Stephen Bunting has voiced his support for Gerwyn Price after an incident involving a heckler at the Sheffield Arena. Bunting insists that spectators who deliberately try to put players off have “no place” in the sport. The incident occurred during Bunting’s 6-3 semi-final triumph over Price, when a fan repeatedly whistled during play.
Price identified the culprit and refused to continue until security addressed the matter. Bunting, the World No10, fully supported Price’s reaction, stating that players were right to take a stand against hecklers.
Bunting’s Reaction to the Crowd Incident
Bunting said: “I think obviously Gezzy pointed it out.” He added that Price had seen the individual responsible, who was disrupting the game against both players. Bunting made it clear that he agreed with Price’s stance, stating, “Don’t start until we’re ready.”
Bunting believes that while the heckler may gain “a couple of minutes of fame,” such behaviour is unacceptable. He elaborated, “Cheer as much as you want, shout as much as you want, but to boo and to whistle is unacceptable in my opinion and Gezzy’s opinion and yeah, people like that shouldn’t be allowed in here.”
Premier League Performance and Future Aims
Bunting finished fifth in the Premier League table, securing a £10,000 prize after his 6-3 victory over Luke Humphries and earning his second Nightly win of the season. In his opening match, Bunting averaged 102.22 in a 6-3 win over Jonny Clayton.
Bunting admitted he was determined to prove doubters wrong after finishing bottom of the table in his previous appearances in 2015 and 2025. He said: “People wrote me off and said I shouldn’t be in it and I finished fifth. Two nightly wins — I am so proud of myself.”
Bunting added that he felt great and had more confidence. He stated he was going into Riesa “on top of the world”.
He expressed pride in his performance and stated, “I want to be in the Premier League for years to come.” According to Bunting, the only thing that kept him out of the top four was his finishing.
Bunting said, “I dug deep tonight. There was a bit of pressure off and it didn’t matter what happened.”
Looking Ahead
Bunting added that he and Josh Rock have “butted heads and said lets go out with a bang.”