Luke Littler among four-man group of darts superstars to withdraw from German Championship after crowd boos
Luke Littler Leads Withdrawal of Top Stars from German Darts Championship Amid Ongoing Crowd Boos Controversy
The 2025 Elten Safety Shoes German Darts Championship, the PDC’s final European Tour event of the season set for October 17-19 at the Halle 39 in Hildesheim, has been dealt a significant blow with Luke Littler at the forefront of a four-man exodus of darts superstars, including world No. 1 Luke Humphries, three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, and Scottish ace Gary Anderson. The withdrawals, confirmed by the PDC on October 16, 2025, come amid escalating tensions over hostile crowd behavior toward British players, particularly Littler, who has been subjected to relentless booing during recent German appearances. Littler’s boycott, rooted in a public vow made after the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich last May, underscores a growing rift between the PDC’s expansion ambitions in Germany and the mental toll on its top talents, raising questions about the sustainability of the European Tour’s schedule.
Littler’s Boycott: A Stand Against “Hostile” Crowds
Littler, the 18-year-old reigning PDC World Champion and fresh off his £120,000 World Grand Prix title over Humphries on October 12, has been vocal about his disdain for German crowds since being met with boos during the Premier League night in Berlin in April and again at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich in May. “Shouldn’t have been in Munich but had to play anyway,” he posted on Instagram after his semifinal loss to Gian van Veen, vowing to skip events until October’s European Championship in Dortmund. True to his word, Littler has boycotted all eight Players Championship events in Hildesheim this year, including the last two in September, citing the “hassle” of travel and lack of atmosphere as additional factors.
His withdrawal from the German Darts Championship, ET14, is the latest in a string of absences, with Littler the only top-20 player to skip the event entirely. “The crowds there aren’t for me—it’s not fun,” Littler told Sky Sports post-Grand Prix. “I’ll play Dortmund, but after that? We’ll see.” The PDC has confirmed Krzysztof Ratajski as Littler’s replacement, but the teenager’s boycott has sparked debate, with Welsh star Jonny Clayton echoing the sentiment: “Germany’s great with a crowd, but ProTour there? A drag—pull them until it’s fixed.”
The Four-Man Exodus: Humphries, Van Gerwen, and Anderson Follow Suit
Littler’s stance has rippled through the elite ranks, with Humphries, van Gerwen, and Anderson joining him in pulling out, thinning the field of its biggest draws. Humphries, the world No. 1 and 2023 German Darts Championship runner-up, cited “schedule management” after his Grand Prix final loss to Littler, but insiders point to the cumulative toll of 120+ matches and a desire to avoid Hildesheim’s “behind-closed-doors” vibe. Van Gerwen, the Dutch legend and seven-time Minehead winner, withdrew due to family priorities amid his father’s cancer battle, but his history of skipping German ProTour events (four of eight in 2025) aligns with the trend. Anderson, the Scottish two-time world champion, pulled out citing “personal reasons,” but his vocal disdain for travel after a 2024 Munich loss to Littler (“The fans there are toxic”) fuels speculation.
The quartet’s absence leaves a depleted draw: Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, and defending champion Peter Wright lead the line-up, with Gabriel Clemens, Ricky Evans, Jeffrey de Graaf, and Keane Barry filling the voids. “It’s lighter without the big four, but the talent’s still there,” said PDC chairman Barry Hearn. “Germany’s vital—£1M+ in prizes—but we understand the feedback.”
The Crowd Boos Controversy: A Toxic Welcome for British Stars
The withdrawals stem from a pattern of hostile receptions for British players in Germany, a stark contrast to the welcoming vibes in other European hubs like the Netherlands and Belgium. Littler’s ordeal began in April’s Premier League Berlin night, where he was booed during his 7-6 loss to Chris Dobey, prompting a “headloss moment” and post-match rant: “I don’t get it—can’t explain it.” It escalated in May’s German Darts Grand Prix in Munich, where he was booed relentlessly during his 7-4 semifinal loss to van Veen, despite leading 4-3. “The crowds there aren’t for me,” Littler said, vowing no return until October.
Clayton, who skipped two Hildesheim events, called it “intimidating,” while Humphries and Anderson have voiced similar concerns. “German fans love their own, but it’s toxic for outsiders,” Anderson said after a 2024 Munich loss. The PDC’s eight Hildesheim ProTour events, introduced in 2023 to tap Germany’s 50,000-strong fanbase, have backfired with 30% top-20 withdrawal rates, including Littler’s 8/8 skips.
The Bigger Debate: PDC’s German Gamble and Future of European Tour
The four-man boycott highlights a brewing crisis for the PDC’s European expansion: Germany’s £1M+ prize contribution is invaluable, but the “behind-closed-doors” ProTour format—mandated by COVID-era rules—lacks atmosphere, exacerbating travel woes. “Pull them until it’s fixed,” Clayton said, a view shared by Littler: “The hassle isn’t worth it.” Hearn defends: “Germany’s huge—evolution, not pulling.”
Fans on X under #DartsGermanyBoycott: “Littler and Humphries out? German events doomed” (250k tweets). As the Championship kicks off on October 17, the empty seats tell the tale—darts’ global push hits a hostile hub.
| Player | Withdrawals from German Events (2025) | Reason Cited |
|——–|————————————–|————–|
| Luke Littler | 8/8 (Hildesheim ProTour + ET13) | Crowd boos, travel hassle |
| Luke Humphries | 2/8 | Schedule management |
| Michael van Gerwen | 4/8 | Family priorities |
| Gary Anderson | 3/8 | Personal reasons |
Littler’s boycott leads the charge, but the four-man exodus proves it’s a movement. Germany’s darts hub? Booed out. The PDC’s next move? Critical.
