Stephen Bunting expressed his disappointment after being met with boos and whistling during his 6-5 loss to Niko Springer at the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy in Germany. The crowd's behavior was so disruptive that referee Huw Ware had to interrupt play and tell spectators to 'shut up' during the match in Göttingen.

This incident follows similar crowd issues at Premier League Darts Night Six in Nottingham, where Bunting also faced booing during his 6-3 defeat to Jonny Clayton. The world champion Luke Littler, who withdrew from this week's tournament, has previously voiced concerns about hostile receptions in Germany, having faced similar treatment at past events including the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen.

Bunting took to Instagram after his defeat, saying he felt 'really hurt' despite acknowledging it was only a minority of fans causing the disruption. He emphasized that while he never complains about defeats, the whistling during crucial moments of play was unacceptable. The incident has reignited discussions about crowd behavior in professional darts, with players and commentators debating whether such actions can be prevented or if they're becoming an unfortunate part of the sport's atmosphere.