Legendary Darts Referee Discusses What Powers He Has Vs Whistlers

[@georgedart1]

Fair play to the new ref that called out the whistlers in the Luke Humphries v Luke Littler match on Sunday night.

[@pezz38]

Absolutely, we want more of that, i do not understand why some idiot feel that its the audience that should determine the result of a match, if cough they should be banned for 5 years.

[@pauldavidson5593]

2021 worlds. Golden era. No crowds

[@tantona9315]

Venue security should be chucking out the whistlers without the ref needing to say anything.

[@WilliamReginaldLucas]

The only darts event I’ve been to is the Grand Slam but I was amazed how few security they have, they really should hire more to just generally patrol and make sure audience members are behaving. Not to be a killjoy or anything but the players are playing for tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds

[@Liasos88]

I really dislike how the people on Sky never bring it up. When Littler beat De Decker they didn't say anything about it the next broadcast, they just said: "Littler had an amazing comeback".

[@barryshaw4885]

Such a lovely person is Paul.. lucky to have spent a few nights in his company when the premier league is in Glasgow, great guy a lucky yo call him a friend

[@Aviator55a]

Well done for highlighting this which has become an issue that needs addressing I attended the matchplay at the winter gardens just as it started to happen there and you may remember that was always a respectful venue too. Personally I think it's a catch 22 situation because most of the games sponsors are bookmakers and when the crowd has bets on a player that influences their behaviour towards the games outcome but of course without the sponsors the game also suffers.

[@riddar1]

Hi ! Thanks to Paul Hinks for sharing his knowledge and experience with us. And thanks Matthew for dealing with that theme. For the moment in France I haven't heard of that kind of behaviour, probably because of too little a crowd for our only International (WDF) tournament

[@Edgartvdarts]

No problems will do my best to bring you expert knowledge on all topics 😊

[@robertrice9466]

The crowd against De Decker and Littler in the Grand Prix where a disgrace, they needed to be calmed. Tbh it was a disgrace.

[@WilliamReginaldLucas]

Legend of the PDC! I’ve always been curious as to if the referees ever get invested in really close games, not to the point of being biased but they must feel what the players are feeling sometimes. In terms of the crowd noise etc. (first of all earplug technology has come on amazingly in the last couple of years which is a great option for players), I think Matt hits the nail on the head here, if everyone is shouting, one loud noise doesn’t stand out, if it’s quiet, it’s much more distracting. I HATE how the crowds have transformed from rooting for a player to actually trying to affect the outcome of a match by taking advantage of the lull in noise whilst the players are throwing for doubles to boo or just try and distract them. Snooker is a great example of the opposite of this, the room will be in near silence and so even just someone coughing can put a player off.

[@stuntdogs]

The problem is most people that attend the darts aren’t darts fans. Seriously go to any of these events, and half the people there won’t even know the players. They just want to drink and carry on like it’s the football. And the PDC can’t crack down on it, as that is most of their crowd. It markets itself as a good day out, and the darts seems to be secondary. I’m a bit old fashioned but I’d prefer a more respectful dart fan crowd even if it meant less money in the game.

[@jeffjohnson2958]

Still say that Hinks has/had the greatest 180 call of all time.

[@herschelsquirts2338]

My second favorite behind Russ Bray.

[@ashleystone4266]

Great video Matt, I hate the sound of whistling in the crowd. There's no need for it. On another note I saw in one of the clips you used with Paul Hinks in, the scoresheet behind said Jan Dekker, is that paying homage to him because of your podcast with Harsh Andy? 😂. Keep up the good work mate and best of luck at Lakeside 👍🏼🎯

[@oldgold5848]

Sorry Paul, but i think you are being too weak, not enough refs actually ever say anything about it. How about trying that first? There is a difference between crowd noise and the deliberate attempts to put one of the 2 players off mid turn

[@manicepisode3973]

He kind of said a whole lot of nothing, "what can you do" essentially I don't think security care too much, maybe at lakeside it was different but at Alexandra palace it's just another night of work for them. I doubt they care either way I think referees have largely given up trying, and PDC promote it more as entertainment rather than sport, so if the punters are happy they don't care

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

It's a double edged sword. On one hand it's great for PDC's sustainability that major tournaments attract such big crowds. On the other hand it's a shame that said crowds are a bunch of tanked-up bellends. Big darts matches are virtually unwatchable now.

[@johnmitchell452]

How about dealing with MVG when he's standing on the edge of the exclusion zone and rushing the other players? I noticed that at the weekend.

[@RoystonTownFCFan]

Love it in any sport when the refs give an insight into the sport

[@gheffz]

Thanks, Matt.

[@mattdonaldson2260]

Get stewards at each table or two and have "don't whistle" or "only arseholes whistle" printed on the table cloths, do something similar in the stands and then boot out and ban the culprits if they persist. We've had this problem for years now.

[@gmask7560]

Hinksy....best streaky bacon ever, all the best mate 😋

[@formerarcadian8167]

Good luck for tmw Matt! UTV

[@oldgold5848]

There has been whistling for a while, but noticeably worse in the last 3 years or so, and typically there is a nationality issue to it. Ie unusual to whistle a Scot in Scotland or an Englishman in England....but younmay experience the odd whistle or five for an English player in Scotland etc etc

[@f1fantic1]

Didn't this whistling start when Danny Noppert won the UK Open??

[@steadysted6814]

Little Easter egg snuck in with Jan Dekkers scorecard from a game Paul was ref in

[@DiamondGuitarist]

SIMPLE SOLUTION. LIFETIME BANS FOR ANYONE CAUGHT WHISTLING PERSISTENTLY

[@gg-eu3re]

Good luck tmr!!!

[@paulphillips5782]

Matthew.... I know you've done a video on the DRA testing.... but why was it so late that Dom Taylor got banned from players championship?

[@MrDavidp180]

George Noble, knows You will have a pleasant time at Lakeside, Crowd pleasant……Focus on Winning, you have a tough 1st round…….I ain’t put my money in for nothing……🎯 just throw and enjoy without self expectation pressure! Easy ❤to Jodie and Yourselves

[@metroytse6173]

All gone a bit quiet in here since Saturday!!!!!!!!!

[@niblet112]

Not surprised, but to be fair it’s not easy documenting your darting life whilst trying to play to a high standard. Even if it is the WDF, still needs 100% concentration. We all know Edgar is a far far better player than he showed

[@stressedworried8615]

Anybody know if this WDF worlds is on tv???

[@stressedworried8615]

@ cheers pal 👍🏻

[@kvajeblostari]

Some big arms have paul hinks 😄

[@Tony-j7r]

Crowd noise is great for the atmosphere, but heckling or whistling is juvenile. If you don't like the game, don't go

[@gary6991]

127 and game

[@Edgartvdarts]

Great moment

[@ericcapucci9869]

cant hear Hinks

[@PaulButterfield-bt3rk]

So in reality the ref can do sod all.

[@gordonp3139]

4:32 Jan Dekker on markers sheet ! 😁

[@lexuscraig]

there is a Jan Decker, bald dutch guy.

[@scottyc6341]

Surely there must be an active noise cancelling technology which could be setup in arenas to cancel out the whistles? 🤔

[@grahambroome5660]

Gerwyn Price used it at the worlds v Clemens 😂

[@tantona9315]

Yes, gag the whistlers!

[@iangreaves7438]

security will do nothing, if they start chucking people out, then there may be a reaction that the pdc can’t risk being seen on TV. stopped going to the Ally Pally about 8 years ago when it kicked off in the crowd two years on the trot, and the crowd seem much worse now.

[@Cobalt180Darts]

That's the crux of the issue - the Broadcasters Veto. Biffing people out is not a good look for TV, ergo not a good look for the sponsors, ergo not a good look on the PDC coffers. Change is not going to come from the corporate boxes, but from players themselves who are prepared to stonewall proceedings at the oche...albeit at the risk of being dragged before the DRA on charges.

[@davidwhiston4896]

Great content as ever, but showing a clip of Ted Hankey?! Hmm, not sure about that!

[@Edgartvdarts]

It’s a clip of the most famous call out a ref has made in any game.

[@davidwhiston4896]

@@Edgartvdarts Yep, a fair point but he is a convicted criminal who committed a nasty crime. He's not one of life's good guys.

[@MrRorySteel]

@@davidwhiston4896 So? Does a clip showing Hankey vindicate him in anyway? Who's in charge.

[@tantona9315]

Be on your way! (sorry, walk on music sprung to mind).

[@lassepetersen9758]

Get your darts outa the lake and do a video about match fixing !

[@DJJOOLZDE]

The crowds have become so damn loud most of the time that the players should be used to constant noise. I don't see how a bit of whistling is much different, but i guess the players notice it more?. I'd rather have them all whistle than sing that damn yaya colo colo garbage or hey baby oooh ahh over and over.

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Its when its in isolation and targeted at the time of a players throw. Singing and loud noise fuses into one, that's not an issue.

[@LukePettit]

UFC have 200k hardcore fans yet 2m will buy Conor Vs khabib If you want to make more money, you need to attract the people that aren't passionate

[@jasonoliver9005]

Kirk bevins is a big fairy, shat himself during the de decker game. That Charlie lad is great fair play that's the way to do it

[@markdavidson5930]

The Kirkulator