Sky Sports Darts analyst Mark Webster is convinced that Luke Littler will not abandon his darts career because of the way crowds have treated him, even though the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is working hard to eliminate whistling from venues. Webster acknowledges that boos are likely to remain a permanent feature of the sport. Littler entered the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam with the ambition of completing a clean sweep of every major PDC title that year.
That dream was shattered on Sunday when he suffered a heavy 10-4 loss to Jonny Clayton in the quarter‑finals. While the defeat itself was a major talking point, the conversation quickly shifted to Littler’s ongoing, often turbulent relationship with darts spectators. Earlier in the tournament, after a victorious match against Nathan Aspinall, Littler publicly threatened to boycott future events in the Netherlands because he had been subjected to both boos and whistling from the crowd. The atmosphere grew even more hostile during his Friday win over Dutch favourite Danny Noppert, and the tension peaked on Saturday when referee Charlie Corstorphine had to step in during Littler’s last‑16 victory over Aspinall to restore order.
Littler is not new to confronting volatile audiences. He previously opted out of several European Tour stops in Germany after experiencing similar treatment from fans there. Despite these past actions, Webster does not think the 19‑year‑old will walk away from darts entirely. "No, I don’t think he’s going to walk away from the sport over this," Webster said.
"He was obviously very upset about how he was treated in the Netherlands at the weekend, but some of the opponents he faced – a home favourite like Danny Noppert – were always going to provoke a rough reaction from the crowd." Webster went on to explain that while the PDC is actively trying to eradicate whistling – which many players find distracting and even unsettling when they are in the throwing rhythm – booing is a more entrenched part of darts culture. "I’m not saying it’s right, and the whistling, I know they’re trying to take it out of the game.
The booing, they won’t be able to stop, but the whistling is something that’s a bugbear to a lot of players at the minute. The PDC are trying to get rid of it," he noted. He added that security personnel are experimenting with new crowd‑control measures, but the problem still landed squarely on Littler during the Dutch weekend.
"He was saying after games he wasn’t happy with the treatment he got. I don’t like saying it, but a lot of the booing is part of the game now. He kind of has drawn attention to it by speaking about it," Webster said.
According to Webster, whistling is more than a mere annoyance; it can be a sharp, high‑pitched sound that interferes with a player’s concentration at the moment they release the dart. "The whistling is annoying, and I think it’s a bit sharper when the players are throwing and it puts them off. A constant boo, I think players can deal with.
Luke has dealt with it in the past, and I’m sure he’ll be okay," he affirmed. When asked whether Littler might skip future Dutch events, Webster said the choice is entirely up to the young star.
"If he chooses to miss events in the Netherlands, that’s his prerogative. There is a Premier League night there, which I think he’ll play, but the European Tour has fifteen events throughout the year.
He doesn’t really need to go to the Netherlands, so he can cherry‑pick there. So if he does decide to boycott, he can still plan out his year, really." Webster stressed that Littler still has a long career ahead and is unlikely to quit early simply because of a few unpleasant experiences. "He loves playing darts and he’s brilliant at it, so I think he’ll just bounce back.
He’ll get some more rough treatment and he’ll try to deal with it the way he has done the majority of the time – by winning games and winning tournaments. He was a little bit hurt at the weekend," Webster said. Beyond the immediate controversy, Webster highlighted Littler’s status as the sport’s marquee attraction.
The teenager’s meteoric rise – from a debut final at the World Championship to back‑to‑back world titles – has driven ticket sales and kept fans coming back for more, even if they sometimes express their displeasure through boos or whistles. "We’re still in this boom on the back of what he did," Webster explained. "There are other players, but he is the main draw.
After that run to the World Championships final on debut, and he’s backed that up by winning back‑to‑back World Championships. People buy a ticket to watch him. They may boo him, they may whistle when he throws. He’s the best player in the world, and we have this culture where the best players receive a bit of rough treatment.
They want them knocked off their perch." Webster is confident that Littler will recover quickly and perform strongly at the upcoming Grand Prix in Leicester. He reminded listeners that Littler has been competing at a high level since he was 16, accumulating a remarkable résumé in just three years. "It’s easy to forget he’s 19 because he’s been around since he was 16, and he’s done a lot in those three years.
We’re already talking about him holding every major. As good as he is, that will always be difficult." Regarding the weekend’s loss, Webster urged Littler not to be too hard on himself. "He was beaten by the better man in Jonny.
He acknowledged that. He was just a bit disappointed with the crowd. I fully expect him to win a few of the majors remaining. I think the European Championships will be a massive priority for him, because then he’ll have ticked every box." Looking ahead, Webster believes Littler will aim to retain his world title at Ally Pally and continue to cement his position as world number one.
He predicts further major victories, especially in longer‑format tournaments that suit Littler’s steady, methodical style. "He’s going to come away with some more major titles, that’s for sure. These tournaments kind of favour him in terms of longer formats. Who’s going to compete in there?
It’s going to be tough, but it’s up to the other players and to see where his hunger is at in a minute," Webster concluded. If Littler can capture the remaining four majors – Leicester, Dortmund, Wolverhampton and Minehead – he could still sweep the ranking events in 2026, even though the World Series Finals, World Cup and Premier League are non‑ranking. After his loss, the teenager withdrew from two Players Championship events in the Netherlands less than 24 hours later, fueling speculation that he might skip the Players Championship Finals if his clean‑sweep hopes are gone.
At present, Littler sits £16,750 behind the final qualification spot for the Players Championship Finals, a gap that could widen if he continues to avoid Dutch tournaments. Nonetheless, Sky Sports will continue to broadcast the sport’s marquee events, including the World Grand Prix (28 September‑4 October), Grand Slam of Darts (14‑22 November) and the World Darts Championship (10 December‑3 January), all available to stream via NOW without a contract.