Nathan Aspinall demands five-year bans to combat major World Darts Championship problem

Nathan Aspinall has called for fans to be banned from attending PDC events if they whistle during players’ throws.

The anti-social antics are a major distraction for players on the oche despite the constant chanting, booing and cheering at TV events.

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Whistling has become a growing concern at major tournaments as the crowd plays an increasing role in the sport.

This year’s PDC World Darts Championship has been no exception, with several incidents of that nature during the opening two weeks of the event.

Ricardo Pietreczko previously called for increased security in the crowd to remove any fans caught whistling.

Meanwhile, Mike De Decker cited the unruly fan behaviour after losing to crowd favourite David Munyua in the first round.

Aspinall is now the latest player to comment on the issue ahead of his third round clash at Alexandra Palace.

The two-time semi-finalist told The Sun: “I’ve said in EuroTours, in my on-stage interviews, ‘will you just stop whistling?’ Enjoy the darts, stop being muppets.

“It’s then gone over Instagram and TikTok, saying: ‘Nathan lashes out at the crowd…’

“People will see that but does that encourage them? Because they know they’re winding the players up.

“You sit in silence, you don’t do anything, it’ll continue. You speak out, you say something, it’ll continue.

“How do you monitor 10,000 people from sticking their fingers in their mouth to whistle?”

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Aspinall continued: “So, what can be done? I think the people that get caught shouldn’t just get kicked out, they should get banned for say five years.

“Something where they’re going to feel the effects of what they’ve done.

“Then, once a few of them start doing it, hopefully they’ll go: ‘I’m absolutely gutted, I can’t go to the darts, I got a five-year ban from whistling, trust me, don’t do it.’

“I bet it might take a couple of years but maybe that could be something.

“A lot of darts games are determined by the crowd. The standard is that close. Missing one dart at double 16 on a 109 could lose you that game.

“And then some k***head whistles. Unless you tape everyone’s mouths shut when they walk in.

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“I just think that if you give people bans once they get kicked out then it might change things.”

The world no.15 faces Kevin Doets for a place in the last 16 on Monday afternoon.

Luke Humphries awaits the winner in the fourth round, Cool Hand getting there by knocking out Gabriel Clemens on Sunday night.

Aspinall has made the fourth round three times already in his career and is yet to lose at that stage of the tournament.