"Wouldn’t be surprised if Luke Littler never sets foot in Germany again" - Experts call on PDC to step in after "completely unacceptable" World Cup of Darts crowd

The Belgian VTM commentators watched with growing concern as the German crowd reacted during the match between Luke Littler and Luke Humphries against Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko. “If the Welsh players were already getting booed during their throws, what on earth is going to happen when it’s Germany vs England?” they wondered aloud.

Their concerns quickly proved justified. Lead commentator Rudy Lanssens was particularly appalled: “Luke Littler throws his very first dart – and he’s already being booed.” Belgian legend Erik Clarys echoed the sentiment, becoming increasingly outspoken as the match went on.

“Just imagine being Luke Littler,” said Clarys. “He’s still so young. Everywhere else, he’s celebrated – but here in Germany, he’s being booed from start to finish. I’ve worked with kids his age on the Development Tour. You can’t imagine the effect something like this has on young players. It gets into your head. All you want to do is go home. Far away.”

Rudy Lanssens also became more emotional and held nothing back: “This wouldn’t happen in Belgium – at least not so obviously and unsportingly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke Littler never sets foot in Germany again. This kind of behaviour is absolutely out of order. The PDC has to step in – this is completely unacceptable.”

Throughout the broadcast, both commentators continued to voice their disapproval – especially in response to a flood of comments on social media. “Our viewers clearly don’t think this is okay either. Millions of people just want to enjoy darts as neutral fans – and this is what they’re faced with. It simply can’t happen. This isn’t darts anymore.”

At the same time, the Belgian duo became increasingly impressed by the performance of the German players. “Pietreczko and Schindler are playing really well, but Humphries and Littler are completely rattled. There’s no denying the crowd is having an effect. Littler will probably disappear straight after the match, likely without doing an interview. And I can’t blame him. Maybe he’ll never play in Germany again. He’s not used to this. He’s going to have to find a way to handle it,” Clarys concluded.