OFFICIAL STATEMENT RELEASED
It’s been described as the ‘worst ever’ with several players and pundits speaking out
The PDC have released a strongly-worded statement after Thursday night’s Premier League event in Glasgow was overshadowed by crowd whistling and jeering.
After beating Rob Cross and Michael van Gerwen on night two of Premier League Darts, Luke Littler moved up to second in the overall standings with a 6-5 win over world number one Luke Humphries.
It was a night of comebacks for the teenager, who won the last two legs against Humphries to secure a memorable victory at the OVO Hydro Arena.
But a number of fixtures from Thursday’s event were overshadowed by constant whistles and jeers from sections of the audience, with those on the oche showcasing their frustration on numerous occasions.
Gerwyn Price, for example, whistled back at the crowd after being targeted during his match against Luke Humphries.
“Yeah, obviously, there was a few in particular that were doing it [whistling] when Luke [Humphries] was throwing,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“Kirk [Bevins, match referee] told them to be quiet and it got even worse, and then I missed doubles and Luke breaks at 5-4. I’m just like, ‘Kirk, you’ve made it worse for me there, I’m 5-4 down.’ But I broke back and held my throw very strongly again.
“If it’s the same (outcome) as what it was when Kirk said it, then obviously just leave it. Obviously, they’ve got to step in at some point and say something. But yeah, that was pretty bad, but I got the win.”
On Friday afternoon, the PDC confirmed they are working with Premier League venues to maintain a “positive atmosphere”.