“People like that shouldn’t be allowed in here” – Stephen Bunting condemns crowd drama during Premier League clash with Gerwyn Price

Stephen Bunting has backed the strong stance taken by Gerwyn Price after crowd disruption briefly stopped their Premier League Darts semi-final in Sheffield, insisting there is “no place” in the sport for fans who deliberately try to distract players.

Stephen Bunting signed off his Premier League campaign in style on Night 16, beating Jonny Clayton, Price and Luke Humphries to secure his second nightly title of the season and finish fifth in the table.

But his semi-final victory over Price was briefly overshadowed by an incident in the crowd after a spectator repeatedly whistled during play.

Price spotted the fan and refused to continue until the situation had been addressed, with Bunting later revealing the Welshman told him not to restart until both players were fully ready.

“I think obviously Gezzy pointed it out,” Bunting said in his post-match press conference. “He actually seen the guy who was doing it. And it wasn’t just against me, it was against Gezzy as well.”

Bunting backs Price after Sheffield disruption

The interruption came during a high-quality semi-final, with Bunting eventually claiming a 6-3 win thanks to a clinical spell of finishing. A stunning 161 checkout handed him the lead for the first time before finishes of 100 and 104 wrapped up victory.

Afterwards, Bunting made it clear he believed the players were right to take a stand.

“He was just an idiot in the crowd who wanted to disrupt the game and yeah, I was totally with Gezzy on that,” he said. “Gezzy said to me, ‘Don’t start until we’re ready.’ And yeah, I agree with him. I think it’s a great way to point someone out like that.”

The incident added to growing discussion around crowd behaviour during this year’s Premier League campaign. While Bunting welcomed passionate support, he insisted there was a clear difference between atmosphere and outright disruption.

“I know he gets a couple of minutes of fame, but yeah, there’s no place for people like that in our sport,” he continued. “Cheer as much as you want, shout as much as you want, but to boo and to whistle is unacceptable in my opinion and Gezzy’s opinion and yeah, people like that shouldn’t be allowed in here.”

Bunting ends campaign with confidence boost

Once play resumed, Bunting stayed composed and carried that momentum into the final, where he defeated Luke Humphries 6-3 with a superb 106.37 average.

It was a fitting way to end his league campaign despite narrowly missing out on a place at Finals Night at the O2. Bunting admitted the victory still meant a great deal after a season in which he felt he had once again proved he belongs among the elite.

“To finish fifth in the league is a huge honour,” he said. “And if someone pulls out, I’ll be ready to step in.”

The win also provided a major confidence boost heading into the rest of the season.

“When you can win a Premier League night, you can beat anybody,” he added. “To beat the biggest players on the biggest stages is a massive confidence builder.”

Bunting also suggested the lack of qualification pressure may have helped him produce one of his strongest displays of the year.

“Maybe the pressure was off me because I couldn’t qualify and yeah, maybe it was slightly more relaxed,” he reflected. “But yeah, note to oneself, try not to work yourself up. Go in more relaxed.”

For Price, the evening ended with semi-final disappointment, although he had already secured his place at the O2. For Bunting, the play-offs will have to wait — but his final performance of the league phase underlined both his quality on stage and the growing willingness of players to speak out against behaviour they feel crosses the line.