GERWYN Price has been slapped with a £21,500 fine and suspended three-month ban for his behaviour at last November’s Grand Slam of Darts.

The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) found that Markham’s Price brought the sport into disrepute during matches against Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson.

Price, 33, beat two-time world champion Anderson 16-13 in the final to win his first PDC major, but the match was full of controversy.

The two men clashed in the 15th and 28th legs over what Scot Anderson saw as slow play and over-exuberant celebrations from the Welshman.

Former rugby player Price was then booed by the crowd at the Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton when he received the Eric Bristow Trophy.

The DRA said Price’s behaviour “drew an unprecedented number of complaints from members of the public”.

They added: “The committee found that Mr Price had brought the sport into disrepute by his actions and that they amounted to gamesmanship in his matches with Mr Whitlock and Mr Anderson.

“Mr Price’s actions were very serious and went beyond what was acceptable in his celebrations and he was overly aggressive in his behaviour in his matches.

“It was decided that his actions were a cynical attempt to put off his opponents to gain him an advantage.

“These actions were in the quarter-final and final of a prestigious televised event and drew an unprecedented number of complaints from members of the public.

“In making the decision on sanction the committee took into account that in October 2017 Mr Price was found to be in breach of the rules for gamesmanship involving the use of aggressive behaviour.

“The committee also took into account that Mr Price had previously been fined and warned as to his future behaviour regarding an inappropriate social media post.”

For “bringing the sport into disrepute and gamesmanship” in the quarter-final and final, Price was fined £8,000 and £12,000 respectively.

He received a three-month ban suspended for six months and was handed a further £1,500 penalty for “inappropriate” posts on social media.

Anderson was found to be in breach of the rules for pushing his opponent and was given a formal warning.

The DRA said: “The committee’s view was that Mr Anderson was significantly provoked during the match by his opponent that resulted in what is clearly a non-aggressive push by on Mr Price.

“It is the view of the committee that it is not acceptable for a player to lay hands on another player, irrespective of the provocation.

Both players have 14 days to appeal the decision of the tribunal.