Luke Littler took the boos he endured in Liverpool in stride as he secured his twelfth night victory in the Premier League, remarking that the hostile reaction he faced on Night 11 in Rotterdam was the "worst he has experienced". In recent weeks Littler has become accustomed to hostile crowds, with the most intense episode stemming from his clash with Dutch No.
1 Gian van Veen on Night Nine in Manchester. The controversy began when van Veen won a tightly contested match and Littler reacted sharply after his opponent turned toward him while throwing his match darts. Van Veen accused Littler of being "out of order" for "celebrating towards the crowd", a comment that sparked a heated exchange and set the tone for the following weeks.
When Littler arrived on stage for each of his three matches on the road to the Night 11 final in Rotterdam, the atmosphere was charged. The Dutchman's home supporters greeted him with a chorus of boos, making the arena feel more like a hostile arena than a sporting venue. The reaction was a direct consequence of the earlier spat, and it seemed to follow Littler wherever he went. Despite the lack of a warm welcome in Liverpool, Littler remained unfazed.
At the M&S Bank Arena he produced a masterclass performance, defeating three of the sport's biggest names—Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Jonny Clayton—in a single night to claim his fifth consecutive win. The victory moved him to within three points of the league leader, Jonny Clayton, with only four regular weeks left in the competition. When asked about the Rotterdam incident, Littler was blunt. "It is what it is," he told Sky Sports, referring to the booing.
"I've won, and we move on to next week. Rotterdam was far louder than this night, and this week was nothing compared with last week.
I just had to forget about it, stay focused, and I wanted to win. I did." He added that the experience in Rotterdam actually proved his mental resilience.
"I showed people last week that I can win games under those circumstances, and I've done it again. There is no anxiety for me. I expect the worst, but it wasn't worse than Rotterdam. That was the worst I have experienced, and it's good to come through those games under those conditions." It has now been three weeks since the original confrontation between Littler and van Veen, an incident that ignited a lingering dislike from crowds each week.
Although the two have not spoken since, Littler believes both have moved past the drama. He hinted that a future on‑stage showdown could finally settle the score. "No, we have not spoken, but I'm not the type of person to go up and talk to him," Littler explained. "Maybe he's waiting for me to talk to him, but that's not my style.
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 everything is normal, preparation is the same.
I think he's forgotten about it, I have forgotten about it. If I need to talk to him, I will.
I don't regret anything. We each have our opinions, and we are entitled to them. On stage we have both moved on, off stage we haven't spoken, but I'm sure we will eventually." Looking ahead, the Premier League Darts title race remains wide open.
Defending champion Luke Humphries will be aiming to retain his crown, while Littler, Humphries, van Gerwen, Clayton and other top players continue to jostle for the top spot. Fans can follow the action each Thursday until May on Sky Sports or stream the matches via NOW.
The drama off the oche adds an extra layer of intrigue, but for Littler the focus remains on delivering consistent performances and proving that he can thrive even when the crowd is against him. The season still has several weeks left, and every night could bring a new twist in the battle for the Premier League crown.