'Real fear' Littler could quit darts as booing controversy escalates

At this past weekend's World Series of Darts event in Amsterdam, 19-year-old Luke Littler once again faced boos and whistles from sections of the crowd, even as he attempted to become the first player to win all ten major televised tournaments in a single calendar year.

On Saturday, the referee halted Littler's narrow last-16 win over Nathan Aspinall to warn the hostile crowd about its behaviour. The previous day, Littler had also been booed during his win over home favourite Danny Noppert. A quarter-final loss to Jonny Clayton ended his bid for a clean sweep of the majors, but Littler made clear he felt fans had treated him unfairly. He has since withdrawn from a number of upcoming tournaments, saying there was no point travelling only to be booed.

A rapid rise, growing hostility

Littler turned professional at 16 and reached the PDC World Darts Championship final in his debut season, winning the title the following year. Since then, trophies and sponsorship deals have kept arriving — alongside increasingly hostile crowd reactions. Dartnews.com editor Samuel Gill says many fans weren't prepared for such a rapid rise, drawing a parallel with former dominant player Michael van Gerwen, who faced similar treatment for years.

Gill warns that if the booing continues, Littler could walk away from the sport entirely within the next four to five years, given his financial independence and ability to be selective about which tournaments he enters. Karl Holden, secretary of St Helens Darts Academy, suggests some of the hostility stems from Littler's confidence and swagger, but argues that same trait is part of what makes him compelling to watch. Observers agree that Littler's departure would be a major loss for darts itself, given the record interest he has generated in ticket sales and applications to darting academies.