“I’ve played in England where fans booed me—it’s part of the job” – After boos in Sindelfingen, Martin Schindler addresses the debate over German fans

Boos during the match between Gerwyn Price and Dave Chisnall sparked fresh debate at the European Darts Grand Prix 2026 in Sindelfingen. Referee Huw Ware even felt compelled to step in and announced he was in contact with security to have disruptive spectators removed from the venue. That put a long-standing issue in darts back in the spotlight.

Most recently, Keith Deller also leveled sharp criticism at German crowds and even questioned whether so many European Tour events should continue to be staged in Germany. In Sindelfingen, Martin Schindler addressed the role of the fans in an exclusive interview with Dartsnews.com (YouTube) and offered a nuanced view of both support and booing.

Schindler is among the players who regularly receive exceptional backing from the crowd on the European Tour. Still, he sees the fans’ impact in a nuanced way. “It’s difficult to put into numbers,” the German number one explained. “It can definitely have an effect—for example, opponents might miss more often against me because of the crowd.”

At the same time, he puts that effect into perspective when looking at his own progression. “If I look back, that only really happened when I started playing better and becoming more successful. I wouldn’t blame the crowd.”

For him, the fact that atmosphere in darts isn’t always purely positive is part of everyday life on tour. “I’ve played in England where fans booed me—it’s part of the job. You have to learn to deal with it.”

In his view, international players in particular sometimes misread the situation in Germany. “I think some players complain about the crowds in Germany, especially when they get booed in matches against German players,” said Schindler. “It’s not personal. It has nothing to do with who they are or how they behave. German fans just want German players to succeed.”

Schindler stresses that the tremendous fan support also reflects the strong growth of darts in Germany. “There’s a huge demand for darts in Germany—you can see it on the European Tour and at exhibitions. People really want darts here, and I think that’s great,” he said.

At the same time, he doesn’t view home advantage as an unqualified benefit. “From my point of view, you always want to keep things fair,” said Schindler. “always try my best, but it doesn’t make the game easier. When there are 3,500–4,000 people in the arena all supporting one player, you really feel it—suddenly the treble 20 feels like the hardest target in the world.”