James Wade admits Ally Pally boo-boys almost made him walk off the oche
The Machine became Public Enemy No 1 following his aggressive antics in the second-round win over Japan’s Seigo Asada
JAMES WADE defied the Ally Pally boo-boys but admitted: I almost walked off the oche.
The Machine became Public Enemy No 1 following his aggressive antics in the second-round win over Japan’s Seigo Asada.
Wade, who has bipolar disorder, was barracked throughout yesterday’s third-round match with Keegan Brown as he came from 3-1 down to win 4-3.
Despite frequent delaying tactics by Brown, the No 9 seed showed tremendous bottle to stay in the William Hill PDC World Darts Championship.
At the end, some of the jeers turned to cheers and he received a standing ovation when he bent down on one knee to say sorry.
Nonetheless, Wade, 35, was hurt by the hostility he received and revealed: “At one point at the beginning, I was close to walking off. I couldn’t handle it.
“I was being judged on something that isn’t me. What happened wasn’t reflective of the person I am.
“But I decided against it — I didn’t want to embarrass my family even more than I have done. I was battling more with what was going on behind me than what was in front of me.”
Wade’s oche histrionics last Wednesday, which were not helped by his bizarre TV explanation, were labelled “thuggish” and “bullying” by Sky Sports darts pundit Wayne Mardle.
The Aldershot ace apologised the next day for his behaviour, citing his mental health issues and saying he was experiencing a “hypo-mania episode”.
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Yet Wade, who faces unseeded Ryan Joyce in the next round, says punters should realise he battles demons on a daily basis.
He added: “I was given a little bit of jip. People don’t understand what is happening. It could be deemed as bullying what happened to me out there.
“Look, I don’t remember anything about the game or the interview.
“I was the one who didn’t sleep until 5.30am the next day. I knew what I had done but you cannot control that.
“I haven’t had an outbreak like that for seven years. I have played at the world championship for 17 years and that’s my first mishap.
“I don’t expect people to forget it, but I would like them to try and understand a little bit.
“I have an illness and cannot get rid of it. If I could, I’d be far more normal and I would have a far easier life.
“I’m torturing myself more than anybody else will ever torture me. I’ll hold this in my mind for many years.”
Wade, who became a dad in October for the first time, says his family have been affected by the negativity
He said: “Unfortunately my family get judged more than me. It’s really upsetting. It’s not on.
“It’s my mum’s neighbour who says ‘Oh, that wasn’t like that James.’ It’s not fair on my wife, my mum and my new-born son.”
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