BARNEY HITS OUT AT CROWD CONDUCT
19/04/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
By Aaron Nijjar
RAYMOND van Barneveld admits crowd behaviour in darts has taken a worrying turn.
Five-time World champion Van Barneveld has warned that the noise and abuse from fans in arenas is making it harder for players to perform.
World No. 35 Van Barneveld has labelled the recent conduct “irritating” from crowd members in venues.
He told AD.nl: “It scares the life out of you. Whistling cuts right through you.
“But it’s that drawn-out ‘oooooh’ when you take your time lining up a dart—that’s even more irritating.”
The issue has come under the spotlight after recent incidents at PDC events.
Gerwyn Price was jeered by fans on Night Two of the Premier League in Glasgow.
Referee Kirk Bevins was forced to intervene and call for silence but not everyone welcomed the move.
Former ref Russ Bray even called it “the worst thing you can do.”
Six-time major winner Van Barneveld knows all too well how quickly public sentiment can turn.
He added: “When I first became world champion at Lakeside, people would say: ‘Ah, that old guy, the postman—we’re happy for him.’
“But as soon as you start earning serious money, suddenly people want to take you down.”
‘Barney’ says the entire feel of a darts night has changed and pointed to betting as a growing influence.
He said: “It used to be silent during throws. People came to watch darts. The worst distraction back then might’ve been the occasional nasty email.
“Now, fans spend the whole evening drinking, getting annoyed, and trying to get on TV or social media. I don’t really get it. Don’t you want to see great darts?
“There are always people in the crowd who’ve put a few quid on you—or against you.
“Naturally, they’re going to root for their bet to come through. That’s something to reckon with.”
To cope with the noise, Van Barneveld now carries earplugs with him — but admits even that doesn’t always help.
Van Barneveld returns to action today (Saturday) at the German Grand Prix when he faces Michael Rosenauer in round one.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
