LEGENDARY darts referee Russ Bray has weighed in on the crowd trouble during Night Two of the Premier League in Glasgow on Thursday night.
Darts fans in the OVO Hydro were criticised for whistling throughout the evening and referee Kirk Bevins intervened when things got loud during the final between Luke Littler and Luke Humphries.
GettyRuss Bray has weighed in on the crowd trouble during Night Two of the Premier League[/caption]
PALuke Littler and Luke Humphries faced loud whistling from the crowd in Glasgow during their final[/caption]
GettyReferee Kirk Bevins intervened, telling the crowd to ‘stop whistling’[/caption]
PALuke Littler claimed Bevins made matters worse with his interjection to quieten the crowd[/caption]
Bevins told the Scottish fans to “stop whistling!” in an effort to sort things out, but unfortunately saw his attempt at calming the crowd lead to even more noise.
Littler, who won the final 6-5 to take home the nightly victory, hit out at referee Bevins for “making it worse”.
Speaking after the victory he said: “Obviously, there were a few in particular that were doing it when Luke was throwing. Then when Kirk told them to be quiet, it got even worse. And then I missed doubles.”
Adding: “But I think it’s best off if they don’t whistle at us. We just want to play our darts.”
Now iconic darts ref Russ Bray, who was coined the “Voice of Darts”, has agreed with the 18-year-old’s sentiment, claiming that telling the crowd to stop whistling is “the worst thing you can say”.
He told The Express: “The worst thing you can say as a referee is, ‘ladies and gentleman, please don’t whistle’, because all the idiots will start whistling. That’s the mentality of them.
“All you can say is say, ‘ladies and gentlemen, please give the best of order’. Then it’s up to the security to do something about it, to get those idiots out.
“We don’t need them in there, it drives you nuts. It’s a thorn in the side of the game, for sure.
Premier League Darts 2025: Dates and venues
Night 1 – Belfast: Humphries beat Dobey 6-1
Night 2 – Glasgow: Littler beat Humphries 6-5
Night 3 – 3Arena, Dublin – Thursday February 20
Night 4 – Westpoint Exeter – Thursday February 27
Night 5 – The Brighton Centre – Thursday March 6
Night 6 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham – Thursday March 13
Night 7 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff – Thursday March 20
Night 8 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle – Thursday March 27
Night 9 – Uber Arena, Berlin – Thursday April 3
Night 10 – AO Arena, Manchester – Thursday April 10
Night 11 – Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam – Thursday April 17
Night 12 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool – Thursday April 24
Night 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Thursday May 1
Night 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds – Thursday May 8
Night 15 – P&J Live, Aberdeen – Thursday May 15
Night 16 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield – Thursday May 22
Play-Offs – The O2, London – Thursday May 29
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“How you police it, it’s very difficult. It’s hard to pinpoint one person when you’ve got thousands of people in the audience.
“It really needs the people in the audience to point them out. If an idiot next to me was whistling, I’d turn round and have a go at him. You’re there to enjoy the game, not have some clown spoil it.
“It’s their work. If someone was laying bricks, you wouldn’t go down there and play with his cement to put him off.”
Bray claimed that he “absolutely detests” whistlers and “wishes they could be thrown out”.
The PDC seem to have similar thoughts too, as they reminded fans of their duty to respect the players in a statement following Thursday’s issues.
PDC statement in full
A look at what the PDC had to say after the crowd trouble in Glasgow…
“The PDC wishes to strongly reiterate that it does not condone any behaviour which can disrupt an event, such as whistling or booing when players are throwing.
“Every player goes on stage with the intention of performing to the best of their ability and providing an entertaining spectacle for all fans, whether in the venue or watching worldwide.
“As per the terms and conditions of entry to events, spectators who act inappropriately can be removed from the venue.
“The PDC works closely with Premier League venues, who have responsibility for crowd control, to take proactive and decisive action against those who behave inappropriately.
“The vast majority of fans who attend our sell-out events on a regular basis also condemn this behaviour.
“And we will continue to promote a positive atmosphere which gives all players the opportunity to play to the best of their ability in every match.”
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