Luke Littler has faced repeated booing and whistling from sections of darts crowds, most recently during the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam. The hostility has prompted the 19-year-old world number one to suggest he may avoid events in the Netherlands, while commentator Samuel Gill warned that continued abuse could eventually drive him away from the sport, harming both darts and its organisers.

Littler was booed during victories over Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall, with the referee stopping the latter match to address the crowd. His quarter-final defeat by Jonny Clayton ended his attempt to win all 10 major televised tournaments in a calendar year, and he has since withdrawn from several events, saying there was little point travelling if he would be booed. Experts say his dominance, confidence and rapid rise to fame have made him a target, although similarly successful players such as Michael van Gerwen have experienced comparable treatment.