Darts’ huge softie! Cameron Menzies struggled along with his nerves and burst into tears after shedding on the World Championship – however the down-to-earth Scottish plumber has now received the nation’s hearts

For all the attention that has fallen on Cameron Menzies since he was overcome by emotion during a shock first-round defeat at the World Darts Championships this week, it was hardly out of character. 

Last month, the Scottish world No 39 fell to the floor in tearful celebration after edging out 13th-ranked James Wade to make the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts. A week later, he was left screaming with frustration after blowing a promising lead against the higher-ranked Ryan Joyce at the Players Championship Finals. No one could accuse Menzies of not wearing his heart on his sleeve.

What we now know, of course, is that the 35-year-old’s evident distress on Monday night at Alexandra Palace, where he slumped to a 3-1 loss against Leonard Gates, a 54-year-old Texan better known for his baseball prowess, was more than just the latest evidence of a naturally demonstrative character.

As Menzies revealed afterwards, his mind was with his father, Ricky, who was lying in a hospital bed six hours away, recuperating after undergoing triple heart bypass surgery.

‘He went in for a triple heart bypass and a new valve and when it all closed up, it didn’t go well,’, said Menzies, who posted a since-deleted picture of himself alongside his bedbound father at the hospital. 

‘They had to basically put a pump in and he was on dialysis, so that’s when I saw him. I saw him at his worst. When I saw him, my mum was there and I broke down. It’s been a struggle since. 

‘He’s basically on the mend but, being six hours away, it’s a struggle.’

If Menzies’ tweet – accompanied by a caption reading: ‘I didn’t wanna post this man… my dad my hero’ – was a rebuke to the beer-swilling spectators who jeered him on stage, it was also a reminder that things are not always what they seem.   

Cameron Menzies broke down in tears during his first round match at the World Darts Championship, where he was beaten by Leonard Gates, a 54-year-old Texan ranked 130

The Scottish world No 39 later shared a photo of himself alongside his father Ricky, who is recuperating after undergoing triple heart bypass surgery, on social media

Menzies looked distraught towards the end of the match as he went down to the American

Together with fellow darts professional Fallon Sherrock, his partner of the past three and a half years, Menzies may be one half of the sport’s power couple. But away from the oche, he is a man far removed from the uber-confident persona of past champions like the late Eric Bristow or Phil Taylor.

Menzies, who was born in Glasgow but hails from the remote Scottish town of Muirkirk in East Ayrshire, happily admits that he is best known as ‘Fallon Sherrock’s boyfriend’.

While that may soon change, given the way he has won hearts with his display of emotion this week, the couple’s relationship is firmly rooted in normality.

Menzies knew Sherrock, a 30-year-old from Milton Keynes ranked 143 in the world, for years before they began dating. They even played doubles together. But it was not until they shared a KFC after the pandemic – a period when they played against each other regularly over Zoom – that love began to blossom.

‘We were just friends, but that was the start of it,’ Menzies said. ‘It was a KFC. It was her choice, she likes a KFC. It was just a couple of mini fillets. Love at first sight!’

Each has credited the other with improving their game. They compete against on another at home, with the loser consigned to doing the dishes or picking up dinner. Menzies says he usually wins, but credits Sherrocks with being a better player under pressure.

‘I think I’m a tad better, but she’s better on stage when you’re in the spotlight,’ Menzies said in an interview last year. ‘She just handles that better.

‘I’m getting better at it, but when it comes down to the marbles in an important match, Fallon performs better. Hopefully, one day I can keep up with her level in that area.’

Menzies is pictured with his girlfriend and fellow darts professional Fallon Sherrocks, a 30-year-old from Milton Keynes who is ranked 143 in the world

Menzies cut a distraught figure during the defeat at Alexandra Palace, where he was subjected to what Rangers legend and fellow countryman Ally McCoist said was ‘unacceptable’ abuse

Sherrock followed Menzies out of the tournament. The 30-year-old, nicknamed the Queen of the Palace, suffered a 3-2 defeat to Ryan Meikle

In a further sign of his grounded nature, Menzies has yet to give up his day job as a plumber. 

This time last year, he spent the hours before his Ally Pally opener against Austria’s Rusty-Jake Rodriguez fixing a burst water main and a faulty kitchen sink, famously posting a picture of himself on social media bearing the legend: ‘Plumbing at 11, darts at 8.’ Having fixed one kitchen sink, he threw another at the Austrian, winning 3-0.

While Menzies has since scaled back his plumbing commitments from five days a week to three, giving him more time to practise his darts, he has credited the job with keeping him ‘sane’. 

‘Going to work chilled me out,’ Menzies said after defeating Rodriguez. ‘It made me realise that it is not the be-all-and-end-all. 

‘I am a worker. I would like to be in a situation where I can give up my job and do this full-time, but I have a long way to go.’

Sherrock has battled health problems of her own, having developed a serious kidney problem after giving birth to a son in April 2014. 

It is an experience that, she says, has strengthened her character, and her steel and support will no doubt be invaluable to Menzies as he comes to terms with his father’s recovery from surgery.

Navigating the difficult personal circumstances he has faced in recent weeks will have been made none the easier for Menzies by his tendency to suffer from anxiety during competition, a problem he has sought to address with the help of a sports psychologist.

‘It’s just overthinking, so he’s trying to basically dumb it down,’ said Menzies. ‘He’s told me a lot of things to try and do. Hopefully we can see progress in that, and I am a bit calmer on the stage.’

The avid Rangers fan can also take heart from the knowledge that, regardless of the abuse he suffered at Alexandra Palace this week – condemned as ‘unacceptable’ by former Ibrox favourite Ally McCoist – his place in the nation’s affections seems secure.