Darts star apologises after blasting rival for winning 'Mickey Mouse tournament'

PETER WRIGHT issued an apology to rival Chris Dobey after branding the Masters “Mickey Mouse” and unleashing an extraordinary rant at ITV pundit Chris Mason.

The double World Champion hit out at former player ‘Mace’ after he suggested that Wright shouldn’t be in the Premier League line-up.

Wright, 53, lost his opening clash in Cardiff on Thursday night but showed glimpses of his old class in a 10-8 win over Krzysztof Ratajski in the Masters on Saturday.

He blasted: “I was just shutting Chris Mason up saying that Chris Dobey should be in the Premier League.

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“What’s he won? He won a Masters, a Mickey Mouse tournament, that’s all he’s won.

“Has he won a European, has he won a major, a proper major? He hasn’t. He shouldn’t be in the Premier League.

“Yes he was the better player last year. So what? What’s he won. I’ve won two world finals, two World Cups, two Europeans and Matchplay and whatever else.

“I’ve already said I was lucky to get in the Premier League. The reason I got in the Premier League was because of Luke Humphries winning four tournaments.

“It’s not my fault that everyone else couldn’t try and stop him.

“I’m going to start playing darts properly in the Premier League and shut everyone up.”

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Wright then backtracked on X just a few hours later, saying: “I would like to apologise to Chris Dobey, it wasn't meant to be a dig at him personally, it was about being picked for the Premier League and the criticism about being pick over Chris Dobey. Not that I know if it was a choice between us or not.”

Wright looked back in great form as he led Ratajski 6-0 at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes.

However the ‘Polish Eagle’ gave him a scare before he finally got over the line to win 10-8.

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He added: “I’m not quite happy on stage, nowhere near. But the mindset is there and I feel more determined.

“I’ll show all these boys up in the backroom who think they should be in the Premier League. Work harder, win stuff.”