Australian darts player Tim Pusey has been banned from using his nickname at Alexandra Palace
Tim Pusey in action(Image: Getty)
World Darts Championship competitor Tim Pusey has been prohibited from using his moniker for the sport’s premier tournament. The Australian dart thrower previously competed under the name Tim ‘The Magnet’ Pusey, but organisers have ruled he cannot use this title when he makes his Alexandra Palace debut, for rather obvious reasons.
When paired with his surname, the Professional Darts Corporation has judged it too risqué and he must either compete without a nickname or select an alternative for his Friday fixture. The 33-year-old’s moniker was prohibited in October, shortly after his qualification for the WDC in December was confirmed. Pusey earned his spot by finishing top of the Australian Darts Association Tour rankings.
Speaking on the Tungsten Tales podcast, Pusey spoke about the nickname: “I don’t have any of that on my shirt. I’ll have to find a new one and maybe we’ll have to put it to a poll and get something.
Tim Pusey has qualified for the World Darts Championship for the first time in his career(Image: Getty)
“It’s hard because anything can be turned (laughs)… at the moment I don’t have any and the chants can be colourful.”
Supporters have since mockingly criticised the decision to ban his nickname. “Utter woke bo******,” commented one.
“What a joke of a decision,” declared another. “The world’s gone mad,” stated one.
Tim Pusey throws(Image: Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
talkSPORT presenter Ally McCoist burst into laughter live on air with host Jeff Stelling when Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil proposed new nicknames for Pusey. ‘Galore’ and ‘Brazilian’ were suggested by the presenting pair on air, leaving McCoist in stitches when responding to the suggestions.
McCoist then offered his own suggestion, proposing that Pusey adopt the nickname ‘Octo’. “Oh, man, alive, that’s brilliant. I’d have went for Octo,” he declared.
“You can’t beat a good nickname to get me going, I’ll tell you. But that was funny. I did enjoy that.”
Pusey isn’t the sole darts player who has been compelled to abandon his nickname after officials banned it. English arrows ace Owen Bates previously went by ‘The Master’ as his moniker but has since ditched it completely.
Whilst there are no formal regulations on WDC nicknames, the PDC can forbid “offensive, vulgar or inappropriate nicknames”.
Bates has previously discussed the nickname controversy. “The whole master thing was a great laugh, to be fair,” Bates explained on the Double Top Dart Shop YouTube channel.
Tim Pusey celebrates(Image: Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
“It started out as a bit of a laugh and a bit of fun, which is the way it should be. When I picked it, I didn’t expect to get on TV.”
A record-breaking £5m prize fund awaits competitors this year, with an incredible £1m up for grabs for the champion. Any player achieving a nine-darter will pocket a tidy £60,000, whilst a fortunate supporter will also collect £60,000.
