Darts phenomenon Luke Littler is poised to enter hostile territory when the Premier League roadshow arrives in Rotterdam.
The 19-year-old will be preparing himself for the orange onslaught a fortnight after his clash with Netherlands star Gian van Veen. The Warrington-born prodigy made headlines for all the wrong reasons following his semi-final defeat to Van Veen in Manchester on April 2.
Littler and the 23-year-old became locked in an on-stage row which escalated into interviews and social media, with Thursday’s trip to Holland threatening to see the incident rumble on into a third week. ‘The Nuke’ will be hoping to recover from his quarter-final setback to Stephen Bunting after recording his lowest televised average in the defeat.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Littler endured a torrent of abuse and boos last Thursday at Brighton, unsettling the two-time world champion, but AD.nl sports reporter Tim Hartman has cautioned that the worst is still to come.
“I’m afraid for Luke it will [be a worse reception than Brighton], because you see it in the reactions of the articles and also on social media, a lot of the Dutch fans are saying to each other, ‘We will whistle and we will boo him, he can prepare for the worst’,” Hartman told The Mirror.
“I think Luke is prepared for the worst he said this week. I think in terms of supporting, it will not be the best evening of his life, I’m afraid.”
The clash with Van Veen ignited during the closing stages of their semi-final in Manchester, with the Dutchman ultimately emerging victorious. However, in the hours following the incident, the world No. 1 took to social media and exacerbated the feud.
Littler posted a story on his Instagram, labelling Van Veen a “crybaby” before flaunting his trophy-filled two years on the PDC circuit. This comes after the Dutchman accused his opponent of being “out of order” for “celebrating towards the crowd”.
Littler faced accusations of unprofessionalism after celebrating missed checkouts by his opponent, something the teenager has since sought to clarify. And he said his fist pump was directed at his girlfriend, while levelling fresh allegations at his opponent about placing darts down.
The duo had the opportunity to face off in last week’s semi-final but losses to Bunting and Michael van Gerwen quashed the chance of an enticing showdown between the pair.
However, Littler will step onto Van Veen’s home ground on Thursday, aiming to secure a fourth night victory. Doing so would see him reclaim top spot on the Premier League Darts table after Jonny Clayton’s outstanding performance on the south coast saw him retake the lead.
Hartman believes the spat with Van Veen hasn’t done Littler any favours. And he told The Nuke he targeted the wrong person when he took a shot at the “Dutch teddy bear”.
Hartman continued: “I don’t think it [the spat] has been to the advantage of Luke. In Holland, every article I wrote about it, the last week or two weeks, the reactions were, ‘we have to boo him in Rotterdam, he has to prepare for it, it will not be a good evening’ for him.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
“A lot of Dutch fans think Luke has gone too far. Especially as everyone likes Gian and he’s like a Dutch teddy bear for the people. I think If it was against someone else, [it would not be as bad] the behaviour is still not good, but I think it’s even worse because he did it against Gian.
“I think the biggest problem for the Dutch fans is that there were no excuses afterwards because in the Netherlands we say what we think, like Michael van Gerwen he’s always saying what he thinks, the Dutch people like that.
“But I think Luke, there’s a difference between saying what you think and a little bit of arrogance. I think he picked the wrong person with Gian. Especially the reaction that Luke said Gian was also not respectful by laying his darts down. I can’t imagine why he feels that way about it, but I don’t think that is a story the Dutch fans will believe.”