On September 5, 2025, Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy and World No. 2, issued a scathing Instagram statement after a physical altercation with a fan outside his hotel in Prague, where he arrived for the Gambrinus Czech Darts Open. The incident occurred around 11:20 PM local time as Littler, accompanied by his father, Anthony Buckley, checked in after a long travel day. Initially accommodating, Littler posed for photos with fans but grew furious when one grabbed him from behind for a picture as he tried to leave. Another fan shouted “oi” at him and his dad, accusing Littler of “bad behaviour” and saying he was “no better than anyone else.”
In his Instagram post, shared alongside a photo of his hotel room, Littler wrote: “Just came to the hotel in Prague, got a few pictures bearing in mind it’s 20 past 11 here. It’s busy so got a few pictures with a few people and as I’ve gone to walk off someone has grabbed me and wanted a picture, you don’t grab someone just ask nice how hard is it. And for the fella who came up to me and my dad shouting oi and then saying my behaviour is bad and I’m not bigger and better than anyone. DO NOT GRAB ME FROM BEHIND because that’s bad behaviour, not me because as soon as he’s grabbed I said do not grab me and walked away.” *DartsNews.com* and *Sky Sports* reported the statement, noting Littler’s frustration with fan entitlement.
This isn’t Littler’s first such encounter. In March 2024, a fan grabbed his throwing arm during a Premier League walk-on in Belfast, leaving him shaken, per *The Sun*. The Prague incident follows hostility from German crowds at the 2025 World Cup of Darts, where Littler and Luke Humphries lost 8-5 to Germany amid relentless booing, prompting a temporary boycott of German events (*PDC.tv*). Littler’s return to the Czech Darts Open, a European Tour event near Germany, shows his resilience, defeating Cameron Menzies 6-2 on September 6 with a 98.92 average, advancing to face Gian van Veen (*DartsNews.com*).
Littler’s 2025 season, with titles in the World Matchplay, Australian Darts Masters, New Zealand Darts Masters, and Flanders Darts Trophy, has him trailing Humphries by £249,750 in the PDC Order of Merit (*Sky Sports*). Enhanced security, including a bodyguard, now accompanies him, per *The Guardian*. Fans on X praised his focus, with @DartsUpdates noting, “Littler’s handling the noise like a champ.” He aims for a £30,000 prize and a shot at World No. 1 at the upcoming World Series Finals.
