Sky Sports to ditch Eric Bristow from darts coverage after he caused Twitter storm labelling footie sex victims as ‘wimps’
The five-times world champ said if he was touched when he was kid he would have "sorted the p**f out"
DARTS legend Eric Bristow is set to be dropped by Sky Sports as a pundit after saying that if he was touched when he was kid he would have "sorted the p**f out".
The five-times world champion tweeted last night that victims of the emerging football sex abuse scandal were not "proper men" like "tough guy" darts stars.
Writing from his official Twitter account, Eric Bristow MBE, he tweeted last night: "Might be a looney but if some football coach was touching me when I was a kid as i got older i would have went back and sorted that p**f out.
"U got to sort him out when u get older or don’t look in the mirror glad i am a dart player proper men."
The 59-year-old added: "Darts players tough guys footballers wimps."
It is understood that Sky Sports have held talks this morning about the tweets, and will "not be using him in the future."
Bristow soon found himself under attack from Twitter users who claimed he "must be drunk" and would regret his posts "when he sobered up".
Others accused the sporting hero of being "homophobic", "out of touch", "embarrassing" and a "disgrace".
One even called for him to be stripped of his MBE.
This morning Britstow deleted many of the tweets.
A Sky spokesman said: "He was a contributor to our darts coverage in the past but we will not be using him in the future."
Eric Bristow's website, which advertises his services as an after dinner speaker, claim: "Eric is without doubt one of the most recognisable people in the UK and is a superb consideration for your event."
It adds that he is "an easy ticket seller and his sheer presence will have your clients remembering their experience with one of our countries true sporting legends."
The darts star's comments came after the FA set up an internal inquiry into allegations of sex abuse in football.
PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor said yesterday that over 20 players have come forward with child sex abuse allegations.
The first was Andy Woodward, who waived his right to anonymity to speak about his ordeal at the hands of Barry Bennell, who worked as a coach at Crewe Alexandra.
Anthony Hughes, another victim, also revealed Bennell would invite up to 12 young boys to his house at a time, where he would force them to watch hardcore porn.
An NSPCC hotline has now received over 100 calls related to such abuse.
A “significant” number of other alleged victims of abuse are likely to come forward and other sporting governing bodies may report similar problems, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, has warned.
The FA’s review will assess information the FA had at the time of the abuse, which football clubs were aware and whether sufficient action was taken.
The footballing body say a “wide-ranging inquiry may be required in time” but added it is supporting police with their investigations and “must ensure we do not do anything to interfere with or jeopardise the criminal process”.
Crewe Alexandra, where 62-year-old Bennell worked as a junior coach, has also launched its own probe into the allegations.
Bennell, a convicted sex offender, is in hospital following a suspected suicide attempt.
It emerged on Monday that police officers and paramedics were called to a “fear for welfare” incident at a hotel found him unconscious.