Latest news with #JoeCullen
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Florian Hempel launches scathing attack on PDPA as German star claims 'that's how it feels'
PDC ace Joe Cullen recently questioned the purpose of the organisation and the German has now backed him up German star Florian Hempel reckons he's no chance of understanding the role of the Professional Darts Players Association. PDC ace Joe Cullen recently questioned the purpose of the organisation which the game's participants help to fund with a small percentage of their prize money. Speaking on the Game On podcast. Hempel says the troops on the circuit are struggling to acknowledge the purpose of the PDPA. He said: 'None of us 128 Tour Card holders actually know what they do. If Joe Cullen, who's been in the game for 15 years, doesn't know what they do, then I certainly don't either. "There are always a few guys from the PDPA around, like Peter Manley or Jamie Caven. "Former players who seem to have landed a post-career role, just so they don't need to find other work. "At least, that's how it feels. They each seem to have some small job, but none of them appear to have any real responsibilities. "Jamie Caven just sits behind a laptop typing things in. "He comes around once a year to talk to us, but it's never clear what it's about and it's never much.' Hempel laughed at one anecdote as he added: 'Peter Manley once scolded me for posting something on Twitter that he thought was inappropriate. "It was about a situation involving Mike de Decker. And I thought to myself, Peter Manley, the biggest bully darts has ever seen, is telling me what I can and can't post online. The irony was rich.'
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Luke Littler doubles down on boycotting Germany tournaments - as he pulls out of European Darts Grand Prix after being booed in Munich last month
Luke Littler has doubled down on his move to boycott tournaments held in Germany, as the world champion has now pulled out of the European Darts Grand Prix. Littler has received hostile receptions from German crowds in recent weeks, having been booed on the Premier League night in Berlin and again at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich. After the latter event, the 18-year-old took to Instagram to express his frustrations and claimed that he would not play in Germany until October when he turns out for the European Championship in Dortmund. He wrote: 'Shouldn't have been in Munich but had to play anyway. Next one in Germany for me is Dortmund [in October] and I am glad to say that.' This would have him miss four events in the nation before then, including the European Darts Grand Prix and the World Cup of Darts. In missing the former tournament, Littler becomes the only one of the world's top 20 players to not be taking part. He revealed that he will not return to the country for months, but it is now understood that he will feature at the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt in June However, it is understood that Littler will feature at the World Cup in Frankfurt, which runs from June 12 to June 15, according to Sky Sports. Littler most recently felt the wrath of the German crowd last week as he crashed out of semi-finals of the German Grand Prix in Munich. After beating Joe Cullen and Peter Wright, the 18-year-old was dispatched 7-4 in the semis by Gian van Veen - despite having been 4-3 up. Michael van Gerwen claimed the ultimate glory, and a £30,000 boost to his wallet, with an 8-5 win in the final to lift a record-extending 38th European Tour title. Littler had been whistled and booed during his quarter-final victory over Joe Cullen, according to reports on social media. To add insult to injury, the crowd inside the Kulturehalle Zenith cheered for Van Veen as he mounted an astonishing comeback. This came after he was also booed at the Premier League night in Berlin earlier this month. Littler was knocked out in the quarter-finals 6-2 by Chris Dobey in his worst display of the year as the crowd jeered - and he hit back with a finger to his ear.
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Austrian Darts Open 2025: Schedule and results as Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall and Jonny Clayton feature
THE Austrian Darts Open is here - and fans are guaranteed to see a new champion crowned in Graz! Last year, Luke Littler took home the title after beating Joe Cullen 8-4 in a thrilling final. The teenage sensation has opted not to defend his title this week amid the world champion's hectic schedule. Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Gerwyn Price are also not in the 48-player field, with many notable names not competing. Premier League Darts stars, Stephen Bunting, Chris Dobey and Nathan Aspinall do feature in Austria as they look to take advantage of the weaker field. When is Austrian Darts Open 2025? The Austrian Darts Open will begin on Friday, April 25. The tournament will run until Sunday, April 27. The Premstattner Halle hosts the event. How to watch Austrian Darts Open 2025 The Austrian Darts Open will not be televised in the UK. For UK viewers, it will be live streamed on PDCTV - a subscription service. You can purchase an annual PDCTV subscription for £49.99. A three-day pass, which will cover the whole tournament, costs £4.99, as does a monthly subscription. Alternatively, SunSport's live blog of the event will bring you leg-by-leg coverage of the event. Austrian Darts Open 2025 schedule and results Friday, April 25 - First Round (best of 11 legs) Afternoon Session (12pm BST) Patrick Geeraets vs Matt Campbell Krzysztof Ratajski vs Mickey Mansell Madars Razma vs Ian White Andrew Gilding vs Chris Landman Thibault Tricole vs Christian Goedl Ryan Joyce vs Teemu Harju Ricardo Pietreczko vs Tom Bissell Matthew Dennant vs Rowby John Rodriguez Evening Session (6pm BST) Lukas Wenig vs Niko Springer Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Gyorgy Jehirszki Wessel Nijman vs William O'Connor Raymond van Barneveld vs Karel Sedlacek Ritchie Edhouse vs Mensur Suljovic Kevin Doets vs Berry van Peer Jermaine Wattimena vs Zoran Lerchbacher Luke Woodhouse vs Nathan Rafferty Saturday, April 26 - Second Round (best of 11 legs) Afternoon Session (12pm BST) Ross Smith vs Gilding/Landman Ryan Searle vs Joyce/Harju Danny Noppert vs Wenig/Springer Gian van Veen vs Van Duijvenbode/Jehirszki Joe Cullen vs Tricole/Goedl Josh Rock vs Ratajski/Mansell Daryl Gurney vs Edhouse/Suljovic Mike De Decker vs Nijman/O'Connor Evening Session (6pm BST) Damon Heta vs Van Barneveld/Sedlacek Peter Wright vs Woodhouse/Rafferty Jonny Clayton vs Wattimena/Lerchbacher Nathan Aspinall vs Doets/Van Peer Chris Dobey vs Pietreczko/Bissell Stephen Bunting vs Geeraets/Campbell Martin Schindler vs Dennant/Rowby John Rodriguez Dave Chisnall vs Razma/White Sunday, April 27 Afternoon Session (12pm BST) Third Round (best of 11 legs) Evening Session (6pm BST) Quarter-Finals (best of 11 legs) Semi-Finals (best of 13 legs) Final (best of 15 legs)
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Luke Littler hints he will BOYCOTT tournaments in one country in cryptic social media post - after something he 'can't explain' happened there
Luke Littler has hinted he could boycott events in one country after being repeatedly booed there. The World Champion felt the crowd's wrath on Monday night as he crashed out of semi-finals of the German Grand Prix in Munich. After beating Joe Cullen and Peter Wright, the 18-year-old was dispatched 7-4 in the semis by Gian van Veen - despite having been 4-3 up. Michael van Gerwen claimed the ultimate glory, and a £30,000 boost to his wallet, with an 8-5 win in the final to lift a record-extending 38th European Tour title. Despite Van Gerwen's delight, Littler was less keen and deployed his own 'Nuke' in the form of a miffed social media post. 'Shouldn't have been in Munich but had to play anyway. Next one in Germany for me is Dortmund [in October] and I am glad to say that,' he wrote from the back seat of a car on Instagram. He shared a fuming Instagram post from a back seat of a car saying he was 'glad' to stay away Littler had been whistled and booed during his quarter-final victory over Joe Cullen, according to reports on social media. To add insult to injury, the crowd inside the Kulturehalle Zenith cheered for Van Veen as he mounted an astonishing comeback. And if he is only back in Germany for the European Championship in Dortmund in October, that means he will miss four events in the nation before then. It comes after he was also booed at the Premier League night in Berlin earlier this month. Littler was knocked out in the quarter-finals 6-2 by Chris Dobey in his worst display of the year as the crowd jeered - and he hit back with a finger to his ear. The Warrington lad spurned 11 out of 13 checkout opportunities on a miserable night which leaves him with foul memories of German darts. 'I had a little headloss moment, as some of us players do,' he said that night. 'I just don't get it, and I can't explain it. Obviously, you do your walk-on, but then as soon as I got on stage, I started getting booed. 'I got booed in Hildesheim last year against Peter Wright on the European Tour. I was flying and then they started booing me and I lost. It's something we've all got to deal with.' As for Van Gerwen, he was overjoyed with his experience after a difficult period. He said: 'It definitely means a lot to me. 'We all know where I'm coming from. I've been battling my own battles lately. The last few weeks I'm playing poorly, I didn't do what I could and I know I've got it in me but you want to show it week after week. 'With the pressure on me all the time, sometimes I get annoyed with that, but I also put pressure on myself. 'To win this tournament means the world to me.' He added: 'If you look at my tournament average and the way I played all tournament, I think it was great. Of course, in the final, there's pressure on my shoulders, but to do it and win it here in Munich, people don't have a clue. It means the world. 'I needed this. I really needed this.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rob Cross wins Players Championship One after Luke Littler falls in third round
Rob Cross beat Joe Cullen 8-3 to win the 2025 PDC ProTour season-opening Players Championship One in Wigan, where world champion Luke Littler had gone out in the third round. The Robin Park Leisure Centre welcomed the newest additions to the professional circuit alongside established players in a 128-strong field, with a top prize of £15,000. Littler – beaten by Michael van Gerwen on the opening night of the Premier League in Belfast – had started with a 6-4 win over Canadian veteran Jim Long and then beat Martin Lukeman 6-3, in which he averaged only 87.4. Cullen, though, proved too strong for the 18-year-old in their third-round contest, landing eight maximums in a convincing 6-3 victory, taking five straight legs as Littler missed 15 doubles. 'The Rockstar' then pushed onto the semi-finals, where he edged out world number one Luke Humphries 7-6 in a last-leg decider. Cross – who was crowned world champion in 2018 – had come back from 3-0 down to reel off seven consecutive legs as he beat Andrew Gilding 7-3 with a 108.5 average to book a place in Monday's final. The 'Voltage' continued his momentum against Cullen, hitting a 129 finish on the bullseye to open up a 6-3 lead before closing out victory with a 40 per cent doubles success to pick up his 10th Players Championship title. CROSS CLAIMS PC1 SUCCESS 🏆 Rob Cross secures his second PDC title of 2025 in Wigan, producing a stellar display to defeat Joe Cullen and clinch his tenth Players Championship crown! 👏 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 10, 2025 There had also been early exits for former world champions Gary Anderson – who was beaten 6-4 by Ricky Evans in the first round – and Peter Wright, who lost by the same scoreline to Adam Hunt. Michael Smith, who recently revealed his problems with arthritis, went out to Belgium's Dimitri van den Bergh, while women's world champion Beau Greaves slipped to a 6-4 defeat against Owen Bates on her Pro Tour debut and world number five Stephen Bunting lost to Gilding. The second of 34 Players Championship events takes place in Wigan again on Tuesday.
