‘I’ll never understand it’ – Luke Littler’s ‘absolutely bizarre’ fan treatment leaves darts pundit baffled

The growing trend of crowds booing and whistling at Luke Littler has left darts pundits and former professionals exasperated — with Sky Sports analyst Chris Mason among those speaking out most forcefully, admitting he simply cannot comprehend why fans would turn on the greatest player in the sport.

Night Four of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Belfast served as the latest flashpoint in what has become a running storyline of this campaign. The world No.1 was visibly unsettled by whistling from sections of the crowd ahead of his throws, at one point delaying his attempts at a 112 finish — laughing with his back to the audience and waving his hand in the air as if to say “go on then, whistle away.”

It was a moment that encapsulated a deeply uncomfortable phenomenon that has followed Littler from venue to venue — and one that has prompted some of the sport’s most respected voices to speak out in defence of the 19-year-old double world champion.

Mason has been particularly vocal on the subject. The former professional and Sky Sports analyst said he does not understand the behaviour and does not like it, questioning why fans would boo the best player in the world, and calling for the sport to let Littler and his rivals play at their very best.

Mason’s bewilderment runs deep. He described the booing as “a typical British thing,” pointing to an ingrained cultural reluctance to celebrate dominance, adding that he was not surprised Littler was booed in Newcastle since it had happened before. But while he may understand the sociology behind it, he is unequivocal in his view that it has no place at a darts event.

The pundit also drew attention to the fact that the problem is not confined to British shores. He noted that Littler has faced hostile reactions in Germany too, and that following the treatment he received there, the teenager has suggested he will not return unless he absolutely has to — a striking development given that around 30 per cent of World Championship tickets are sold to German fans.

Mason also explained, from a player’s perspective, why targeted crowd noise is so much more damaging than general atmosphere. He said that while a wall of noise is manageable and players can work within it, it is the whistles and unusual sounds that cause real problems — because players become hyper-aware of them at the oche, almost anticipating the disruption with every visit to the line.

Sky Sports commentator Stuart Pyke has been equally forthright, calling those who whistle at players during their throws “mindless idiots” in comments that resonated widely across the darts community. Pyke expressed frustration that such behaviour had been creeping into the sport with increasing regularity, urging fans to alert stewards and have perpetrators removed from venues, arguing that it ruins the experience not just for players but for fellow supporters watching in the arena and at home.

The booing issue has been with Littler throughout his meteoric rise but has intensified notably in the 2025-26 season. He first drew the ire of a home crowd during his World Championship clash with Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace, prompting him to sarcastically thank fans for buying tickets and “paying for his prize money” — a heat-of-the-moment remark that created an uneasy tension between the champion and sections of his public that has not dissipated since.

Littler himself has shown remarkable composure in the face of it all. He admitted after the Winmau World Masters that fans might simply be getting “bored” of watching him, Luke Humphries, and Gian van Veen win everything, and acknowledged that crowds increasingly want to see new names lifting trophies. It was a surprisingly magnanimous reading of the situation from a teenager who has done nothing to warrant hostility.

The PDC took action last year after a particularly ugly incident in Glasgow, issuing a statement reiterating that it does not condone behaviour that disrupts play, such as whistling or booing when players are at the oche — confirming that spectators who act inappropriately can be removed from venues and that it works closely with Premier League promoters to take decisive action.

Former world champion Luke Humphries has tried to provide some perspective on why the phenomenon occurs, while making clear he finds it just as puzzling. He said he was “surprised and not surprised” in equal measure — surprised because Littler has done nothing wrong, but unsurprised because there is a familiar pattern in sport where sustained dominance eventually invites a backlash. He acknowledged that he had experienced something similar when he reached the top himself, noting that people simply want to knock down those who are doing well, before admitting he does not have a real answer to why it happens in darts.

Even Littler’s response to the mid-throw whistle in Belfast illustrated why his mental fortitude is so remarkable. Rather than letting the moment derail him, he stepped away from his throw, smiled, waved at the crowd almost as if encouraging more, then pinned a brilliant 112 finish before delivering a pointed “calm down” gesture to the stands. It was the kind of response that would have been the highlight of most players’ nights — and yet Littler still lost the match.

There are those who argue that the back-and-forth between Littler and hostile crowds has added a layer of theatre to the Premier League, and it is true that the teenager has never shied away from engaging with his detractors. But for the pundits who watch the sport most closely, the concern is a more fundamental one: that the greatest player in the game is being denied the opportunity to perform at his absolute peak, and that a culture of disruption risks tarnishing what should be a golden era for darts.

With 13 nights of Premier League action still to come, the issue shows no sign of resolving itself. Littler, characteristically, will no doubt continue to rise above it — but the voices calling for crowds to simply let genius do its work are growing louder by the week.