"Just gets worse when referees address the crowd" - Kirk Bevins fires back after criticism from De Decker over whistle controversy at Grand Slam of Darts

Thursday night saw a true Grand Slam of Darts classic between Luke Littler and Mike De Decker in Wolverhampton. High quality darts, drama, the game had it all but sadly, it might have been the crowd who had the deciding role in finding a winner.

In the end it was Littler who prevailed in a deciding leg to set up a quarterfinal with Jermaine Wattimena. That doesn't quite tell the full story though. With the Belgian having victory in his sights, the crowd in attendance began to get strongly on De Decker's back, whistling when he threw his darts and especially when he was on a finish. Ultimately, De Decker's focus was lost slightly because of this and a match dart at the bull came and went before the brilliant Littler, take nothing away from the teen sensations performance, sealed the comeback for a 10-9 win.

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Speaking to Viaplay afterwards though, De Decker was not a happy man. "You know the crowd is part of it, but the fans were totally unfair here. Of course I have to throw those darts in myself, but it's really a shame," he said, having criticism especially for match referee Kirk Bevins. "If you say something about it and nothing is done about it.... Then why is he just standing there? That's what he's an referee for, right? If we as darters do something wrong, you hear them right away. But if he won't even use his microphone here to ask for respect.... I don't get that."

"If you just ask him to ask for respect for both darters, suddenly you can't do that. That doesn't go in with me," he added. "If he had just said something, it would have been fine. Then if the fans keep going on about it, there's nothing else you can do about it. Then I have to deal with it, but at least it has been said."

After a barrage of criticism on social media following these comments by De Decker, Bevins has now given his side of the story. "The crowd just get worse when referees address the crowd. John McDonald even addressed the crowd in the break once regarding this and they got worse," he writes on his official X account. "If you see someone whistling, report it to security and get them kicked out."

When one darts fan comments that Bevins should have threatened to take the players off stage, he has a sharp response to hand. "That is a bold move. So you threaten that and take them off the stage....and it carries on when you bring them back on. What do you do then? Ignore it? Stop the match completely?"

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"They were on his back, I just took full advantage" - Luke Littler admits crowd played their part in dramatic De Decker victory at Grand Slam of Darts