The atmosphere at Premier League darts nights is legendary, but former PDC pro Matt Edgar and darts creator Charlie Murphy reckon the line’s been crossed. Speaking after Night Six in Nottingham, both highlighted a growing problem that’s winding up players and proper fans alike: whistling during crucial moments.

Whistling Disrupts Key Moments

Murphy attended the Nottingham event and said the whistling cut through the arena noise, especially when players were lining up doubles. It wasn’t just background noise. It was deliberate interference at the worst possible moments.

“It really stood out to me last night,” Murphy told OLBG. “It was really loud and really prominent, especially on doubles. It was annoying.”

His message to the culprits was blunt: pack it in.

“Please stop it. Just stop it. You’re ruining it for everybody.”

Murphy stressed he’s all for the theatre of darts. The walk-ons, the chants, the pantomime atmosphere, that’s what makes the sport special. But once the arrows are flying, it needs to be treated like the professional sport it is.

“I’m all for the pantomime side of things. Do it on the walk on. But when the game is on, it’s professional sport.”

Throwing Culprits Out Could Send a Message

Murphy suggested venues take a tougher stance. If security identifies someone whistling during play and escorts them out, word would spread quickly. Honestly, the threat of losing your seat and your money might make people think twice before trying to put players off.

“If someone was caught whistling and they were clearly thrown out, I think it would act as a deterrent,” he said.

Did Phil Taylor Accidentally Start This?

Edgar raised an interesting theory about where this trend might have begun. He recalled Phil Taylor, the 16-time world champion, publicly stating years ago that high-pitched whistling was the one thing that genuinely bothered him on stage.

“I might be giving someone a headline here, but is Phil Taylor to blame for this?” Edgar said. “I remember an interview where he said the one thing he couldn’t stand was the high pitched whistling.”

Edgar believes that admission may have backfired. Once fans knew it got under Taylor’s skin, some saw it as a weapon to use against top players.

“From that moment it felt like people thought, right, we’ve got to get on his back now.”

Clayton Wins Despite Gout

Away from the crowd debate, Johnny Clayton delivered another superb performance in Nottingham, becoming the first player this season to win multiple Premier League nights. Impressively, Murphy revealed Clayton was battling gout and visibly limping throughout the event.

“He was suffering with gout and limping,” Murphy said. “I put a tweet out saying ‘Clayton’s limping, watch him do well here’, and he went and won the night.”

Edgar suggested that sometimes a physical distraction can actually help players stay mentally loose rather than overthinking their game. “Distractions are good. One of the things I struggled with was living and breathing darts all the time.”

Rock Struggles Continue

Josh Rock’s difficult Premier League campaign continued in Nottingham. Edgar noted Rock’s performance level was simply too low to compete at this standard, though both analysts believe he has the talent to turn things around.

“At that standard in the Premier League, you’re never going to win a game,” Edgar said. “He is going to struggle right now, but he is good enough to win a night.”

Atmosphere Still Electric

Despite the whistling issue, Murphy was quick to praise the overall Nottingham crowd. The energy was fantastic, and everyone he attended with had a brilliant night. He also pointed out that being there in person reveals aspects TV viewers miss, including crowd singalongs and sponsor entertainment during breaks.

“The atmosphere was electric. Everyone I was with absolutely loved it,” he said.

As the Premier League rolls on through the coming weeks, expect this debate to resurface. Players and fans have made their views clear: keep the atmosphere rocking, but leave the arrows alone when they’re in the air.