RUSS BRAY has named the darts star who deserved more respect for his efforts on and off the oche.
The iconic referee quit the PDC in 2024 after making a final appearance at the World Darts Championship.
Bray, 68, delighted fans as he surprisingly turned up at the Brahain Masters in January.
He was also on duty for the Saudi Arabia Masters event which was won by Luke Littler.
The PDC has now turned its attention to the World Masters which ended in another title win for Littler.
He beat Luke Humphries 6-5 in a thrilling final as Cool Hand threatened to pull off a stunning comeback against the world no1.
The opening rounds of the first PDC ranking event of the season saw big-name exits of Michael van Gerwen and Stephen Bunting.
Ahead of the start of the Premier League Darts there have been question marks over the inclusion of Gerwyn Price.
The Iceman will take to the oche at the tournament which kicks off on February 5.
Bray has insisted that the Welshman deserves more respect after he was selected for it.
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Price may have been dumped out of the Worlds in the second round but he did finish 2025 at the top of the PDC’s ProTour rankings for the season.
Bray told talkSPORT: “He is a fantastic man, he is a fantastic lad off the oche.
“On the oche, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He really does.
“He gives it his 100 per cent, and really gives it his all. Give him the respect and the cheers.
“I’ve just worked with Gezzy over the last week abroad, we have been in Belgium, Germany and Finland. They were supporting him and praising him.
“He is a wonderful dart player and, trust me, he is every bit as good a man as well.
“I can’t say it enough. He is tremendous. He’s very quiet – if he was on here now, he would sit in the corner, nice and quiet.
“You know, he’s not loud or anything. He is not like what he is on the stage. That is his work ethic, if you will.
“He doesn’t cheat. He shouts and screams at the right time. Respect the guy … respect the guy, because he is a smashing lad.”
