The electric atmosphere at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena turned hostile on April 17, 2025, as 18-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler faced a barrage of boos from the Premier League Darts crowd during a nail-biting 6-5 quarterfinal defeat to Stephen Bunting. The reigning PDC World Champion, known for his unflappable demeanor, was visibly riled when jeered for taking time to swap his darts mid-match, responding with a defiant gesture that underscored his fiery spirit. Despite a valiant comeback, Littler fell short in a thrilling deciding leg, but the night’s drama—punctuated by crowd tension and Bunting’s resilience—cemented the young star’s reputation as a polarizing yet magnetic force in darts.
Littler arrived in Rotterdam atop the Premier League leaderboard with 25 points, having dominated Bunting 6-0 in Newcastle just weeks prior. The Dutch crowd, however, was firmly in Bunting’s corner, energized by the 39-year-old’s earlier upset over local hero Michael van Gerwen. As Littler’s name was announced, boos echoed through the arena, setting a contentious tone. “Littler, he was a bit animated tonight,” Sky Sports pundit Wayne Marsden observed, noting how the teenager oscillated between challenging the crowd and feeding off their energy. The match itself was a rollercoaster, with Littler trailing 5-2 before roaring back to level at 5-5, only to see Bunting clinch the win with a clutch double 12.
The flashpoint came as the score approached 4-2 in Bunting’s favor. Littler, aiming to disrupt Bunting’s rhythm, paused to select a new set of darts, a calculated move that drew loud jeers from the audience. Turning to face the crowd, Littler furrowed his brow and raised his hand in a bemused gesture, a moment of defiance that only intensified the boos. “He was going against the crowd and then with the crowd,” Marsden remarked, highlighting Littler’s ability to channel the hostility into focus. Later, as momentum swung his way, he repeated the fierce glance, undeterred by the crowd’s disapproval. “I always let my darts do the talking,” Littler had said earlier in the season, a mantra tested in Rotterdam’s cauldron.
Bunting, buoyed by the crowd’s support, delivered a masterclass in composure. “Full credit to Stephen Bunting for that last leg, he held it together,” Marsden said, praising the Liverpudlian’s precision on double 12, which followed his earlier 81 checkout against van Gerwen—deemed the “shot of the night.” Bunting’s victory propelled him to the semifinals, where he defeated Rob Cross 6-4 before losing to Chris Dobey in the final. “The crowd were giving the masses against him. He withstood it, took his time,” Marsden added, noting Bunting’s ability to thrive under pressure after a season of struggles.
Littler’s Rotterdam defeat was a rare hiccup in an otherwise dominant Premier League campaign. His three nightly wins and 16 match victories underscore his meteoric rise since defeating van Gerwen for the 2025 World Championship title. Past encounters with hostile crowds, like in Berlin where he attributed boos to his English nationality, have only sharpened his resolve. “Obviously you do your walk-on but then as soon as I got on stage I started getting booed,” he said after Berlin, shrugging off the animosity. In Rotterdam, his gesture was less playful than his sarcastic fist-bump for a low score in Berlin, reflecting the match’s high stakes.
The loss does little to dent Littler’s playoff prospects, with five nights remaining before the May 29 finale at London’s O2 Arena. His 112.34 average and 10 maximums in a recent win over Bunting in Exeter highlight his lethal precision. Bunting, meanwhile, is clawing his way back after a winless start to the Premier League. “I’ve tried 110 per cent every single week,” he said after his first victory in Berlin, a sentiment echoed in Rotterdam’s gritty performance. Littler himself predicted Bunting’s resurgence, saying in Newcastle, “I’m sure once he gets that first win… he could win a night.”
Rotterdam’s drama, amplified by the crowd’s fervor and Littler’s fiery response, encapsulates the raw emotion of Premier League Darts. As Littler prepares for Birmingham’s Night 12 clash with Nathan Aspinall, his ability to turn adversity into fuel will be key. For Bunting, the win is a lifeline, proving he can challenge the sport’s elite. With the darts world buzzing, this clash of titans has set the stage for an exhilarating race to the playoffs.