In a stunning revelation that threatens to rock the sport of darts to its core, Gerwyn Price has sensationally claimed he was threatened by a mysterious “cabal” to deliberately lose the World Matchplay final to Luke Littler last month.
Speaking exclusively about the July 26 final at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens—which Littler won 18-9—Price alleged that unnamed figures attempted to pressure him into conceding the match, corroborating recent accusations made by fellow player Gian Van Veen regarding a shadowy group manipulating outcomes .
“I Was Warned”
The former world number one, who finished runner-up for the second time in four years, revealed the alleged threats in the aftermath of his defeat . While Price has consistently praised Littler as a once-in-a-generation talent, he now contends that external forces sought to ensure the teenager’s victory was never in doubt .
“Look, Luke is a phenomenal player. He’s one in a million—I threw everything at him and he was simply unstoppable that night,” Price stated. “But what people don’t know is that I was approached before the final. I was told certain things—warned, really—about what would happen if I was to cause an upset. They wanted the narrative, they wanted the coronation.”
Price stopped short of naming specific individuals but insisted the intimidation was real and that he felt he had no choice but to play along, despite entering the match confident that his “A-game” could beat anyone on the planet .
A Night of Dominance
The final itself did little to raise suspicions at the time. Littler delivered a record-breaking display, averaging a staggering 111.53, landing twelve 180s, and producing six ton-plus finishes—including a spectacular 167 checkout that effectively broke Price’s resistance early in the contest .
Price performed admirably himself, averaging nearly 105—a figure that would have won 24 of the previous 33 World Matchplay finals. Yet he was powerless to stop the relentless scoring of the 19-year-old world number one .
Price’s gracious post-match comments, in which he passionately defended Littler from booing sections of the Blackpool crowd, were widely praised as a display of class and sportsmanship . However, the Welshman now claims those remarks were made partly to mask the darker reality of the situation.
“Of course I stood up for him—he is fantastic for this sport, and anyone booing him is wrong,” Price said. “But part of me was also thinking, ‘If only they knew what I’ve been told behind closed doors.’”
Cabal Allegations Gain Traction
Price’s admission comes just weeks after rising star Gian Van Veen publicly alleged that a “cabal in darts” had predetermined the winner of this week’s New Zealand Darts Masters, set to begin August 14 in Hamilton .
Van Veen claimed the sport’s integrity was being compromised by a select group of influential figures driven by commercial interests rather than competitive merit. While the PDC vehemently denied those allegations at the time, Price’s latest comments are likely to fuel further scrutiny.
PDC Faces Growing Crisis
The Professional Darts Corporation has yet to officially respond to Price’s latest claims. However, the organization previously labeled Van Veen’s accusations as “baseless and irresponsible,” emphasizing that match-fixing and pre-determination are treated with the utmost seriousness .
With two major players now publicly suggesting foul play, the PDC faces mounting pressure to provide transparency regarding tournament draws, officiating, and potential external interference.
For his part, Price insists he is speaking out not to make excuses for his defeat, but to protect the sport he loves.
“I’m not saying I would have definitely won—Luke was on another planet that night,” Price conceded. “But the fact that I was even put in that position—that a player should have to think about anything other than hitting doubles—that’s not darts. That’s corruption. And it needs to stop.”
The World Matchplay final result—Littler’s tenth consecutive victory over Price—stands for now, but these explosive allegations ensure the tournament will be remembered for far more than the history made on the oche .