Ray Parlour provided boisterous darts fans who branded him ‘boring’ with a hilarious response – by downing a pint in the middle of Ally Pally.
The Arsenal legend was in the famous London venue on Friday to watch the final first-round action of the World Darts Championship, before being quickly spotted by supporters in the crowd.
Snapped by cameras wearing a huge grin during the day’s play, the 52-year-old became the subject of a series of serenading chants from fans eager to get his attention.
And in reply, the Romford Pele – as he is affectionately nicknamed – turned to the crowd and raised both of his pints, prompting supporters to urge him to down one of them in one go.
Parlour, however, initially chose just to sip one of his cups before taking to his seat – a move that was met by a chorus of boos and chants of ‘boring, boring, Parlour!’
But the former England man appeared to take those taunts personally as he was back on his feet just moments later to sink a full pint in just 12 seconds.
Ray Parlour wore a huge grin as he watched the final first-round action at Alexandra Palace
Parlour then sent the boisterous Ally Pally fans wild by sinking a whole pint in just 12 seconds
Footage shared on social media shows the fans then bursting into cheers and applause before Parlour takes his seat again to watch the rest of the action on the oche.
The 52-year-old is just one of a host of sporting stars attending the darts this week, as the tournament continues to capture hearts across the festive period.
Former Premier League players Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell were spotted at Ally Pally on Thursday, with Crouch too downing a pint in front of the crowd before planting the empty cup on his head.
Lioness captain Leah Williamson and UFC star Paddy Pimblett have also been spotted soaking up the atmosphere in recent days.
Parlour made more than 450 appearances for Arsenal so there is little doubt that some Gunners fans in the crowd would have been delighted to see their former hero join in on the action.
It has been estimated that up to 750,000 pints will be consumed across the three-week tournament at Ally Pally.
