerwyn Price pushes the buttons of other players - that is a fact."

Price was found to have brought the sport into disrepute, and was handed three fines totalling £21,500 by the DRA. Of that total, £8,000 was for his behaviour against Whitlock, £12,000 was for his antics against Anderson, and £1,500 was for fiery social media posts after the tournament. He was also given a suspended three-month ban from darts.

The former world champion, 40, felt that he had been hard done by. "I don't think I deserve any fine at all," he said. "I did nothing different to any other game since day one and my game has not changed thereafter."

Price and Littler will get the Premier League play-offs underway when they meet at The O2 on Thursday night. Littler has won the past two meetings, but prior to that, Price went on a run of six head-to-head matches without defeat.