"Punishments need to be brought in, maybe" – Stephen Bunting calls for measures after the much-discussed treatment of Luke Littler in the Netherlands
PDCWednesday, 23 September 2026 at 08:00
Stephen Bunting believes penalties may be needed to curb whistling and other disruptive crowd behaviour at darts events. The Englishman spoke shortly after Luke Littler threatened to skip future tournaments in the Netherlands following his reception in Amsterdam.
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Littler faced frequent boos and whistles during the World Series of Darts Finals. The 19-year-old made no secret of his frustration with the stands and even hinted he might avoid future tournaments in the Netherlands.
For Littler, the tournament ended in the quarter-finals. Jonny Clayton not only halted his title charge in Amsterdam, but also ended his bid to win every major PDC title in 2026.
Bunting can understand why the Amsterdam scenes may have unsettled Littler. Speaking to SPORTbible, “The Bullet” discussed the crowd issue at length.
Bunting understands Littler’s frustration
"I think it’s really hard, isn’t it? Obviously, Luke is the best player in the world. For whatever reason, the crowd got on his back, they didn’t want him to do the clean sweep," said Bunting.
The 41-year-old believes that may have put extra tension on Littler at the oche. "He was probably on edge, anyway, going into the tournament. I think maybe in Germany, maybe in Belgium, I’ve had it a few times where the crowd has whistled out."
Bunting also knows from experience how hard it is to stop that behaviour mid-match. He recalled a recent game where the referee explicitly asked for silence, which had the opposite effect.
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“If you let the crowd know they’re getting to you, it can be ten times worse. It’s a hard one to say, but I don’t like the whistling. I’d rather have someone shouting abuse at me than whistling.”
The sharp whistle, Bunting says, is especially disruptive when a player is focusing on a key dart. “It’s a horrible noise to hear when you’re trying to concentrate,” Bunting admitted. “But I understand it’ll keep happening, no matter how much we talk about it."
That is why the former major winner thinks stricter measures may be necessary. “Punishments need to be brought in, maybe. To give it some sort of stop. Until that happens, it’ll keep happening.”
Littler endured whistles and boos from the Dutch crowd throughout the weekend in Amsterdam.
Hypnosis helps Bunting on stage
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Bunting is doing everything he can to shield himself from external distractions. The Englishman revealed he uses hypnotherapy. He also previously worked with a sports psychologist to change his mental approach to the game.
“I don’t go down a negative path anymore. I always look for the positives in a game,” said Bunting. “I was locking myself away, I was unhappy… I felt like everyone was laughing at me."
That was the moment Bunting sought professional help. "So I went to see a sports psychologist. He trained my brain in a way that I never thought could happen. I’m always walking around with a smile on my face, and that’s one of the reasons why."
Around four years ago he added hypnotherapy. Bunting uses a striking metaphor to explain how he now deals with negative thoughts. “The hypnotism came about four years ago, now. There’s a bucket in your brain that fills up with negative thoughts… now I know how to empty the bucket.”
Littler set to miss upcoming tournaments in the Netherlands
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For now, Littler appears ready to back up his words about the Netherlands. The Englishman will miss the next three PDC events on Dutch soil. Littler has withdrawn from Players Championship 29 and 30 in Den Bosch. His name is also absent from the published entry list for the Dutch Darts Championship.
His absence from the two Players Championship events is not a complete surprise. Before his exit in Amsterdam, Littler had said he would only play Den Bosch if he won the World Series of Darts Finals. That title would have kept alive his bid for an unprecedented clean sweep of the big PDC events.
After losing to Clayton, that motivation disappeared. The Players Championship events could also have earned Littler prize money towards qualifying for the Players Championship Finals later in the year.
His absence from the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht stands out more. It is not yet clear whether Littler had always planned to skip that Euro Tour event, or whether the decision relates to his comments after the hostile Dutch reception.
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The debate over fan behaviour in darts will not fade quickly. Bunting does not see the problem solving itself and believes the sport may need to go a step further to better protect players during their throws.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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- Great article - but not written by this site. It's taken wholesale from last Sunday's Observer with this interview published online on Saturday.Scoobedybop22-09-2026
- Such sad and pathetic little losers giving abuse to young woman for any reason, let alone who she is in a relationship with. Go Beau! An absolute star and comes across as a genuinely nice and kind person. Wish her nothing but the best.BandB22-09-2026
- I wouldn't mind if he quit now to be honest. He's not bigger than darts. Let's face it without darts he'd just be a normal fat gamer kid.medinabello22-09-2026
- You know,I said this,in a sentence,not 5 paragraphs!!rick6721-09-2026
- Oh dear,he lost. Well any competitive sport runs the risk of defeat. He is, currently,his own worst enemy. Wind the crowd up,and you get it back bigger. Put your dummy in kidrick6721-09-2026
- Does an exhibition count in the clean sweep though?BandB21-09-2026
- Played great in the final. Makes a mockery of the event when he qualified by losing all of his tour matchesBandB21-09-2026
- He isn't,and won't be the last player to get whistled or booed at. The problem I noticed,is that he winds them up,and give him back,and he doesn't like it. If you can't take it,don't give itrick6720-09-2026
- I hope Phil doesn't return. Watching him the seniors was embarrassing,and he should bow out,and let everyone remember what a legend he is.rick6716-09-2026
- What a nice comment by Wade. Top bloke.BandB15-09-2026
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