“Thanks for booing”
World champion Littler attacks darts fans
12/30/2025 – 9:22 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
The audience’s boos remain a much-discussed topic at this World Darts Championship. Luke Littler also joined the ranks of fan critics. The champion responds with sarcasm.
Defending champion Luke Littler is in the quarter-finals of the Darts World Cup – but in addition to his sporting success, it was his subsequent appearance at the microphone that attracted attention.
After the 4-2 win against former world champion Rob Cross, the 18-year-old responded to the repeated boos during the game. Right on stage, Littler said into the Sky Sports microphone: “That doesn’t bother me. I want to say one thing: you pay for tickets – so you pay my prize money. Thank you for my money. Thank you for booing. Come on!”
During the game at Alexandra Palace, the Englishman was repeatedly disturbed from the stands. Even then, the young Englishman repeatedly interacted with the audience. After the match dart was converted, Littler celebrated in a way that had rarely been seen before.
In the press conference he said he was surprised by the behavior of the spectators. “It is what it is. They wanted the favorite to be kicked out. I just had to do my job,” said the world number one. And further: “It was hostile, nobody wanted me to win. They were wrong.”
Littler is now in a World Cup quarter-final for the third time in a row. His opponent on New Year’s Day will be between Luke Woodhouse from England and Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski. Looking ahead to this game, Littler said pugnaciously: “It was the first time at the World Cup that the fans didn’t want to see me win. But all right. I’ll prepare for the worst in the quarter-finals.”
Littler was not the first darts professional at this World Cup to publicly complain about the behavior of the loud fans in the “Ally Pally”. Mike De Decker criticized the fans after his sensational exit in round one against Kenyan David Munyua via social media: “Congratulations to David. But the audience… Boos and whistles shouldn’t be normal or should be supported.”
The German Ricardo Pietreczko also expressed his displeasure before Christmas: “It’s always the same: the whistles, the boos, although the boos aren’t actually the problem,” said “Pikachu” after the 3-2 win against Dave Chisnall. “But the whistle makes you lose focus for a moment and I think every player hates that.”
His appeal: “Nobody can change the amount, it just happens. All I can say is: Don’t do it.” So far he has not been heard.