Luke Littler admits he “didn’t expect” the crowd to turn against him during his match against Rob Cross, but he doesn’t regret the comments he made to the Alexandra Palace crowd after the match.
The world number one is bidding to become the first back-to-back Seed Waddell Trophy winner since Gary Anderson 10 years ago, advanced to the quarter-finals for the third successive year with a 4-2 win over former world champion Rob Cross, and will face Krzysztof Ratajski on New Year’s Day.
Littler averaged 106.58 and scored a maximum of 17 in a fascinating and intense battle. The defending champion appeared agitated at various points as ‘Voltage’ fought back from a 3-1 deficit to force the match almost to a final set decider before receiving strong support from a raucous crowd.
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Luke Littler had some stern words for some fans at Alexandra Palace following his win over Rob Cross.
After his victory, Littler said to the crowd: “Do I care? Really, do I care?! I really don’t care!
“Can I just say one thing? You guys paid for the tickets and you guys gave me my prize money, so thank you, thank you for my money! Thank you for the boos. Thank you – come on!”
Although it was an explosion that further sparked interest in ‘The Newk’, he said he had no regrets, expressing the reaction from fans he had never experienced on this stage.
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Luke Littler reacts to the ‘hostile’ crowd he faced during his match against Rob Cross at the World Darts Championship
“It’s a huge event for them to ring in the new year, but I’ll be ready for anyone,” Littler said an hour after the competition ended.
“It was definitely something I wasn’t prepared for. It’s the World Championship. Did they want the underdog to win, did they want the match to last longer? Who knows? I’ve done my job.
“I just said this out of pure emotion, fans, I was going to tell you this sometime last year, but it seems like the fans paid for the tickets and almost all of our prize money, so yes, I have no regrets.
“I think 9 times out of 10, I’m always going to be the favorite. The fans weren’t necessarily hoping for Rob to win, but they could learn from that.”
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Rob Cross was ranked world number one, but Luke Littler held firm and secured a place in the quarter-finals.
Does Littler think he can turn things around with the crowd when the Arrows restart in 2026? He hopes so, but all he can do is play his darts as best he can and continue to show how much he has “grown.”
“I don’t know. I think I’ll have to win with all my heart,” he added.
“Of course, there have been quite a few times where I’ve let it go last and I think that’s the best way to do it.
World Darts Championship quarterfinals draw
“I know I can throw a good dart or two but it just shows how much I have grown. I have never experienced anything like that on the Ally Pally stage and here we go again.
“Obviously it gives you massive confidence to get through a game like that. You know you might miss a dart or two, but getting through that game is the best.
“The fans are behind you, not in front of you. What’s in front of you is the dartboard and that’s what you have to do.”
Durant: The booing is part of the pantomime
Sky Sports Darts’ Glenn Durant…
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Glen Durrant and Laura Turner discuss Luke Littler’s furious reaction to boos from the Ally Pally crowd during his clash with Rob Cross.
“First of all, I was surprised. The redevelopment of Darts over the last few years has all been linked to Luke Littler’s success.
“I’m old and wise enough to remember the days of Phil Taylor and the incredible numbers of Michael van Gerwen, but we’ve never seen darts in a better place and the way the crowd kind of flipped…
“These are things we sometimes forget because he’s 18 years old and he’s emerged as this champion.
“I’m a firm believer in the lessons learned. Going back to my old career, my motto was ‘We all make mistakes. Don’t make them again.’
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Emma Paton and John Part are set to meet in four World Darts Championship quarter-finals.
“The boos and whistles have become part of the pantomime that is darts. As a player, you can handle the whistles, but you can struggle with the whistles.
“There was a replay of the dart and a lot of it was linked to Luke Littler. You have to remember he is 18 years old. They have no media training and then questions are asked.”
What’s next?
The World Darts Championship returns with the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day. Here, Jonny Clayton opens the match against Ryan Searle, the only player in this tournament not to drop a set, while Gary Anderson takes on Justin Hood.
Luke Humphries’ clash with Gian van Veen concludes the evening session after Littler continued his quest for back-to-back world titles by playing Ratajski.
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match live exclusively until January 3 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky Channel 407). Stream darts and other top sports with NOW.
