Laura Woods swooned over darts ref who Nathan Aspinall needs banned from his matches
A darts referee has drawn admirers such as Laura Woods but Nathan Aspinall hopes he never plays under his watchful eye
Nathan Aspinall once admitted he doesn’t want darts referee Franz Engerer to officiate his matches.
The polarising German has made a name for himself in the world of darts recently thanks to his theatrical “180” calls, which he belts out with operatic flair. Engerer has received plaudits in some circles since going viral on social media with his antics.
Darts fan and TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods notably gushed over him by calling him “German eye-candy” at one point. But not all are impressed by his style of calling, with some disgruntled fans calling for his sacking earlier this year.
Even darts star Aspinall, while not going that far, has said he doesn’t want Engerer to referee his matches. The world No.15 recalled watching Andrew Gilding vs Callan Rydz at the European Darts Trophy in March, the match that put eyes on Engerer.
“He was shouting and I was like, ‘I actually don’t think I could play if he was reffing.’ Nothing against the guy. I just don’t like the call so I hope he doesn’t like my games. Don’t sack him. It’s [just] not for me,” Aspinall admitted.
Despite that, the young official has said the reception from fans and players has been largely positive. Engerer insisted: “Most of the feedback has been really lovely.
“Of course, not everyone’s a fan – and that’s fine, especially with how unique my 180 is – but it’s amazing to get that recognition. People come up to me asking for photos, and that’s just surreal.”
Engerer also revealed his unique tone is a result of years of singing lessons and even being part of a choir. He continued: “I’ve been taking singing lessons and singing in a choir since seventh grade. We’ve performed everything from operas to musicals and solos.”
Aspinall was knocked out of the World Darts Championship by Dutchman Kevin Doets at Alexandra Palace on Monday. Doets pulled off a comeback by capitalising on Aspinall’s wild finishing to secure a 4-3 win – his sixth straight victory over the Asp – and a place in the last 16.
However, Doets suffered a 4-1 drubbing to Luke Humphries on Tuesday after the former world champion produced a 103.07 average and posted eight maximums to continue his pursuit of a second world title in three years.
