Premier League 2025: Nathan Aspinall Blasts 'Disgusting' Abuse Towards Luke Humphries

Nathan Aspinall enjoyed a perfect homecoming in Manchester at night ten of the 2025 Premier League, beating world number one Luke Humphries 6-4 in the final. 

The victory saw Aspinall pick up five points on the night, elevating him to fourth in the standings. Earlier, he defeated Rob Cross 6-2 in the first round and Michael van Gerwen 6-2 in the semi-final, both players still seeking their first win of the 17-week roadshow.

Humphries Opens Up 

While Aspinall's performance in Manchester was impressive, the buzz in the darts world this week has been dominated by the attention surrounding his final opponent, Humphries. 

Recently, Humphries opened up to Sky Sports about how the gruelling darts schedule is affecting his mental health and performance. 

“I feel a little bit emotionless. It’s not that I don’t want to be here, it just seems a chore for me at the moment,” Humphries said in his interview.

In the aftermath, Humphries received a wave of unwarranted hate on social media, which prompted him to share his frustration on X (formerly Twitter). 

"Considering the comments, people not understanding what I meant… Will be the last time I ever confess my real feelings to the public. Everything I say or ever do just never seems to be good enough for anybody,” he wrote.

Aspinall Slams 'Disgusting' Social Media Abuse

Following the final in Manchester, we spoke to Aspinall, who didn’t hesitate to speak out against the treatment of Humphries. 

Despite being off social media himself, Aspinall was made aware of the online negativity Humphries had been facing, with his wife Kirsty and manager informing him about the abuse. Aspinall had strong words for those attacking his fellow pro, calling it “disgusting.”

“He is an absolute credit to the sport. It’s disgusting,” Aspinall said when asked about the online hate towards Humphries.

Why Humphries Faces Unwarranted Criticism

When asked why he thinks Humphries faces such criticism, Aspinall was candid in his response. 

“I have no idea. You know what, I have a lot of mates that love darts, and no one likes Luke [Humphries]. Honestly, I can’t give you that answer. A lot of my mates can’t stand him,” he told SportsBoom.com. 

“I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s jealousy ‘cause he’s so good. He is great to me,” he added, further explaining that many of his friends had negative perceptions of Humphries without having any real reason for it.

The Stockport-native recounted a moment from last week’s Premier League event in Berlin, where two of his friends, who initially disliked Humphries, had to apologise after getting to know him better. 

“There were two lads who came away with me to Berlin last week, who both hated Luke [Humphries]. We had a few beers in a hotel bar after, and they went ‘I need to apologise to you, I didn’t like you, but you’re a great lad and that’s it.’”

“People don’t know him. People don’t know the real people,” Aspinall said, highlighting how easily judgments can be made without truly understanding someone.

“I just don’t understand it, and you know hopefully it will change at some point because he’s a great guy.”

The Pressure of the Darts Schedule

Aspinall also shed light on the pressures players face with the darts schedule, which includes not only televised events but also Pro Tour events and exhibitions that fans might not be aware of. With players often spending 20-25 days away from home in a month, burnout can become a serious issue. 

“People only see the games we play on TV. They don’t see Pro Tour that we’re doing in between that and the exhibitions that we’re doing all for the fans. We’re doing 20 to 25 days away a month, it’s tough. Nights like tonight for me personally is why I play.”

Aspinall expressed hope that Humphries would soon return to winning form and that the negativity surrounding him would eventually dissipate. 

“Hopefully when Luke [Humphries] next wins, all that negativity goes away,” Aspinall concluded.

In the meantime, Aspinall stands by his fellow professional, hoping that fans will take a more understanding approach to the pressure these players face, both on and off the stage.