Premier League Darts star Gerwyn Price has publicly criticised the playing conditions at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena, describing the latest round of the competition as "pointless" and urging the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to consider alternative venues for future events.

The 40-year-old Welshman was defeated 6-3 by Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals on Night 11 of the Premier League, held on Thursday evening. Aspinall subsequently exited the tournament in the semi-finals at the hands of Chris Dobey, who went on to secure the night's victory with a convincing 6-2 win over Stephen Bunting in the final.

Following his early exit, Price took to social media to vent his frustrations about the conditions inside the Ahoy Arena. In a now-deleted Instagram post, the former world champion claimed the airflow in the venue had rendered the match effectively meaningless, suggesting the darts were "blowing everywhere" and that the environment had a significant impact on his performance.

Price's statement read:

"Gutted for myself, gutted for everyone that supports me. I’m so sorry but this week was pointless, and we move to next week. Darts were blowing everywhere and after leg one, which was lucky, I knew it’s pointless. And where I was in the league after vital points, it’s not what I wanted. Hopefully, the PDC will now stop coming here and look for alternative venues. Not good for the players, not good for the fans, and not good for people that like a bet. Onto next week where we get to play in decent conditions."

This is not the first time concerns have been raised regarding the conditions at the Ahoy Arena. The venue — which can accommodate over 16,000 fans — has previously come under fire from players for similar issues. Last year, Nathan Aspinall himself labelled the Rotterdam stop as "the worst" of the Premier League venues, despite claiming victory on the night, citing persistent airflow problems caused by the large crowd and the continual opening and closing of doors.

In response to Price’s comments, the PDC issued a statement defending the improvements made in collaboration with the venue’s management. A spokesperson said:

"We have worked hard with the venue to minimise the effect of any air movement, which has been acknowledged by a number of players at tonight’s event, who have said that conditions have improved from previous years."

Current Premier League Standings

Despite the controversy, the Premier League campaign continues to gather pace. Teenage sensation and world champion Luke Littler currently tops the standings on 30 points, even after suffering a semi-final defeat to Stephen Bunting on Thursday night.

Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall, and Gerwyn Price currently occupy the remaining play-off spots, although Price sits level on 15 points with five-time Premier League champion Michael van Gerwen. Dobey’s triumph on the night saw him move level with Rob Cross on 12 points, while Bunting remains at the foot of the table with eight.

Looking Ahead

The Premier League roadshow will now head to Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena for Night 12 of the competition, scheduled for Wednesday, 24 April.