VINCE BACKS NEEDLE AFTER SMITH AND MANSELL HANDSHAKE SNUB
29/03/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT insists darts needs more needle after Michael Smith and Mickey Mansell’s frosty handshake snub in Wieze.
The Dutchman believes the sport benefits from visible tension and not players being overly friendly.
Former world champ Smith faced off against Mansell in round one of the Belgium Open but a rare break of etiquette occurred as there was no pre-match greeting.
Ex-pro Van der Voort maintains that rivalry has its place on stage even if things are far more relaxed behind the scenes.
He told the Darts Draait Door Podcast: “They don’t really get along. The last time on the Pro Tour, things went a bit wrong.
“Smith said something about Mansell, Mansell responded, and then Smith’s wife got involved, which always adds fuel to the fire.
“At the end of the day, a handshake is a sign of respect. If you don’t have that respect, then don’t shake hands.
“It did look a bit strange though. It’s such a normal thing to shake hands before a match, or at least give a fist bump.”
World No.31 Smith fell 6-3 to Mansell despite averaging 98.21, and the pair remarkably shook hands after the match.
Van der Voort added: “Then you should stick to your decision and not do it at all. It definitely wasn’t a warm handshake. Then just say no again—it looked a bit petty.
“I’d rather see some tension and a bit of hostility on stage than everyone being overly friendly all the time. They don’t need to be sitting on each other’s laps.
“Even in the practice room, it’s just one big friendly group. But you’re about to play that guy—you should want to beat him.”
Van der Voort also warned that Brexit is continuing to cause major disruption for darts stars on the road.
The former UK Open finalist made it clear the issue goes beyond just British players.
He continued: “Traveling is a nightmare. Sometimes you’re standing at customs for two hours.
“They only have to leave the country occasionally—we always have to go their way. You can’t just fly into England anymore.
“You have to arrange things in advance, like visa applications. It’s not ideal.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
