Stephen Bunting has spoken out about the torrent of booing he faced last weekend at the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen, Germany, stating it was the worst he has ever experienced. In an interview with talkSPORT, Bunting confirmed such incidents happen "from time to time" but emphasized the scale was unprecedented. "Yeah, it happens from time to time. It's not all the time, and it's only a very small number of people who do it. But the whistling when you're going for a double—when you've travelled all that way to go over there—it's not ideal," said the Englishman. He directly referenced Luke Littler's previous doubts about playing in certain countries, adding, "I understand now why Luke Littler doesn't want to go over there. That's the first time I've experienced it that bad. Thankfully, the referees stepped in and we were able to continue the game." The booing occurred during his match against German player Niko Springer.
Bunting also addressed the congested darts calendar, a topic recently highlighted by Gerwyn Price. He offered a nuanced view, stating, "I think it's a bit of everything, to be honest. But for me, you're an elite sportsman, so you can pick and choose your tournaments—you don't have to play in everything. It's down to personal preference." He acknowledged the fatigue of a long tour but pointed to the rewards: "The more you play, the more money you earn, and you're chasing rankings as well. That's important for me this year because I've dropped slightly. So yeah, I'll be playing in near enough everything."
On his current form in Premier League Darts, Bunting was self-critical despite strong displays in Belfast and Nottingham. "I felt like I was towards the back end of last year. I've been a bit slack on my doubles this year, but I don't know why, because I haven't done anything differently," he admitted. However, he noted improvement in the Premier League, saying, "I'm happy I managed to get wins early in the Premier League this year—last year it took until week nine." He also praised Jonny Clayton's outstanding form over the last 12 months, calling him "one of the best players in the world" and noting his world ranking of number five.
Looking ahead to a showdown with Luke Littler in Dublin, Bunting remains undaunted. "No, definitely not. He is the best player in the world, but his Premier League form hasn't been his best—he'll tell you that himself. Maybe I can catch him cold," he said. He highlighted the hectic schedule, detailing travel to Dublin, then Belgium for a European Tour, then Berlin, and acknowledged the challenges of constant travel away from family. The conversation concluded with Bunting, a Liverpool fan, criticizing his football team's recent performances, suggesting management issues might be to blame after a title-winning season last year.
