World champion Luke Littler has addressed the issue of crowd whistling at darts events following disruptions during his Premier League victory in Glasgow last week.
The 18-year-old’s matches against Rob Cross and Luke Humphries were marred by spectators whistling when his opponents were at the oche attempting crucial shots.
The behaviour prompted the Professional Darts Corporation to issue a strongly-worded statement condemning the actions of fans at the Scottish venue.
While Littler doesn’t expect players to abandon matches, he acknowledged the possibility of such action against disruptive crowds.
Luke Littler does not believe players will walk off stage if whistles continue in the Premier League
PA
“Obviously we wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone,” Littler said.
“But if that was the worst case, then I am sure a player… has he got the right to walk off stage? Maybe. Or maybe not.
“For example, when Rob Cross missed two (match) darts at double 18 last week, when they whistled, he missed,” Littler said.
“I’d say it was the crowd’s fault that he did miss because you never see Rob miss double 18.”
The teenage star has previously gestured to unruly crowds to quieten down when they’ve attempted to distract his opponents.
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Luke Littler and Luke Humphries all-star clash in the Premier League last week was marred by whistles
PA
Littler now faces Gerwyn Price in Dublin on Thursday, a player who has his own history with hostile crowds.
Price famously wore headphones during his PDC World Championship quarter-final against Gabriel Clemens two years ago to block out jeers from spectators.
The PDC will be closely monitoring crowd behaviour at the 13,000-capacity 3Arena, though Dublin crowds are not typically known for partisan hostility.
Despite losing their last four meetings, including a recent defeat in Bahrain where Price averaged 115.31, Littler remains confident ahead of their Dublin clash.
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Gerwyn Price whistles back at the Premier League crowd in Glasgow after they were previously warned by PDC referee Kirk Bevins 😤🏟️ pic.twitter.com/cWRbG5lzjZ
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) February 14, 2025
“I wouldn’t say Gezzy’s my bogeyman,” Littler said.
“Obviously, he played out of his skin in Bahrain. I couldn’t do much against him there, and he’s played brilliant against me near enough every time.
“I’ve just got to make sure tomorrow night that I win that first game and guarantee myself some more points on the board.”
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