Latest news with #DennisPriestley
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Luke Littler hits back at claims he doesn't deserve an MBE after 'letting his country down' at World Cup of Darts in deleted post
Littler Littler says he has achieved more than the legendary Dennis Priestley in what threatens to turn into between two English darts icons. Priestley opened fire at Littler on Thursday as he accused the youngster and Luke Humphries of 'letting their country down' and claimed they didn't deserve their MBEs. Littler and Humphries had suffered a humiliating exit from the Darts World Cup at the hands of Germany in the second round - the stage they entered at - just 24 hours after receiving their MBEs. Priestley told OLBG: ' Luke Littler and Luke Humphries let their country down at the World Cup of Darts. From what we've heard they weren't sitting together or practising together. 'When I was playing in pairs with Phil Taylor we practised together and sat together, we played all over the world and I only remember us getting beaten once. 'To be brutally honest, I don't think either Luke Littler or Luke Humphries have done enough to earn their MBEs just yet.' His comments did not go down well with Littler, who lashed back in a hastily deleted Instagram Story post: 'Don't deserve an MBE but done more in 12 months than he ever did... that's what I would say anyway.' Littler struggled at the Darts World Cup as he was booed relentlessly by the crowd in Frankfurt. The 18-year-old has been continually jeered in Germany, including at the Premier League night in Berlin in March and the German Grand Prix in Munich in April, which has led to him threatening to boycott events there. He has won the PDC World Championship, the Premier League, the Grand Slam of Darts, the World Series Finals, and the UK Open in the last 15 months. Priestley holds the distinction of being the first player to win both the PDC and the BDO World Championships, though the latter was dissolved in 2020. A former coal merchant from Yorkshire, Priestley, nicknamed 'the Menace,' only entered the professional darts circuit in his late 30s. He added to OLBG: 'I think in time they could've done enough to warrant it (the MBE) but it feels very early, they have both won one World Championship each and are still young in their careers. 'Littler has been recognised for raising the popularity of darts which is great, but he can still do so much more. 'If he is getting an MBE this soon then you'd have to think he is on the right path to a knighthood, nothing would surprise me now.' Even Gerwyn Price stuck his boot in, accusing them of playing 'rubbish,' albeit without naming them, after they lost 8-4 to Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko despite being tournament favourites. The Welshman said: 'When we turned up on the first day, and I'm not just saying this because they lost, but the only two players that didn't turn up together, didn't sit together, didn't play as a team - I'm not saying who they are - but they didn't win their first game. 'You need to turn up together, you need to be as a team, you practice together, you sit together, it's a team ethic. It didn't show with England, and it showed on the board. 'They are great players individually, but you need to be a team. 'You need that team ethic. You need to be as a team all the way through but it didn't happen.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘Done more in 12 months…' – Luke Littler furiously hits back at former World Darts champion's MBE dig in deleted post
FUMING Luke Littler has slammed darts legend Dennis Priestley for suggesting he does not deserve his MBE. Two-time world champion Priestley, 74, claimed Littler and world No.1 Luke Humphries 'let their country down' following their dismal exit from the PDC World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt 3 3 3 The English pair were red-hot favourites to claim the title on their maiden appearance together but they surprisingly lost to Germany in the quarter-finals. That result came the day after it was announced the two Lukes – the top two in the world – were going to receive recognition in the King's Birthday Honours List. Straight-talking Yorkshireman Priestley said in a chat with a bookmaker that neither player had 'done enough to earn their MBEs just yet '. He added: "When I was playing in pairs with Phil Taylor we practised together and sat together, we played all over the world and I only remember us getting beaten once. 'In time they could've done enough to warrant it but it feels very early. ' Littler has been recognised for raising the popularity of darts which is great but he can still do so much more. 'If he is getting an MBE this soon then you'd have to think he is on the right path to a knighthood, nothing would surprise me now." This jibe angered 18-year-old Littler – the reigning PDC world champion – who posted a short but pointed response on Instagram. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS The Nuke screenshotted an article that contained the quotes and captioned it with his response. He said: 'Don't deserve an MBE but done more in 12 months than he ever did… Being made an MBE shows I've helped 'change face of darts' says Luke Humphries 'That's what I would say anyway.' He has since deleted the post. Littler is the most recognisable figure in the sport and his Instagram account mushroomed to 1.9 million followers shortly after he burst on to the scene in December 2023. His next appearance on the oche will be at the bet365 US Darts Masters, which will be held on June 27-28 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Littler, meanwhile, has teamed up with fast food giant McDonald's to launch a brand new burger. The 'Big Arch' is one of five new additions to the McDonald's summer menu launched on Wednesday. Priestley has also offered some advice to Littler relating to the deals he has been handed away from the oche. He said: 'Luke Littler's team needs to shield him from all distractions and make sure he gets all the best advice because he is still so young. "I hope he reads this because my advice would be it's not about how much money you earn now, it's about how much you've kept when your career comes to an end. "He has his head screwed on but the important thing is that the darts remains the priority rather than all the sponsorship deals he keeps being offered."
