Luke Littler handed nightmare scenario as PDC make historic decision after Dutch boycott threat

Luke Littler will encounter a new set of potentially vocal fans thanks to the PDC's announcement of the 2027 European Tour calendar.

The reigning World Darts Championship winner has found himself on the end of boos and jeers while playing overseas in the European Tour, notably in the Netherlands and especially when facing popular local players.

Littler has repeatedly spoken out about the behaviour of fans. With the European Tour holding an event in France for the first time in March, the response of spectators when he faces the likes of French number one Thibault Tricole will be under the microscope.

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Luke Littler has been jeered by hostile fans on the circuit

Littler's unhappy experiences in the Netherlands and Germany continued in Amsterdam last week.

The world champion was booed against Dutch player Danny Noppert and again when he played against Nathan Aspinall, who defeated Littler on the way to a quarter-final loss.

“If the Dutch stay like this, then I’m not going to do any Euro Tours over there," Littler said after beating Noppert.

“There’s just no point in me travelling, wasting my time while I’m getting booed."

But fellow Englishman Ross Smith, who won his second major career title by beating Gerwen Price in the final in the Dutch capital, thinks players can carry some of the blame for the reaction of fans.

"I think it's how you can react on stage, if you're aggressive towards them, it's going to create problems for you," Smith said on the Love The Darts podcast.

"I can't really comment on Luke because I wasn't playing in the games with Luke and I don't know what he actually went through, but they can be brutal at times."

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PDC makes historic European Tour decision after Luke Littler boycott threat

The PDC made the announcement on Friday, confirming that the northern town of Lievin will host the fourth event of 15 in the 2027 schedule. The first PDC event in France will be held in mid-March.

"The historic visit to France will follow European Tour events in Kiel, Krakow and Riesa, with the circuit also returning to established destinations across Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary and the Netherlands during 2027," the PDC announced.

2027 will also mark the inauguration of the sport's European Open. The new event, which will take place in Salzburg in June, will slot in between the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt and the World Matchplay event in Blackpool in July.

"The introduction of the European Open in Salzburg is another significant addition to the calendar and further strengthens what is already a fantastic schedule of events throughout the year," said PDC chief executive officer Matt Porter.

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