Ryan Searle shows Luke Littler exactly how to respond to crowd trouble during Dutch Darts Championship
Luke Littler has been the bar setter in the world of darts for the past three years, as he has won 24 majors, including the 2026 World Cup.
Yet the 19-year-old has seemingly become the pantomime villain, and he has to deal with boos due to this incredible success, when just three years ago he was a fan favourite.
While it was evident in December last year that he struggled to handle the fan reaction, now Ryan Searle may have shown the teenager how to respond to crowd trouble after his reaction to the supporters at the Dutch Darts Championship.
Luke Littler may take notes from Ryan Searle’s reaction to crowd at Dutch Darts Championship
Littler spoke previously about the booing and whistling he endured during the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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The noise from the fans got so loud that the referee had to halt proceedings during his match against Nathan Aspinall, asking the fans not to whistle while the players were throwing.
It was not the first day that he had been booed, as he endured it in a game against Dutch favourite Danny Noppert the previous day. As reported by the BBC, Littler said: "There's just no point in me travelling, wasting my time whilst I'm getting booed.”
Yet, the 19-year-old may take a lesson from Searle in his actions at the Dutch Darts Championship.
The Somerset star produced a brilliant display and used partisan support for the home star, Dirk van Duijvenbode, to aid his focus and earn a 6-5 victory.
As seen in Littler’s match, the referee asked the crowd to settle during this contest, but Searle took it in his stride, as reported by OCHE180.
Speaking about the boos, he said: “I think you just have to take it, basically. This is a big place, there's a lot of people in here and you'd do well to be able to block this out. So, it's just one of those where you take it on the chin and try and do your best.”
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Luke Littler’s boycott of the Dutch Darts Championship
The 19-year-old is not competing in this competition, opting not to travel, with a key reason being the booing he endured in the Netherlands previously.
As reported by the Mirror, Littler does not appear to be a fan favourite in the Netherlands, as seen in the boos he received at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.
Now, it must also be noted that the Dutch fans did not like the actions of Littler towards Gian van Veen with a ‘cry baby’ gesture before taunting him on Instagram.
Littler has threatened to boycott Dutch events due to this treatment, something he had done previously at events in Germany.
Topics: Luke Littler, Darts
Brendan McGilligan