Luke Littler fought back tears as he revealed that the boos from the crowd had almost driven him away from darts, moments after he defeated Luke Humphries in a dramatic Premier League final at the O2 Arena in London. The 19-year-old world number one won a last-leg decider 11-10 to reclaim the title and pocket a £350,000 jackpot.
Littler, from Warrington, came from 6-3 down to edge a thrilling contest against his great rival, marking the third consecutive final between the pair. His victory, combined with a record-equalling six nightly wins over the 17-week season, earned him a total of £410,000.
However, the teenager admitted that the pantomime booing and whistling from the 16,000-strong crowd had taken a toll. Speaking on stage, he said: “It’s been a rollercoaster. The first four weeks I was at the bottom. After Brighton, I came off stage and in Manchester, I was sat at home saying to my girlfriend Faith: ‘I don’t want to do it any more. Just the crowd every week. I’m down bad.’” He then stopped speaking as he became emotional.
Earlier, Littler had squandered six match darts in a bad-tempered semi-final against Gerwyn Price, letting a 9-4 lead slip before winning 10-9. The match featured a flashpoint when Price scored 170 and made a “big fish” gesture while Littler was throwing, prompting a warning from referee Huw Ware. Price later apologised but repeated the gesture after hitting 180.
Humphries, 31, secured his place in the final by beating Jonny Clayton 10-9 in a seesaw semi-final. Clayton led 9-7 before Humphries levelled with a 121 checkout and won after Clayton appeared to be put off by a whistle from the crowd. The Welshman gestured angrily as he left the stage.
