Darts star suffers everlasting harm after punching desk in livid meltdown
Cameron Menzies needed surgery and uses a hand-warmer to bring feeling back to his injured mitt after punching a table during an outburst at the World Championships
Cameron Menzies punched a table repeatedly(Image: Sky Sports)
Darts star Cameron Menzies has to carry a hand-warmer to stop his mitt going numb after smashing it in frustration at the World Championship.
He stunned the Ally Pally crowd and TV viewers when he repeatedly punched his drinks table on stage. Menzies walked out bleeding heavily from his right hand after a first-round defeat by Charlie Manby, 20.
He underwent surgery the next day, suffered nerve damage and could have blown his darts career. The 36-year-old Scottish ace can still throw but his hand goes numb in the cold.
He said he uses a hand-warmer to bring the feeling back. World No27 Cameron, who dated top female darts star Fallon Sherrock, 31, for four years until they split last year, said the on-stage blow-out had left him with ‘a lot of issues’.
“After losing the fight with the table I went for an operation the next day,” he said.
“They checked the tendons and the nerves so I was lucky not to sever any, but I did damage a few.
“When it’s cold I get a lot of issues. It goes numb. I get pins and needles. When it’s warm it’s not perfect.
“But where I hold the dart isn’t where the nerve damage is.
“The damage is on the inside of my finger and I hold the dart on the outside so nine times out of 10 it’s fine.
“When my hand’s cold I get problems. It goes numb. It gets sore, pins and needles so I keep a hand warmer in my bag.”
Menzies has admitted he considered quitting darts after his Ally Pally outburst. But he has since revealed he is in therapy and doing much better.
“Life is a lot better,” he told talkSPORT.
“I’m at the gym and, I’ll tell you something that not many folk know, that I’ve got an issue with my heart and high blood pressure and an ectopic heartbeat.
“It’s quite common, my family has always had heart issues and stuff so my weight was bad. I was 21st and I’m down to 18st at the moment.
“I am trying to look after myself a bit more because of doctor’s orders.
“Life is generally in a good place compared to where it was three or four months ago and I’m doing hypnotherapy treatment which is a massive thing. It just makes things easier.
“I don’t know how to explain it but when things become complicated and hard, you break it down into smaller problems.
“I’ve not had a great start of the year but I do think I’ve been playing well in practice and I do think in games I’m a bit nervous because I’ve been trying too hard.”
The former plumber, who quit his day job to focus on darts, beat five-time world champ Raymond van Barneveld, 59, at the European Darts Grand Prix at the weekend.
