Luke Littler will run the gauntlet of a hostile Liverpool crowd tonight and Stephen Bunting fears he’s brought it on himself. World champion Littler, 18, has never disguised his allegiance to Manchester United – and nor has he been shy about winding up other sets of fans.
But as Luke the Nuke prepares for a rematch of his PDC World Championship final against Michael van Gerwen in the BetMGM Premier League, Bunting warned him that Scousers have long memories.
Asked whether he preferred fans to cheer for their favourites more than heckling individuals, the ‘Bullet’ admitted: “It doesn’t really bother me – as long as they are supporting me, I couldn’t give a carrot about anyone else.
“Football rivalries will always be part of the sport, one way or another, but it’s a dangerous path to go down. Last year, I was there as a fan and he (Littler) was mocking us (Liverpool) for getting beat 2-0 by Everton, and I don’t think people forget stuff like that.
“I would imagine he’s going to get a few boos from a Liverpool crowd and, with how fragile he is at the minute after his experience in Germany, I don’t think he likes it – but sometimes you can bring it on yourself.
“It’s not only football rivalries that make people boo or cheer for their favourites, but you don’t want to get the fans hating on you. It’s been like that for quite a few years, ever since I joined the PDC, to be fair, but I don’t think it’s just Liverpool fans with me – I felt the crowd support in Germany, Holland, Scotland, Wales, where’ve I’ve played.
“I’m just a normal person who tries to give something back to the fans, whether it’s on TikTok or YouTube, but it’s not all about Liverpool tomorrow night.
“There will be fans who support me as a dart player, not because I support Liverpool.”
Littler admitted, after a rough ride from the Munich crowd in his semi-final defeat at the German Grand Prix on Easter Monday, that he was relieved not to be going back to the Fatherland for six months on the European Tour. He will, however, be representing holders England with Luke Humphries in Frankfurt at the World Cup of Darts in June.
Bunting could climb off the bottom of the table, and haul himself into contention for the play-offs, if he wins the night at the M&S Bank Arena – which would be a remarkable feat after losing his first eight games of the tournament on the spin.
And he hopes for a happier outcome than his first Premier League outing on ‘home’ soil in Liverpool – a 7-1 drubbing by Phil Taylor in 2015. The world No.4 said: “This has probably been 10 years in the making – Phil absolutely hammered me here 10 years ago and it’s been a long road back.
“As soon as the Premier League line-up was announced and I was in it, I was looking for the Liverpool fixture straight away.”
TONIGHT’S GAMES: Luke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall, Luke Littler v Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross v Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price v Chris Dobey
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