Luke Littler was booed by darts fans in Newcastle during his Premier League defeat to Gian van Veen but doesn’t seem to have taken on board an ex-pro’s advice
Luke Littler suffered defeat at the hands of Gian van Veen as the Premier League returned on Thursday night. And despite being handed some advice about clashing with fans at the World Darts Championship, it appears he has chosen to disregard it.
In a repeat of this year’s world final showdown, Van Veen took on Littler in his maiden Premier League encounter and secured his payback. The Dutch player triumphed over Littler 6-4 in legs, having previously been thrashed 7-1 in sets at the Alexandra Palace.
Throughout Littler’s entrance and whilst he stood at the oche, sporadic jeers could be detected from the Newcastle crowd. This isn’t the first time the two-time world champion has encountered a hostile reception from spectators.
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When the 19-year-old took on Rob Cross in a World Darts Championship last-16 tie at the end of last year, the audience backed his rival. Littler prevailed 4-2 over Cross but endured a chorus of boos and his post-match interview turned heated, with his behaviour being labelled “classless.”
The Nuke received a caution following this explosive moment, yet it seems he’s disregarded it. Following his victory over Cross, an animated Littler addressed Sky Sports’ Polly James on the Ally Pally stage with a pointed declaration.
Responding to the boos, he stated: “I’m not bothered. Really not bothered. Can I say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money. Thank you for booing me. Thank you. Come on!”
This wound up the crowd even further and the booing persisted. Following this exchange, ex-darts pro James Hubbard issued a warning. He posted on X: “You can’t go on stage and tell the crowd, ‘You guys pay for tickets to pay for my prize money.’ He’s world number one. Behave like one and represent the sport properly, end of.”
However, after facing jeers from spectators at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, Littler responded with a cheeky dig on his Instagram story. He posted: “Newcastle, you were brilliant. On to next week. PS 3-1.”
The post seems to allude to Newcastle United’s latest fixture, a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City. This match occurred 24 hours prior to Littler’s defeat. Whilst this dig is more subdued than his behaviour at Ally Pally, Littler has nonetheless hit back at the audience after receiving boos, precisely what Hubbard had warned against.
Explaining why Littler has lost favour with certain supporters, psychology expert Darren Stanton explained to OLBG: “Fans will probably let a little bit of cockiness and arrogance go by if the person’s been around for a very long time or if they’re a bit older.
“But when somebody’s so young and has come up the ranks so fast, then begins to demonstrate arrogance and cockiness, the crowd can become quite hostile.
“If Littler continues in that behaviour and that particular frame of mind, his popularity is going to diminish, even if he continues to win. It’s a really silly thing to alienate the people who have really supported you throughout your career.”
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