Luke Littler silences unforgiving crowd in Premier League opener after insulting home favourite

Callum Vurley
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:12:44 +0000

Luke Littler endured a ferociously hostile reception at Rotterdam Ahoy on Thursday evening as the Dutch crowd made their feelings abundantly clear during Night 11 of the Premier League.

The 19-year-old two-time world champion found himself cast as public enemy number one in the Netherlands, with his entrance music Greenlight by Pitbull rendered virtually inaudible beneath a wall of whistling, booing and shouting.

The jeering began even before Littler reached the stage, with his image on the pre-match screen prompting an immediate negative response from the partisan orange-clad supporters.

The teenager's ongoing dispute with Dutch favourite Gian van Veen, which erupted in Manchester a fortnight ago, had clearly not been forgotten.

In stark contrast to Littler's reception, Gerwyn Price was warmly applauded and cheered by the Rotterdam faithful, who made no secret of their allegiance.

Every time the world number one failed to find the treble, the crowd responded with jeers, while Price's successful throws were celebrated as though the Netherlands had scored a goal.

Yet Littler refused to be rattled, claiming the opening two legs and establishing early dominance despite the relentless barracking.

The Welshman managed to take a leg, sparking chants from his temporary Dutch fanbase, but the teenager maintained a steely expression throughout, revealing nothing as he built a commanding 5-2 advantage.

Littler missed a dart to seal the match at 5-2 but remained unflustered, eventually closing out a 6-3 triumph over the Iceman.

Upon securing victory, the teenager unleashed a massive roar and punched the air emphatically in front of the camera, finally releasing the tension that had built throughout the contest.

He departed the oche swiftly afterwards, choosing not to linger for any further celebration.

The win ended a difficult run of two consecutive quarter-final defeats and secured Littler's place in the semi-finals in Rotterdam for the second year running.

Sky Sports commentator Rod Studd observed: "Luke Littler silences the Orange Army in Rotterdam."

The animosity between Littler and Van Veen has intensified since their encounter in Manchester, where the Englishman threw his arms in the air after his Dutch rival missed match darts.

Van Veen subsequently accused the world number one of celebrating the miss and being "out of order."

Playing just an hour's drive from Van Veen's birthplace of Poederoijen, Littler was always unlikely to find favour with the home crowd.

The teenager has become an increasingly divisive figure since telling supporters at December's World Championship that "your tickets pay my prize money."

His Brighton appearance last week saw him suffer his worst ever PDC performance, losing in the opening round to Stephen Bunting.