MARDLE WARNS LITTLER OVER CROWD CLASHES

WAYNE MARDLE has warned Luke Littler that taking on the crowd is a dangerous game after his recent flashpoints.

The world No.1 has found himself under fire following his spat with Gian van Veen on Night Nine of the Premier League Darts in Manchester. 

The Nuke also hit back at jeering fans in Alexandra Palace after his 4-2 win over Rob Cross at the World Championship in December. 

He said at the time: “I’m not bothered. Really not bothered.

“Can I say one thing? You guys pay for tickets and you pay for my prize money. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Come on!” 

But legendary pundit Mardle made it clear history shows going up against spectators rarely ends well.

He told Oche180: “Peter Manley tried it back in the day and it didn’t work. Paul Nicholson tried it back in the day and it didn’t work. 

“Gerwyn Price tries it and doesn’t like it. They have all become ingratiators to the crowd in that regard. 

“They have all changed tact. Luke Littler never set out to antagonise any crowd member. Unfortunately, he has once or twice. 

“He’d want it to stop. It’s easy for me to say, ‘Luke, play your darts, show your class, pal, win the world title and walk away.’ 

“But if you feel like it in the spur of the moment, it is building and building and you can’t hold back, then of course we want that emotion as well. 

“There is a fine line between negative emotion and raw emotion. We don’t want to see negative because we don’t want to see it impact a player.

“We don’t want to see anyone look as down as Gerwyn Price did a couple of years ago. That was not nice to see, and I am glad he pulled himself out of that.” 

Mardle believes Littler is still learning how to handle the pressures of life at the top. 

He added: “I’m a believer the team around him have a responsibility. He has a responsibility. But I am always reticent to go on about his age. 

“When he was 16 or 17, it was just, ‘he is not even an adult yet, it is ridiculous.’ So it was always mentioned then. 

“Now he is 19, he is a young man, let’s get it right. He is not a child anymore, even though I think of him as one because he is 33 years younger than me. 

“What on earth? How is anyone 33 years younger than me? It’s just ridiculous. I really believe he is still finding his feet. 

“I believe he is learning about himself and his trade. I believe he is learning so much about when defeat happens, maybe when he didn’t see it coming. 

“Situations happening and he is not knowing how to deal with it. He needs to listen to friends and family and management. 

“They need to get it right also. If I was to hear that they were to turn around and say, ‘don’t worry about them,’ as in don’t deal with it, that is not the way forward because no one likes being disliked.” 

Littler currently sits second in the Premier League table and returns to action this evening when he takes on Luke Humphries in Liverpool.

Image by Taylor Lanning.