ROCK BLASTS ‘NUMPTIES’ OVER DARTS WHISTLING

JOSH ROCK has blasted the “numpties” that risk ruining the sport by whistling in arenas.

Night Six of the Premier League in Nottingham was marred by whistles from spectators that appeared to put players off during key moments. 

Referee Huw Ware was forced to halt play and tell fans to “shut up” after disruptive noise spoiled Stephen Bunting’s clash with Niko Springer at the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen. 

World No.7 Rock hit out at the troublesome minority and warned that their behaviour could spoil darts for everyone if it continues.

Rock faces Gerwyn Price on Night Seven of the Premier League and said: “It’s just people being silly and having a drink, thinking they are funny.

“They just need to wind their neck in and act their age. If they keep on doing it, they are going to spoil it for everyone. 

“We don’t want that in the sport, so all the numpties out there need to behave, in my opinion. 

“It’s only off-putting when there is one person doing it. If the whole arena is whistling, it is a consistent noise, so it is not going to put you off. 

“It’s just that one person who is whistling out of turn that is going to put you off.  

“You play here in Dublin, and there are 10,000 people, and they are all whistling, it is one consistent sound, you will be fine. 

“It’s if it’s just one person. Maybe they will have to number that one person out and remove them from the building.” 

Rock has called for a European Tour event to be added in Ireland as part of the PDC calendar. 

Dublin hosted the World Grand Prix up until 2020, when the tournament was relocated to Leicester due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Citywest being repurposed for health services. 

He added: “There needs to be. The Republic of Ireland is a European country, and they used to have the Citywest. 

“Now they don’t, so in my opinion they need to put a European Tour there.”

Image by Taylor Lanning.