Luke Littler showed little concern for the jeering he endured in Liverpool as he secured his twelfth night victory in the Premier League Darts circuit, insisting that the hostile reaction he encountered on Night 11 in Rotterdam remains "the worst he has experienced". In recent weeks Littler has become accustomed to a chorus of boos from various venues, but the most bitter episode came after a heated exchange with Dutch number one Gian van Veen during Night Nine in Manchester.
Van Veen had just clinched a contentious win when Littler, visibly upset, reacted angrily after his opponent turned toward him while throwing match darts. The Dutchman accused Littler of being "out of order" for "celebrating towards the crowd" and the dispute quickly escalated into a full‑blown spat that spilled over into the next night’s atmosphere. When Littler stepped onto the stage for each of his three matches on his way to the Rotterdam final on Night 11, the audience – largely supporters of Van Veen – greeted him with a barrage of boos. The Manchester native could feel the hostility from the moment he entered the arena, a stark contrast to the warm receptions he had enjoyed earlier in the season.
The following week, Littler travelled to Liverpool for Night 12 at the M&S Bank Arena. Once again the crowd was far from enthusiastic, but the Englishman refused to let the negativity affect his performance. In front of a less than friendly audience he defeated three of the sport’s biggest names – Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton – to claim his fifth consecutive nightly win.
With that triumph Littler moved to within three points of the league leader, Jonny Clayton, with four regular weeks still to play. He explained to Sky Sports that the Rotterdam experience had actually prepared him for any future hostility.
"It is what it is," he said, "I’ve won and we move on to next week. Rotterdam was far louder than Liverpool tonight – this week was nothing compared to last week. I just had to forget about the boos and focus on winning, and that’s exactly what I did." Littler added that he had already proven he could thrive under pressure, noting, "I even proved to people last week that I can win games under those circumstances and I’ve done it again. There is no anxiety – I just expect the worst, but it wasn’t worse than Rotterdam.
That was the worst I have experienced, and it feels good to come through those games despite the atmosphere." It has now been three weeks since the original confrontation between Littler and Van Veen, a clash that sparked a wave of animosity toward Littler from crowds across the league. Although the two have not spoken since the incident, Littler believes both players have moved on professionally. He hinted that a future on‑stage showdown could finally settle the matter.
"No, we have not spoken, but I’m not the type of person to go up and talk to him," he told reporters. "Maybe he is waiting for me to speak first, but I’m not that kind of person. Even in the practice room, people approach me first; I’m not the chatty type. We can obviously settle it on the dartboard.
In the back room it’s just normal preparation. I think he’s forgotten about it, I’ve forgotten about it. If I need to talk to him, I will.
I don’t regret anything – we both have our opinions and we’re entitled to them. I think we’ve both moved on with our game on stage, but off‑stage we haven’t spoken. I’m sure we will eventually." Looking ahead, the Premier League Darts title race remains wide open. Defending champion Luke Humphries will be looking to retain his crown, while the likes of Jonny Clayton, Michael van Gerwen and the ever‑consistent Luke Littler continue to press for the top spot.
Fans can catch every Thursday night action until May on Sky Sports, or stream the matches live via NOW. The drama both on and off the oche promises to keep viewers glued to their screens as the league heads into its decisive weeks.