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Littler beats Noppert despite boos, threatens Netherlands boycott

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 3:12 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Luke Littler Boycotts

Luke Littler threatened to boycott future Netherlands darts events after being repeatedly booed.
He defeated Dutch favourite Danny Noppert 6-4 in round one despite the boos.
Littler then beat Nathan Aspinall 10-9, sealing the win with a 12-dart finish.
Referee Charlie Costorphine repeatedly stopped play to calm the disruptive crowd.

Summary

Littler Secures World Cup

Littler and Luke Humphries secured the 2026 World Cup title for England.
At 19, Littler has claimed five major televised darts titles this season.
Littler won the 2024 World Series in the Netherlands, defeating Danny Noppert.
Littler's head-to-head record versus Michael van Gerwen includes a Czech Darts Open semi-final win.
Phil Taylor held all majors simultaneously in 2009-2010, though not within a single calendar year.

History

Historical Context

In 2009 Phil Taylor completed a clean sweep of PDC majors, winning the World Championship—defeating Raymond van Barneveld 7-1 at Alexandra Palace—and the UK Open, cementing his record 16 World titles. Earlier Dutch venues had seen tense crowds, a pattern echoed by 19-year-old Luke Littler at the IJsselstadion, prompting the PDC to tighten security and crowd-control rules.

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Luke Littler Boycotts

Luke Littler threatened to boycott future Netherlands darts events after being repeatedly booed.
He defeated Dutch favourite Danny Noppert 6-4 in round one despite the boos.
Littler then beat Nathan Aspinall 10-9, sealing the win with a 12-dart finish.
Referee Charlie Costorphine repeatedly stopped play to calm the disruptive crowd.

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