Luke Humphries Believes Littler-Van Veen Spat Will Soon Fade from Memory
World champion Luke Littler's recent heated exchange with Dutch darts player Gian van Veen is likely to be quickly forgotten as the BetMGM Premier League resumes on Thursday, according to world number two Luke Humphries. The spat occurred during night nine of the competition in Manchester last week, where van Veen missed a match dart, prompting Littler to celebrate in front of his home crowd.
Tense Exchange in Manchester Sparks Controversy
Following van Veen's missed opportunity, Littler gestured at his opponent upon returning to the oche, only to miss his own chance to seal the match. Van Veen eventually secured a narrow 6-5 victory, but not before Littler produced a 'cry baby' gesture, adding fuel to the fire. The Dutchman later accused Littler of being "out of order" and suggested their next meeting might not be "very friendly".
This potential next encounter could occur on night 10 in Brighton if van Veen defeats Michael van Gerwen and Littler overcomes Stephen Bunting in their respective quarter-finals. The incident has dominated headlines, but Humphries, who faces Jonny Clayton in his opener, believes it will soon be a distant memory.
Humphries Weighs In on the Drama
"It comes with the territory," Humphries stated. "We've seen it many times over many years. Players have done it here and there, and sometimes you probably think 'oh God, I wish I hadn't done that now'. It's hot news right now isn't it, but in two weeks it'll all be forgotten. No-one will remember it and we'll all move on. That's my take on it."
Despite his early exit last week, Littler remains at the top of the Premier League table with 21 points after winning three events so far. Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton are close behind with 19 points each. There is then a gap to Michael van Gerwen (13 points), Gian van Veen (12), and defending champion Luke Humphries (11), who are locked in a tight battle for the fourth spot.
Humphries Aims to Revive His Campaign
Humphries is hoping to kickstart his campaign after suffering successive quarter-final defeats. "People are used to seeing me in that one and two spot with Luke and now I'm not, and everybody's like 'whoa, you're sixth'," he explained. "But it's not really a position that I'll be panicking about because I'm two points away, that's just one win. I've really not won a night or made many finals, so to still be within two points shows that, if it does happen for me all of a sudden, then I've got a good chance to really push myself up there."
Should Humphries beat Clayton, he will face the winner of the match between Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock. As the Premier League action heats up, all eyes will be on whether the Littler-van Veen rivalry reignites or fades into obscurity as Humphries predicts.
