Legendary referee Russ Bray says Luke Humphries being overlooked for Luke Littler is a shame, gives 'Cool Hand' back-to-back Ally Pally tip

Darts referee Russ Bray known as 'The Voice' retired from active duty at the top level at the turn of the year but recently released a book called All About Darts which sums up his career.

Going on the Live Lounge, a weekly show from Online Darts he said that he initially declined to write it as he thought it would be an autobiography and it was only when he was told it wouldn't be thus that he decided to write it with the book taking more of a look at his time in the sport.

But also he can now give his opinion on matters. While debates raged about the line-up of the Premier League Darts for 2025, Bray said that perhaps Martin Schindler and Gian van Veen should be in the running for what is likely to be a wide open pick with many of the top names not on form and also many new winners.

"I don't know if you mentioned Schindler. What's the point of going to Berlin and not having a German there. That's all the different factors that come within picking a Premier League. Good call with Van Veen, I called his final against Luke (Littler) a few years back and I thought he was going to be the better player overall. Littler has been tremendous in what he's done. You've got the Dutch interest, that's another factor," said Bray to Online Darts.

He also said that while he wrote a book on his darting career, only certain moments stick out and for instance Sherrock's rise and Van Gerwen's perfect 18 darts over specific games he gets quizzed about.

"The only things that stick in my mind are Phil's first nine-darter, Barney-Taylor from 2007 and some other odd games. That's about it. Once I've done my job, I really do switch off. I can forget about it so to speak. Unless something specific happens like MVG hitting 17/18 perfect darts, they're the sort of things or Fallon Sherrock when she beat Ted Evetts."

"They're the different things that you do remember as they're the stand out things. If you ask me about Dennis Priestley facing Eric Bristow, I'd say great but I probably couldn't even tell you who won because once I'm done I'm finished."

"To a point yes. To another point no. No because of his age and the pressure. I didn't know how he was going to take all that as the kid is 17. I didn't know how he would take the pressure hoping he would be able to.

"He had three majors when he went out first round and he hasn't panicked. He looks at it as on the day. He's pushed darts to another level. He's the type of kid I think there's other factors to come but he will relish where he is and what he's doing. To a point I did expect it as he's that good. But the apprehension was his attitude whether he could maintain the pressure. It will be interesting to see at the World Championship as they've made him favourite. The kid's 17 and they've made him a favourite. Luke Humphries for me is still the best player in the world. I feel sorry for Luke because Luke Littler's took all the accolades and it's took a bit away from Humphries which to a point I think will help him."

"Commercial wise it's a shame. But I honestly think Humphries will win it again. I think he will do back to back."

Mike de Decker dealt with horrific whistling during his loss to Luke Littler at the Grand Slam of Darts. He hit out at referee Kirk Bevins for not doing anything and Bray said he would solve it a few ways and that Bevins was not at fault as it would only make it worse.

"That's the last thing you want is a player walking off or taken off the stage. It needs inside policing. Our security boys are only allowed onto the perimeter, they're not allowed into the arena. You can't blame our boys for that. They're there to protect the players if anyone tries climbing over the barrier or does anything daft. The in-house security should be the ones dealing with the guy or the person alongside the idiot whistling. I kid you not if someone did that alongside me, I'd be saying turn it in," he said.

"That's what it needs. It needs the people in the crowd and in-house security. As soon as the geezer whistles, throw them out. Put a big sign when they walk in. Anyone found whistling while the games on will be ejected. It's the worst thing in the game, it goes through you anyway. The worst thing you can say is please don't whistle as you'd have 3,000 idiots whistling. That's human mentality."

"There's nothing he (Bevins) can do, he's got 5,000 people. What's he going to do. Pulling him off the stage won't work as you've got betting involved. It's like a disruption at a football game and causing the game to get abandoned. Bet gets null and void and he walks away happy. It don't look good on TV, doesn't look good on the game and needs to be involved in-house."