Luke Littler remained unfazed by the negative reaction from the Rotterdam crowd during Night 11 of the Premier League Darts, stating it was 'exactly what I expected'. The audience booed Littler throughout his three matches, a continuation of the backlash following his dispute with Dutch No 1 Gian van Veen from Night Nine in Manchester.
Van Veen emerged victorious in a contentious match where Littler reacted angrily after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts. Van Veen accused Littler of being 'out of order' for 'celebrating towards the crowd'. For a better video experience, please use the Chrome browser.
Littler advanced to the final again in Rotterdam but lost to Premier League leader Jonny Clayton. Littler told Sky Sports, 'It was exactly what I expected, the boos and whistles.' 'But as soon as I stepped on stage, I knew I could do my job,' he added. Before his opening match against Gerwyn Price, Littler claimed he wouldn't react to the crowd's taunts.
However, he couldn't resist responding in his semi-final clash with Luke Humphries. You can stream Premier League Darts with NOW and check the schedule and table. Watch the latest darts videos and highlights, and listen to the Love the Darts podcast.
For a better video experience, please use the Chrome browser. When Littler took out tops to level the match at 2-2, he gave a 'calm down' gesture to a section of fans and added some flamboyant flourishes with his darts in the next leg. Sky Sports' Wayne Mardle commented, 'Littler said he won't react to the crowd, but he just did - and they don't like it!' 'I think he's had enough of not reacting. He's strutting and giving it his all now.' 'Littler has this swagger, and when he does, he's hard to deal with.
He's giving it his all. I love it!' Littler defeated Price 6-3 and edged out Humphries 6-5 before ultimately losing 6-4 to Clayton in the final, despite claiming the first two legs in impressive fashion. For a better video experience, please use the Chrome browser.
Clayton's fourth nightly win of the 2026 campaign, and his second consecutive victory, extends his lead over Littler to five points at the top of the table. Clayton praised Littler after the final, saying, 'I have total respect for Luke. He's an amazing player.' 'This guy has years ahead of him, and he's shown us the level we need to be at to beat him.' 'But this old dog still has some life left in him,' Clayton added. Sky Sports' Glen Durrant also commended Littler for his response to the Dutch crowd's taunts throughout the night.
'It's brutal in here tonight,' Durrant said. 'I'm not sure I could have handled it, but Littler is different.' Who will win this year's Premier League Darts? Defending champion Luke Humphries is in the running, and you can watch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sports with NOW.