“People want to see him struggle” - James Wade calls out British darts fans for booing one of their own in Luke Littler

James Wade has challenged the British darts fans who boo Luke Littler, arguing that some would rather see the world champion struggle than get behind him. Wade has lost three major finals to Littler since March 2025, and his defence of the 19-year-old came as both prepared to open their Grand Slam of Darts campaigns in Wolverhampton.

Asked about Littler’s recent dip in results, Wade told 247Bet, as reported by The Sun, “I think he’ll be just fine. I think it’s the British mentality that people want to see him struggle because that’s how British people behave, isn’t it? Rather than cheer their own, they boo their own, which is the most puzzling thing in the world. Probably the only country that does it as well, which is even more strange.”

At Alexandra Palace in December, Littler hit back at the crowd in his on-stage interview after beating Rob Cross 4-2. He also faced boos and whistles at September’s World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, where the referee intervened during his match against Nathan Aspinall. Littler went out to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals, then lost in the first round of the World Grand Prix and the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

“Why quite a lot of people do that is beyond me. He’s a young British lad,” Wade said. “I’d say 99 per cent of 18-year-olds, if you give them or they earn what Luke’s earned and his position and where he is in the world, they’d be right little horrors. And he’s really not. And then put the money on top, he’s still such a polite, young, quiet young man. Yeah, he’s doing very, very well.”

After last year’s World Matchplay final, Littler recalled telling Wade during a break that he could hear someone in the crowd. The two spoke about it and played on, as Littler explained in his post-match press conference at the Winter Gardens.

“He’s a good, good, good young man. And he surprised me. I thought he would change a little bit or be a bit different,” Wade said. “He’s not. He’s just a genuine, nice lad. It’s actually quite annoying that he’s so nice and so polite. And he really is.”

“He hasn’t got no malice in him. He’s not big-headed. And let me tell you, the grown men, if they had what he’s achieved, would be completely different people. So, I think the British public, in general, should tip their hats to all the British players and perhaps give them a little bit of a cheer on, rather than a boo."

Wade led 5-0 in that Blackpool final and was still within a leg at 14-13. He averaged 101.54, but Littler reeled off the last four legs and hit 17 maximums on his way to the title. The two Minehead finals played out differently. Littler ran away with the first, while Wade fought back to 7-7 this March before Littler closed out his UK Open defence.

“I haven’t been good enough, or I’ve played someone that’s been playing exceptional darts, which I think has been three finals, been Luke,” Wade said. “So, I haven’t been good enough to win those finals, but had Luke not played quite as well, or if I’d have probably played someone else, I probably would have got across the line. But that’s the joy of playing the best player in the world. I think I’m due a win, but you know, we’ll see.”

Wade did beat Littler 10-7 in Dortmund last October, winning the final three legs of their European Championship last-16 tie. A fourth final between them is possible at the Grand Slam. They are on opposite sides of the draw, with Wade looking for his first title at the event after runner-up finishes in 2010, 2016 and 2020.

Wade arrives as the seventh seed after winning September’s Flanders Darts Trophy and reaching the World Grand Prix semi-finals. He beat Evans 5-2 in last year’s Grand Slam group stage, but Evans went through and reached the quarter-finals while Wade went out. At the World Championship the following month, Evans took out 99 in the deciding-set tie-break to knock Wade out. Evans got him again on the European Tour in May, winning 6-4.

“First rounds, second rounds, third rounds, I don’t think it makes any difference,” Wade said. “Players seem to just do a little bit more, but there’s no great gap anymore. Everyone’s great. Everyone’s amazing, unfortunately. People don’t fluff things so they get a shot. They normally hit it.”

“So, it’s a different game, a different world. We saw what Ricky did to me last year at the World Championships, although how he played after that is questionable,” Wade added. “But, everyone is capable of winning, unfortunately.”

Wade opens against Cam Crabtree, who beat Littler in the World Youth Championship semi-finals. A win on Saturday puts Wade’s match against Evans on Tuesday. A defeat brings that rematch forward to Sunday evening. Only the winner of Group K goes through under the PDC’s expanded Grand Slam format.