Luke Littler has admitted he “didn’t expect” the crowd to turn against him after his win over Rob Cross, but doesn’t regret his comments to the Alexandra Palace crowd after the match.
The world number one is aiming to become the first player since Gary Anderson 10 years ago to win back-to-back Sid Waddell Trophy titles, beating former world champion Rob Cross 4-2 to reach the last eight for the third year in a row and will face Krzysztof Ratajski on New Year’s Day.
Littler averaged 106.58 and had a top score of 17 in a captivating and frenetic battle. After ‘Voltage’ fought back from a 3-1 deficit to force the match into a final set decider, the defending champion appeared to be faltering at various points as he had the strong support of a raucous crowd.
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Luke Littler has harsh words for some fans at Alexandra Palace after his win over Rob Cross
After clinching the victory, Littler addressed the crowd:
“Can I just say one thing? You guys paid for the tickets and you paid for my winnings, so thank you, thank you for the money! Thank you for booing me. Thank you, come on!”
It was a rant that brought even more attention to ‘The Nuke’, but he says he has no regrets, instead describing the reaction on stage as an experience with fans he had never had before.
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Luke Littler reacts to ‘hostile’ crowd he faced during match against Rob Cross at World Darts Championship
“It’s a big occasion for them to celebrate New Year’s Day, but I’m ready for anyone,” Littler said an hour after the contest.
“It was definitely a job I wasn’t ready for. This is a world championship. Whether they wanted the underdog to win or they wanted the match to be longer, you never know. I just finished my job.
“It was pure emotion. What I said, to the fans, I was going to say this at some point last year, but to the fans, they paid for the tickets, they paid for most of our prize money, so I don’t regret anything.”
“Nine times out of 10, I think I’ll always be the favorite to win. And I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect the fans to want Rob to win. But I can learn from it.”
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Rob Cross helped become world number one, but Luke Littler held firm and secured his place in the quarter-finals.
Does Littler feel he can turn things around with the crowd when the Arrow gets back on track in 2026? He hopes so, but all he can do is play his best darts and continue to show how much he has ‘grown’.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know, but we just have to play hard and win,” he added.
“Obviously, I think there were a lot of times where I just threw up at the end, and I think that was kind of the best thing to do.
World darts championship quarterfinals drawing
“I know I can throw a good dart or two, but that just shows how much I’ve grown myself. I’ve never experienced anything like that here on the Ally Pally stage, and we’ll go again.”
“Obviously getting through games like that gives you a lot of confidence, you know you might miss a dart or two but getting through those games is the best.
“The fans are behind you. They’re not in front of you, and what’s in front of you is the dartboard and that’s what you have to do.”
Durant: Booing is part of the pantomime.
Glen Durant on Sky Sports Darts…
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Glen Durant and Laura Turner discuss Luke Littler’s violent reaction to boos from the Ally Pally crowd during his match against Rob Cross
“Firstly, I was surprised, the whole renaissance of darts over the last few years has been tied to the success of Luke Littler.
“I’m old and wise enough to remember the days of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen’s incredible numbers, but I’ve never seen darts played in such a good place and the crowd kind of flipped out…
“Sometimes we forget those things because he’s 18 years old and he comes out as this champion.
“I’m a big believer in the lessons I learned. When I went back to work, my motto was, ‘We all make mistakes, and we should never make them again.’
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Emma Payton and John Peart look ahead to four World Darts Championship quarter-finals
“Boos and whistles have become part of the darts pantomime. As a player, you can deal with the boos but you can struggle with the whistles.
“There’s a renaissance in darts going on and a lot of it is linked to Luke Littler. You have to remember he’s 18 years old. They don’t have media training and yet they get asked.”
What’s next?
The quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship will be held on New Year’s Day, with Johnny Clayton facing Ryan Searle, the only player to not drop a set in the tournament, before Gary Anderson takes on Justin Hood.
A showdown between Luke Humphries and Jan van Veen concludes the night’s session after Littler takes on Ratajski to continue his pursuit of back-to-back world titles.
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match live and exclusively on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky channel 407) until January 3rd. Stream darts and other top sports now.
