"We need to play majors in neutral countries" – Gerwyn Price throws shade on crowd after last-leg heartbreak vs Luke Littler at World Grand Prix

Gerwyn Price has voiced his frustration over the playing conditions following a heart-stopping 3–2 defeat to Luke Littler in the 2025 World Grand Prix quarter-finals on Friday night — suggesting that major tournaments should be held in neutral venues after again falling victim to a raucous, partisan crowd.

The Welshman, who had match darts in a pulsating fourth set and looked on course to knock out the reigning world champion, saw victory snatched away in a moment of magic from Littler, whose jaw-dropping 152 checkout in the deciding leg sent the Leicester crowd into pandemonium.

Reacting in an emotional post on his Instagram story shortly after the match, Price wrote: “Wow gutted. And this is why we need to play majors in neutral venues/countries. Luke was great in patches at the right time in the end, but I lost that one again x.”

It was a thinly veiled reference to the electric home support behind Littler, who despite an erratic performance found timely inspiration in key moments to stay alive — saving the match with a 154 finish, then later surviving multiple missed match darts from Price before producing a now-iconic 152 to win it.

The 2021 world champion had made an imperious start, racing into a 2–0 lead in sets and looking composed on stage despite early missed doubles. With Littler struggling to get into legs — at one point taking nine darts to land a scoring double — Price appeared poised to take full control.

But as has become a familiar pattern in matches involving Price over the years, the crowd’s allegiance leaned heavily toward his teenage opponent. And as Littler found his rhythm, the atmosphere shifted.

From there, the match transformed into one of the most dramatic of the tournament. Price held firm with a sensational 156 checkout to force a final-leg decider, but after taking eight darts to get in on throw, he fell behind in the scoring battle. Littler, who needed six darts himself to start, suddenly conjured brilliance from nowhere with a 152 to complete the unthinkable comeback.

Price’s comments about neutral venues aren’t new. The Welshman has previously clashed with the crowds, including high-profile incidents at Alexandra Palace and Blackpool. While never using it as a direct excuse, he’s long been vocal about the pressures of playing in hostile environments and the mental toll it takes and a vocal advocate for ideas such as moving the PDC World Darts Championship to a different country each year.

For Littler, it’s another moment of magic in a young career already filled with defining moments. For Price, it’s another crushing exit from a major, leaving behind only the question: what more could he have done? As he himself admitted, “I lost that one again.”