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Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Darts legend retires from Premier League Darts immediately after Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries final
DARTS icon George Noble has retired from the Premier League. The referee has stepped down after officiating the 2025 final between Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. 2 Referee George Noble has quit Premier League Darts Credit: Getty 2 His last Premier League match was the final between Luke Humphries and Luke Littler Credit: PA Noble, 56, has been one of the top callers in darts for the last three decades. He has worked on the PDC Tour since 2007 - prior to that he was part of the BDO team. That means he has witnessed the best in the world over the past three decades, culminating in the two biggest stars fighting it out to win the Premier League. Noble began his career as a referee in 1992 and he has been a regular caller on the Pro Tour ever since. READ MORE IN DARTS SHOWING FAITH Luke Littler's rumoured girlfriend Faith Millar cheers star on at darts final He called every BDO World Championship final between 1995 and 2007. He joined the PDC Tour later in 2007 , where he called the first ever nine-dart finish in PDC World Darts Championship history when Raymond van Barneveld hit a perfect leg against Jelle Klaasen in 2009. Since then he has been the voice of a total of 21 televised nine-darters - more than any other referee. While he has taken part in 18 World Darts Championships. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'The Puppy' already called time on his work as a referee on the European Tour, stepping away after the Dutch Darts Championship last week. After confirming his retirement plans, Noble spoke about the future of refereeing, saying: "I think it's time we had the first female referee at a major tournament…and maybe even the first non-British one, too."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Darts legend retires from Premier League Darts immediately after Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries final
DARTS icon George Noble has retired from the Premier League. The referee has stepped down after officiating the 2025 final between Advertisement 2 Referee George Noble has quit Premier League Darts Credit: Getty 2 His last Premier League match was the final between Luke Humphries and Luke Littler Credit: PA Noble, 56, has been one of the top callers in darts for the last three decades. He has worked on the PDC Tour since 2007 - prior to that he was part of the BDO team. That means he has witnessed the best in the world over the past three decades, culminating in the two biggest stars fighting it out to win the Premier League. Noble began his career as a referee in 1992 and he has been a regular caller on the Pro Tour ever since. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS He called every BDO World Championship final between 1995 and 2007. He joined the PDC Tour later in 2007 , where he called the first ever nine-dart finish in PDC World Darts Championship history when Since then he has been the voice of a total of 21 televised nine-darters - more than any other referee. While he has taken part in 18 World Darts Championships. Advertisement Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'The Puppy' already called time on his work as a referee on the European Tour, stepping away after the Dutch Darts Championship last week. After confirming his retirement plans, Noble spoke about the future of refereeing , saying: "I think it's time we had the first female referee at a major tournament…and maybe even the first non-British one, too." Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Darts fans demand major change to Premier League after Luke Littler's shock final loss
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DARTS fans have demanded a drastic change be made to the Premier League following Luke Littler's final defeat to Luke Humphries. Teen sensation Littler, who was the best player throughout the tournament, suffered an 11-8 defeat in a replay of the 2024 final at the O2 Arena on Thursday night. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Luke Littler suffered an 11-8 defeat to Luke Humphries in the final of the Premier League Darts Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK 3 Darts fans have demanded a change to the structure of the tournament after Littler's loss Credit: REUTERS Humphries took his head-to-head with Littler to 13 defeats and ten victories with his maiden Premier League title win. The match enthralled darts fans, although many of them couldn't help but vent their frustrations at the four-month-long competition coming down to one final match. 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. READ MORE DARTS NEWS SHOWING FAITH Luke Littler's rumoured girlfriend Faith Millar cheers star on at darts final "I get why they do it, you don't want the league winner to run away with it as viewings will go down. But [it] needs looking at." And another said: "Bit weird how Luke was miles away the best player over 17 weeks and well clear at the top of the table. "But Humphries is the champion because of a one-off game? Leagues are meant to be won on consistency, surely." One remarked: "I think the person who is top after all the weeks should receive a trophy for that achievement. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Luke Littler prize money breakdown Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner: World Championship 2025 - £500,000 World Championship 2024 - £200,000 Grand Slam of Darts 2024 - £150,000 European Tour - £91,000 Player Championships events - £71,500 Players Championship final runner-up - £60,000 UK Open 2023 + 2024 - £17,500 World Matchplay - £10,000 World Grand Prix - £7,500 European Championship - £7,500 (Unranked) Premier League Darts - £315,000 TOTAL: £1.43 million "Like rugby with the playoffs [and] a separate one-off event for the top players. "Ultimately, it will always be Luke vs Luke in the final as no one [is] anywhere near them. Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage Humphries, 30, was over the moon with his first-ever Premier League Darts title win. He told Sky Sports: "This one means the world to me, that was the one I was missing. "It was the one I wanted, I have done it now. "If I don't win another title, I am happy as I have done the three hardest ones to do. "Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks, so Phil, if you are watching, thank you. "He gave me a lot of advice and that extra support."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Darts fans demand major change to Premier League after Luke Littler's shock final loss
DARTS fans have demanded a drastic change be made to the Premier League following Luke Littler's final defeat to Luke Humphries. Teen sensation 3 Luke Littler suffered an 11-8 defeat to Luke Humphries in the final of the Premier League Darts Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK 3 Darts fans have demanded a change to the structure of the tournament after Littler's loss Credit: REUTERS Humphries took his head-to-head with Littler to 13 defeats and ten victories with his maiden Premier League title win. The match enthralled darts fans, although many of them couldn't help but vent their frustrations at the four-month-long competition coming down to one final match. 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. READ MORE DARTS NEWS "I get why they do it, you don't want the league winner to run away with it as viewings will go down. But [it] needs looking at." And another said: "Bit weird how Luke was miles away the best player over 17 weeks and well clear at the top of the table. "But Humphries is the champion because of a one-off game? Leagues are meant to be won on consistency, surely." One remarked: "I think the person who is top after all the weeks should receive a trophy for that achievement. Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Luke Littler prize money breakdown Here is all the prize money Luke Littler has won so far after being crowned 2025 PDC World Darts Championship winner: World Championship 2025 - £500,000 World Championship 2024 - £200,000 Grand Slam of Darts 2024 - £150,000 European Tour - £91,000 Player Championships events - £71,500 Players Championship final runner-up - £60,000 UK Open 2023 + 2024 - £17,500 World Matchplay - £10,000 World Grand Prix - £7,500 European Championship - £7,500 (Unranked) Premier League Darts - £315,000 TOTAL: £1.43 million "Like rugby with the playoffs [and] a separate one-off event for the top players. "Ultimately, it will always be Luke vs Luke in the final as no one [is] anywhere near them. Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage Humphries, 30, was over the moon with his first-ever Premier League Darts title win. He told Sky Sports: "This one means the world to me, that was the one I was missing. "It was the one I wanted, I have done it now. "If I don't win another title, I am happy as I have done the three hardest ones to do. "Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks, so Phil, if you are watching, thank you. "He gave me a lot of advice and that extra support." 3 Luke Humphries was over the moon to claim his maiden Premier League Darts title Credit: PA
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Luke Littler's treat to himself after huge cash win said it all about £1.8m teen
Darts sensation Luke Littler is on a trajectory that could cement him as one of the sport's richest stars, yet the 18-year-old has always had a fairly restrained approach when it comes to spending Luke Littler may be worth an astonishing £1.8million at just 18. But his eye for a low-key purchase from the start of his career suggested the teen star was never going to grow too big for his boots. Littler will be hopeful of defending his title when the 2025 Premier League Darts season reaches its climax this Thursday at The 02 Arena in London. Now known for regularly stunning the darts scene, 'The Nuke' beat World No. 1 Luke Humphries a year ago to win the competition during his maiden season. It could be argued that Littler has already reached the pinnacle of his sport by winning the PDC World Darts Championship in January. Yet it was at the previous year's Worlds, after having earned £35,000, where fans were given an early insight into Littler's level-headed spending habits – an attribute that the humble star has continued to exhibit, despite his ever-blossoming wealth. 'I always treat myself to some Under Armour tracksuits,' he said to The Telegraph in December 2023 when asked how he spends his extravagant winnings. "And just get myself a new coat and get myself some FIFA points for my Xbox. That's pretty much it. That's what I've always done. When I win money, I just treat myself, buy some packs, get some good players." Littler ended up raking in £200,000 from the 2024 tournament after making the final. Yet as more money rolled in, his conservative eye for spending remained. When quizzed in September 2024 about his most luxurious buy since hitting the big time, the teenager said: "I bought myself a nice bag." The youngest ever World Champion has also won three other major titles, aside from the World Championships and Premier League, in the form of the Grand Slam, World Series Finals and the 2025 UK Open. His bank balance has ballooned as a result. Before his success, Littler lived with his parents in a £180,000, two-bedroom semi-detached home in Warrington. In another testament to his thoughtful nature, he has since moved his family into a larger house in the suburbs of Cheshire. The youngster is believed to be renting the property, however. Perhaps Littler would finally display his winnings with a fancy new motor? Not quite. While he has also made a small fortune thanks to a variety of lucrative sponsorship deals with the likes of BooHooMan, KP Nuts and Xbox, he elected to choose a rather modest car when asked what vehicle he would opt for. "I've always loved a Mercedes A-Class - just a small car," he said earlier this year. "Last year, I was looking at driving, and I loved the Ford Focus, but now I've gone up in the world just a little. "If I get a car, it won't be a birthday present from anyone. I think it would have to be a birthday present from me to me.' Littler now faces Gerwyn Price, who has won six of their past eight meetings, on Thursday night, in semi-final one the finale. This year the winner will pocket £275,000 in prize money while the runner-up will earn £125,000. The two losing semi-finalists will be handed £85,000 each.
