Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has conceded he was in the wrong following a heated reaction to being booed by sections of the Alexandra Palace crowd during his World Darts Championship victory.
Littler's fiery night at Ally Pally
The 18-year-old defending champion, known as 'The Nuke', secured his place in the quarter-finals with a 4-2 win over Rob Cross on Monday night. However, the match was overshadowed by a noticeable shift in crowd support, with Littler facing unexpected jeers while his opponent received strong backing as the underdog.
This marked a significant change for Littler, who has previously enjoyed overwhelming fan support at the north London venue. His ascent to world number one and status as the man to beat has evidently altered the dynamic with the Ally Pally audience.
The on-stage reaction that sparked controversy
Visibly riled by the atmosphere, Littler engaged with the crowd during the match, shouting "now what?" after landing crucial darts. His post-match interview on the Sky Sports stage escalated tensions further.
"I’m not bothered, I’m not bothered, really I’m not bothered," Littler stated, before adding a pointed remark: "Can I just say one thing. You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money so thank you for my money, thank you for booing me!"
Despite the charged atmosphere, Littler delivered an impressive performance, averaging 106.5 in a display of high-quality darts.
Cooler heads prevail in reflection
By the time he faced the press after the match, Littler had calmed down and offered a more contrite perspective. He admitted the high-stakes situation, combined with "adrenaline, emotion and anger," had affected him.
"I think I lost it," Littler confessed with a joke when questioned about what it would take for him to fully lose his composure on stage. He reflected that he might have reacted prematurely after the first set, realising the crowd's behaviour was continuing into the second.
"The fans have done what they done and I've reacted as any other player would really," he explained. "But I just had to get on with the job... I just had to get rid of him."
Using the energy and looking ahead
When asked if he used the crowd's negative energy to his advantage, Littler acknowledged it wasn't his primary focus but admitted it fuelled his performance. "They want the underdog to win, or for the game to go on even longer than it should do. But it definitely fuelled me up and I definitely played better," he stated.
Littler's attention now turns to his next challenge in the tournament. He is scheduled to play either Luke Woodhouse or Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals on New Year's Day. A potential semi-final against Ryan Searle or Jonny Clayton awaits, with a final showdown against long-term rival Luke Humphries a distinct possibility.
The young champion has vowed to handle similar crowd reactions differently in future, marking a moment of maturity for the sport's brightest young star following a night of high drama at the iconic Alexandra Palace.
