Stephen Bunting suggests new punishment for whistling darts fans after Luke Littler boycott threat

Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, Stephen Bunting has suggested ‘punishments being brought in’ to manage heckling darts crowds, days after Luke Littler threatened to boycott Netherlands tournaments.

Bunting’s words arrived after Littler exited the World Series of Darts Finals on Sunday — one of five remaining tournaments the Englishman aimed to win in pursuit of an unprecedented Major sweep.

The 19-year-old previously threatened to boycott tournaments in the Netherlands after being booed and whistled at; now, Bunting has offered his verdict on, and solution to heckling darts crowds.

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‘Punishments need to be brought in’ - Stephen Bunting offers solution to heckling darts crowd after Luke Littler threatens Netherlands boycott

Bunting told SPORTbible, according to Bart Crebolder, from Online Casino Groups Australia, that he felt for an already “on edge” Littler, after the 19-year-old was subjected to boos and whistling in Amsterdam.

He said: “I think it’s really hard, isn’t it? Obviously, Luke is the best player in the world. For whatever reason, the crowd got on his back, they didn’t want him to do the [clean sweep].

“He was probably on edge, anyway, going into [the tournament]. I think maybe in Germany, maybe in Belgium, I’ve had it a few times where the crowd has whistled out.

The 41-year-old then described a recent match, in which the referee told heckling crowd members to “shut up.” In turn, the crowd’s whistling increased.

“If you let the crowd know they’re getting to you, it can be ten times worse. It’s a hard one to say, but I don’t like the whistling. I’d rather have someone shouting abuse at me than whistling.”

Bunting, who told SPORTbible that he undergoes hypnotherapy to minimise on-stage distractions, then explained why whistling is particularly harmful to PDC Pro Tour professionals.

“It’s a horrible noise to hear when you’re trying to concentrate,” Bunting admitted. “But I understand it’ll keep happening, no matter how much we talk about it.

“Punishments need to be brought in, maybe. To give it some sort of stop. Until that happens, it’ll keep happening.”

The 41-year-old told SPORTbible that forms of therapy, including hypnosis, have established “certain behavioural patterns” that allow the PDC icon to actualise his darting talent.

“I don’t go down [a negative] path anymore. I always look for the positives in a game,” claimed Bunting. “I was [once] locking myself away, I was unhappy… I felt like everyone was laughing at me.

“So I went to see a sports psychologist. He trained my brain in a way that I never thought could happen. I’m always walking around with a smile on my face, and that’s one of the reasons why.

“The hypnotism came about four years ago, now. There’s a bucket in your brain that fills up with negative thoughts… now I know how to empty the bucket.”

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Luke Littler set to miss next three Dutch tournaments

After threatening to boycott Netherlands events, Littler has remained true to his word. Following his loss to Clayton, the 19-year-old will not participate in the next three Dutch darts events.

The Englishman has withdrawn from the Players Championship tournaments 29 and 30 in Den Bosch, and is absent from the now-published Dutch Darts Championship entry list.

The 19-year-old would have been in pursuit of prize money at the Den Bosch events, to qualify for the end-of-year Players Championship Finals.

However, with his run to the darts Major sweep in 2026 now over, Littler’s motivations have changed. The 19-year-old clarified, prior to his World Series of Darts Finals exit, that he would only play in the Players Championship events if he won in Amsterdam.

His absence in Maastricht, at the Dutch Darts Championship, was less expected, and it remains unclear as to whether Littler’s decision was previously planned, or the result of his threatened Netherlands boycott.

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