EX-WORLD CHAMP DEMANDS FEWER GERMAN EVENTS

KEITH DELLER has called for Germany to host fewer European Tour events due to WHISTLING.

PDC Referee Huw Ware was forced to step in as crowd chaos threatened to derail a fiery second-round clash between Dave Chisnall and Gerwyn Price at the European Darts Grand Prix on Saturday. 

Facing persistent whistles and jeers during the showdown, Ware marched to the edge of the stage and even dropped to one knee to issue a stark warning to security.  

He said: “Ladies and Gentlemen I just told security if you carry on whistling please do, but you’ll be thrown out the venue immediately!” 

Former world champ Deller responded to the incident on social media and wrote: “They need to not have so many Euros in Germany. 

“They don’t deserve it if this keeps happening.” 

Six of the 15 European Tour events on the PDC calendar take place in Germany, with the European Championship also set to be held in Dortmund in October. 

Ware previously intervened at the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen back in March, when crowd noise again threatened to boil over.  

That clash saw Stephen Bunting take on Niko Springer in front of a typically partisan German crowd, notorious for loudly backing their home stars.  

With tensions rising in a crucial final-leg decider, the Welsh official was once again forced to act and said: “I’ve asked politely once and I’ll say it politely, shut up please. We’re trying to have a game of darts up here, make this sound better please.” 

Deller believes players may have to accept that whistling is part of the sport and simply bank the “millions” on offer while blocking out the abuse. 

He added: “The players have to accept the situation or go back to crowds of 700 people and poor prize money. 

“The PDC have done fantastic to get darts where it is today and get the money in the sport. Just smile and put the millions in the bank 

“Big crowds (are) so good financially. It’s hard to stop the whistling as a lot of people go for the day out and are not darts fans. 

“You need big crowds to get the big prize money. Some other countries are more respectful, so maybe give them more chances.” 

World No.1 Luke Littler has previously threatened not to play events in the country after being booed by the crowd in a number of recent competitions.   

‘The Nuke’ has struggled for form in Germany, suffering second-round exits on both of his appearances at the European Championship in Dortmund.  

Littler also featured at the World Cup, where his run was cut short in the last 16 after defeat to Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko.  

The Warrington whizkid was knocked out of the of the German Darts Grand Prix by Gian van Veen in the semi-finals last April.  

He said: “I had a little head loss moment, as some of us players do.  

“I just don’t get it, and I can’t explain it. Obviously, you do your walk-on, but then as soon as I got on stage, I started getting booed.  

“I got booed in Hildesheim last year against Peter Wright on the European Tour. I was flying and then they started booing me and I lost.’  

“Obviously, the Germans mustn’t like us English.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.