‘If the Dutch stay like this I’m not going,’ says teenager
Littler hoping to win all 10 TV events in a year
Luke Littler has threatened to boycott tournaments in the Netherlands after being booed and whistled during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
The back-to-back world champion faced a hostile environment during Friday’s win over home favourite Danny Noppert and it escalated on Saturday night as referee Charlie Costorphine had to intervene in the last-16 win over Nathan Aspinall.
Littler has taken a stance against volatile crowds before, refusing to travel to European Tour events in Germany as a result of his treatment from fans there.
And he is “100 %” prepared to do the same in the Netherlands. “With the Germans, I haven’t been for a long time, we will have to see in Dortmund whether it changes or stays the same,” he told Online Darts.
“If the Dutch stay like this, then I’m not going to do any Euro tours over there. There’s just no point in me travelling, wasting my time whilst I’m getting booed. I just want to play my darts, sign autographs.
“The past two nights, I’ve done nothing, I’ve just walked off stage without thanking anybody. There’s no point thanking everyone when they are booing me.”
Despite the bearpit atmosphere, Littler came out on top in a last-leg decider with Aspinall to keep his dream of a clean sweep alive. The 19-year-old is hoping to become the first man to win all 10 televised tournaments in a calendar year, having triumphed in the first five.
Welshman Jonny Clayton awaits in the quarter-final on Sunday afternoon.