The darts referee who will not stand for ANY nonsense: Huw Ware reveals precisely easy methods to cope with rowdy crowds – and the way he began his job aged 17!

This week it’s the first night of the Premier League. Last week it was the Winmau World Masters. Before that it was the Word Championship.

Huw Ware dials in for this interview from his hotel, his latest temporary home ahead of his next refereeing venture in what is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

‘I haven’t stopped lately,’ he tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘The World Championship was very busy. I have my podcast. I was hoping for some winter sun but that’s not been possible. I am doing 15 of the 17 Premier League nights, so if you are a darts fan and don’t like me refereeing, I advise you give it a swerve!’

Ware’s voice has become somewhat synonymous with darts. He refereed the 2025 World Championship final – Luke Littler‘s first world title – but it’s more than just his quick maths that has seen him make a name for himself.

‘It is something that has crept into the game that really is not nice,’ Ware says, his mood dropping slightly, as he speaks about crowds that are sometimes a little too rowdy.

More and more we are seeing referees step in to try and control attending fans. There is more booing and more whistling than ever before and it’s something most want out of the game – including Ware. He is no stranger to telling the crowd to zip if if he needs to – but there is an art to it.

Huw Ware has detailed exactly how to deal with rowdy crowds at darts matches following the Winmau World Masters

‘It is frustrating because I want to see a good game as much as the fans,’ he adds. ‘It upsets me when people feel the need to try and whistle, even if you don’t want that person to win. I think that’s so unfair.

‘There is no excuse for trying to put someone off maliciously. I hate it, I really do. I speak for all the referees when I say that because it makes our job that much harder too.

‘There have been times I am comfortable to turn around, but you can sometimes end up with a worse problem. Sometimes I can get away with saying something over the microphone, but how I tend to deal with it, especially with the rowdy crowds, is I’ll do it off microphone, the odd gesture.

‘I may walk round to the front of the stage to speak to security. I will tend not to use the microphone with a rowdy crowd because you can end up with a bigger issue. Watching on TV it may seem black and white – it’s not as simple as that unfortunately. I wish it was, but we all try where we can.

‘If we’re not seen to be doing something, that doesn’t mean we condone it. Something you say nothing because they want attention. There is more than one way of dealing with it, but it really is frustrating.’

On a more lighter note, Ware is keen to talk about his journey in refereeing. It’s fair to say being a darts referee isn’t exactly top of most people’s bucket lists, and that’s not different for Ware.

But he was presented with an opportunity he could not turn down. Pretty early on in life, too.

‘I made my TV debut at the Winmau World Masters in 2011,’ he says. ‘I was only 17 and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

Ware also explains how he got into refereeing at the age of 17 after struggling to make it as a professional player

‘I grew up loving darts. I got into it aged 11 – I was obsessed with it. Watching, playing… I had dreams of becoming world champion. It was in a very different place then, but I soon realised I wasn’t good enough. I played for Wales youth and in the room were quite a few players who would go onto become pros and it was obvious who. I was OK, but not as good as them. 

‘A few months later I was asked to referee the Winmau World Masters and I knew that if I said no, the opportunity wouldn’t come again. I knew playing for Wales was the best achievement I could ask for and I put the darts down.

‘I went from a certain level to a top level very quickly with nothing in between. Darts referees at 17 wasn’t really a thing. It changed my life.’

As well as his day job, Ware is also a global ambassador for Wimnau and, as a result, has a podcast, a website, and a blog. He shares stories about his journey, interviews darts stars, and it keeps him busy when he’s not on tour.

Most darts fans may be interested in Luke Littler. Luke Humphries. Michael van Gerwen. But there is a lot more to a game of arrows – as Ware proves. But he is, ultimately, just happy to be part of the ride.

‘I just feel very lucky to be honest,’ he concludes, as our time together comes to an end. ‘I am refereeing at a time darts has never been so popular and the most wonderful thing is how much it’s impacted it globally.

‘So many international players won their first round matches at the World Championship and you can see the impact it had on their country. We have only touched the top of the ice berg. There is still so much global potential.’

Huw Ware is an ambassador for the world’s leading darts manufacturer, Winmau, an official partner of the PDC and title sponsor of the Winmau World Masters