Luke Littler has sounded the alarm over the potential for players walking off stage in protest due to disruptive fan antics. As the world champion prepares to continue his title defence at the BetMGM Premier League Darts in Dublin this Thursday against Gerwyn Price—himself no stranger to raucous crowds—the threat looms large.
Price, during his PDC World Championship quarter-final loss to Gabriel Clemens two years prior, resorted to wearing headphones to block out the boos and taunts from the unruly Ally Pally fans.
Fresh from his victory in Glasgow last week, amidst rowdy jeering that affected players Rob Cross and Luke Humphries, Littler has issued his say if unruly fan behaviour persists.
While the teenager stopped short of threatening his own walk-off in response to such conduct, he has in the past actively remonstrated with fans seeking to derail his competitors, gesturing with both hands to get them to quieten down.
Yet when pressed about a player potentially abandoning the match in frustration, Littler expressed: “Obviously we wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone. But if (walking off) was the worst case, then I am sure a player… has he got the right to walk off stage? Maybe. Or maybe not.
“And if a player does walk off stage, then I’m sure the security people have got to do their job and obviously kick whoever is whistling or whatever they are doing – just kick them out. Then us players, we can get on with it. Obviously it’s not a good thing for any fans to be whistling, whether it’s at me or my opponent.
“For example, when Rob Cross missed two (match) darts at double 18 last week, when they whistled, he missed. I’d say it was the crowd’s fault that he did miss because you never see Rob miss double 18. Then I just had to take my chance and go five each.”
With the Professional Darts Corporation issuing a sharply worded statement to condemn the fans’ behaviour in Glasgow, all eyes will be on how the situation unfolds in Dublin.
Littler will seek his maiden victory after four unsuccessful attempts against Price, who posted a staggering 115.31 average to defeat the world champion in Bahrain last month.
Littler confidently stated: “I wouldn’t say Gezzy’s my bogeyman. 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.”
Following the evening in Dublin, Littler will hurry back to watch his beloved Warrington in the Super League against the Catalan Dragons. This will coincide with the renaming of their Halliwell Jones home ground to the Luke Littler Stadium in his honour.
He expressed his excitement, saying: “I can’t wait – “I think it still holds 15,000, the Halliwell Jones. It will be my stadium and it will be a special night.”
This article originally appeared on The Mirror
