Latest news with #Littler
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Aspinall's Littler claim speaks volumes despite Premier League Darts final loss
Luke Littler suffered defeat in the Premier League Darts finale this week after he was beaten 11-8 by Luke Humphries, but that hasn't stopped rival Nathan Aspinall hailing the impact he has had on the sport Nathan Aspinall believes Luke Littler 's impact has catapulted darts into a golden era where players will enjoy the celebrity of film stars and top footballers. Although Luke the Nuke was beaten by Luke Humphries in the Premier League play-offs final at the O2 on Thursday night, he is still on course to scoop £1 million in prize money alone during the first half of 2025. And Littler's success has been reflected in attention darts players are afforded away from the oche. World No.9 Aspinall, beaten in the Premier League semi-finals by eventual champion Humphries, said: "Everyone is obsessed with darts. During the week I was at (Tottenham midfielder) James Maddison 's golf day and everyone wanted to talk to me about darts. "I'm looking around, all these footballers and actors and stuff, and everyone was speaking to me because everyone loves darts. "Whether you are a celebrity, own a company, come from a council estate, whether you are a kid, male, female, everyone is obsessed with darts at the moment. "We all know we owe a lot of it to Luke, but also the rest of the guys that turn out week-in, week-out, not just in the Premier League but the European Tours." At 18, Littler has become the Tiger Woods of the oche, the pied piper who sells out big venues and draws sponsors to the sport like bees round a honey pot. But Aspinall insists it's not a one-man show, saying: 'Luke Littler doesn't win everything. There is Humphries, and other people are winning majors. "I don't think Littler is dominating like Michael van Gerwen did a few years ago - but he's only a year into his career. Let's where he's going to be 12 months, 18 months, two years from now. "And trust me, there are so many more Luke Littlers in the making at the moment. It's mental. I have seen so many of them at my academy. "We have had a massive pay increase this year and I cannot see it stopping. I might be only 33 but I am an old boy compared to what is coming through. "I do believe we are the last of a generation and that after us it is going to be all these kids coming through, who are fearless. "Then it will go from this pub game, which everyone still calls it, even though it is not. It grates on me. It will stop being called a pub game and it will finally be called a sport in five or 10 years."
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘There are so many in the making' – Nathan Aspinall reveals there's an army of Luke Littlers ready to take over darts
NATHAN ASPINALL reckons darts has boomed so much these past two years that 'footballers and actors' are all obsessed with what is happening on the oche. But he claims the next generation of tungsten throwers will be groomed in sports academies rather than unearthed on building sites. 4 Nathan Aspinall believes there's an army of Luke Littlers ready to take over darts 4 Aspinall was part of the celebrity cohort invited to James Maddison's golf invitational 4 The darts ace said everyone was talking darts on the golf meet The 17-week Premier League Darts reached its climax last Thursday night with Luke Humphries beating Luke Littler in the O2 Arena final. Two days before that, Prem semi-finalist Aspinall was a guest at Tottenham playmaker James Maddison's golf day at The Centurion Club with darts pal Joe Cullen. The annual invitational golf tournament – which raises funds for different causes – was attended by ex-footballers John Terry, Jimmy Bullard, Wes Morgan, Gareth Barry and comedian Michael McIntyre. And Aspinall – a two-time major winner – claims everybody was talking to him about Littler and Co. READ MORE DARTS CALL IT A DAY Darts icon retires from Premier League straight after Littler vs Humphries Stockport's world No.9 said: 'Everyone is obsessed with darts. I was at this golf day and everyone wanted to talk to me about the darts. 'I'm looking around, all these footballers and actors and stuff. Everyone was speaking to me. 'Everyone loves darts. Whatever you're a celebrity, own a company, from a council estate. Whether you're a kid. A woman. A Man. 'We all know we owe a lot of it to Luke. But also the rest of the guys that turn out week-in, week-out. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'Oh my god, John Terry shot four under gross. And he plays off five. 'Joe Cullen played as well. He was a bit worse for wear the next morning, shall we say. Luke Humphries apologises to fans after hilarious nine-darter fail leaves even rival Nathan Aspinall laughing 'Humphries was asked to play in it but he didn't want to risk injuring himself before the finals. Whereas I couldn't give a s***.' Littler emerged on the senior scene in December 2023 aged 16 and raced all the way to the World Darts final where he lost to Humphries. A year later, he went one step further and lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy at the age of 17. It is a far cry from previous world champions like Phil Taylor (ceramic factory), Gary Anderson (grate builder), Peter Wright (tyre fitter) and Rob Cross (electrician) who had other jobs before throwing darts. Yet Aspinall – who runs a darts academy in the North West – reckons there is an army of wannabe Littlers set to appear in the coming years. 4 Luke Humphries beat Littler in the Premier League Darts final on Thursday Credit: PA Aspinall, a father of two, said: 'There are so many more Luke Littlers in the making at the moment. It's mental. 'I might be 33 but I'm an old boy compared to what's coming through. 'If the money gets to like golf levels, there's no way people are doing this for 25 years. 'Guys in their early to mid-30s are the last of a generation and after us it's going to be all these kids coming through, who're fearless. 'Then it will go from this pub game, which everyone still calls it, even though it is not. And it will finally be called a sport in 5-10 years. 'But the problem you're going to have is: Where are the characters? 'You see it with footballers when they do their interviews, they are robots. They get told what to say. And they are all the same answers all the time. 'I think people like myself, I just say it as it is. It gets me in trouble a lot of time. I've had no media training in my career. 'I was thrown into the deep end. I don't want darts to get that to level. Because you do need those characters in the game. 'If everyone turns up and they are all the same, they all throw the same, no-one celebrates, does the interviews the same, it would get boring. Hopefully that doesn't happen.'
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Phil Taylor warns Luke Littler he'll need 25 years of graft to beat his records
The Power has set the standard and says it might Nuke another quarter century to get there Relentless Phil Taylor has warned Luke Littler he better be dedicated for the next quarter of a century if he wants to break his record. The Power remains darts' greatest ever player have racked up a staggering major-title CV with 16 World Championship wins the astounding highlight and benchmark. Littler, 18, has exploded into the game as a teenager and wants to hunt down more success having scooped his first World crown in January. However, Taylor says it's going to take another 25 years of graft for The Nuke to detonate his mark and set a new milestone. He said: 'If he wants to carry on and win, beat my records, then he's going to have to be dedicated. And I mean dedicated for at least 25 years. If he gets the right advice and the right person looking after him, then he could do other things, like social media. Some people make millions out of it.' Littler has confirmed his future is firmly fixated on darts and pledged to play for at least another 10 years. His rise has been meteoric, but rival and pal Nathan Aspinall has claimed the kid is already getting fed up with the schedule. The Stockport star stated on a radio show that he feels The Nuke might have had enough of it all and five years time and walk away from the sport to pursue other activities. But Littler responded to that notion by saying: 'I've heard that! I'll be here in 10 years. Obviously, it's crazy to even think about retiring at the minute. Obviously, I think what they're saying is that if we win 16 titles in the next 16 World Championships, then obviously I will retire! I don't think of any retirement at the minute. Obviously, the money, it's there to be won, especially the World Championships now. But not only that, everything has gone up. It's all about what you're feeling and I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.'
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Luke Littler gets reality check as he's told he wouldn't get near darts icon
Luke Littler has been tipped to surpass Phil Taylor as the greatest darts player of all time, but Dennis Priestley believes the 18-year-old wouldn't be able to rival 'The Power' Darts legend Dennis Priestley has suggested that Luke Littler wouldn't "get close" to Phil Taylor if they played in the same era. Littler, 18, has made huge waves on the darts scene since his remarkable debut at the PDC World Championship in 2023. Following his extraordinary journey to the final at Alexandra Palace when he was only 16, Littler went on to become the youngest ever darts World Champion in January this year. Despite the teenager's meteoric rise and predictions that he could break Taylor's record of 16 world titles, 1991 World Champion Priestley remains sceptical. He even places Littler's fierce rival, Luke Humphries, above him. "I think Phil Taylor in his prime was more consistent than even Luke Humphries and Luke Littler are at the moment," the 74-year-old told OLBG. "Phil's records tell us the whole story and he was so good that it was hard for anyone to get close to him. I think if you put a prime Phil Taylor into the current game he would be world No. 1 with Humphries in second and Littler in third." Littler, known as 'The Nuke', is also chasing Taylor's haul of six Premier League Darts titles, just one behind Michael van Gerwen's seven. The prodigy has already claimed one title, having won it on his first attempt last year, reports the Express. However, he failed to retain his title on Thursday night, as Humphries triumphed over him 11-8 in London, avenging last year's defeat. In an unexpected twist, Humphries disclosed that it was Taylor himself who offered him some sage advice to help him defeat Littler. "Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks or so," Humphries shared with Sky Sports. "Phil, if you are watching, thank you. He gave me a lot of advice and that extra support." The notion of 'The Power' backing Humphries is bound to raise eyebrows, especially after the 64-year-old suggested that Littler would need to make a significant impact in the sport if he wants to surpass him. "If he wants to carry on and win, beat my records, then he's going to have to be dedicated. And I mean dedicated for at least 25 years," Taylor told talkSPORT. Taylor had a glittering 31-year professional career from 1987 to 2018, during which he clinched two BDO world titles in 1990 and 1992. He also won the World Championship 14 times between 1995 and 2013. However, in what some saw as a veiled jibe at the man he's trying to outdo in the history books, Littler suggested that Taylor would "struggle" in today's environment. "He (Taylor) also won the World Matchplay 16 times, so he's won two of the big majors 16 times - it'll take some doing," Littler said on the Stick to Football podcast in April. "It (the competition) is a lot better now. You still had Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow - it was still a good field but nowadays, I think Phil would struggle," he added. "If I can be bothered to stay around for that time (I could maybe beat his record). If I want to (continue playing), then I will." Littler has been confirmed to represent England in the 2025 World Cup of Darts alongside Premier League winner Humphries. The duo will join forces at the event scheduled from June 12 to 15 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Fans gobsmacked by price of pint at Premier League Darts final and are instead left ‘chugging water'
Some fans were irked by another aspect of the finale BEER WE GO AGAIN BEER WE GO AGAIN Fans gobsmacked by price of pint at Premier League Darts final and are instead left 'chugging water' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS fans have been left gobsmacked over the price of a pint at the Premier League Darts finale. Luke Humphries got payback over Luke Littler, beating the youngster in the final to avenge last year's defeat. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Fans were annoyed at the price of a pint at the Premier League finale Credit: Getty 2 There were big price hikes on a number of beers It was an action-packed night as Littler had earlier come from behind to beat Gerwyn Price before Humphries brushed Nathan Aspinall aside. However some punters were left unimpressed because of the sky-high price of alcoholic beverages. The cheapest beer on offer was a Budweiser, coming in at £9.25. Other pints were priced at £9.80, including Camden Pale Ale and Camden Hells Lager, which increased by 55p and 35p respectively on last year. READ MORE ON DARTS LUK OUT Luke Littler narrowly avoids being hit by object thrown onto O2 stage Fans were in uproar over the prices and made their feelings clear. One reacted saying: "£9.25 British pounds for a f***ing Budweiser, Games gone, hope there's a 9 darter to make up for it." Another added: "£9.50 for a pint of BUDWEISER at the O2 tonight. Turned back round and chugged my water." A third wrote: "The O2 is far too big for the Premier League Darts. Void of any true atmosphere, much like it is when there's a gig there. £9.80 a pint, too." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Some darts fans were also left frustrated by the Premier League final format following Littler's defeat. Many argued it was unfair Littler had dominated the competition for the previous 16 weeks only to lose. Luke Littler narrowly avoids being hit by object thrown onto O2 stage during Premier League Darts finals One wrote on X: "Fair play to Humphries and I'm glad he won, but I really don't see the point in playing a 16-week league phase for it to come down to one game." Another said: "Format isn't great. What's the point of dominating for 16 weeks, for it to come down to one night? [It] seems a bit forced, IMO."
