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Scottish Sun
2 days 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.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish 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 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. Most read in Darts 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), jobs before throwing darts. Yet Aspinall – who runs a darts academy in the 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.'
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Proper ick' – Gerwyn Price's on-stage antics divide fans as former World Darts champion torments Luke Littler again
The Ice Man's roars were powerless to prevent defeat at the O2 PRICED OUT 'Proper ick' – Gerwyn Price's on-stage antics divide fans as former World Darts champion torments Luke Littler again GERYWN PRICE played up to his pantomime villain role at the Premier League Darts Finals - but was no match for Luke Littler. The Ice Man rattled The Nuke early on at the O2 and let rip with his trademark screaming celebration at the oche. 3 Gerwyn Price fell just short against Luke Little at the O2 - despite his trademark roar Credit: PA 3 The Welshman led 6-4 at the break but was reeled in by the world champ Credit: Getty 3 Littler is looking to defend the title he won last year Credit: Reuters Follow the Premier League Darts Final with our LIVE BLOG Price belted out regular roars as the two players traded breaks, with the Welshman taking a shock 6-4 lead into the break. But reigning champ Littler stormed back to win a thriller 10-7 and book his place in the final. The 2021 world champion's emotional on-stage persona is a divisive subject among darts fans. READ MORE ON DARTS LITTLERMANIA Luke Littler backs darts to bring in WWE-style event and reveals how it'd work He infamously wore headphones on stage in 2023 to block out jeers from the Premier League crowd. And he was met with a chorus boos from some among the 12,000 sell out at London's O2 on Thursday. Price wasted no time in breaking the Littler throw, letting out a huge roar and a fist bump towards his entourage. One fan immediately complained on X: "That scream Gerwyn Price does is a proper ick ur[sic] 40 bro." Another agreed: "Does anyone else feel as though Gerwyn Price was screaming well over the top in that game? I found it quite annoying tbh." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK But a third countered: "I have been sick in bed for 24 hours. When I just heard that Gerwyn Price Roar I felt better. Some sort of energy transfer went on." And a fourth said: "The Price roar is mega int it." Luke Littler and Luke Humphries play out 'best darts match ever' as Wayne Mardle says 'even they're finding it funny' Littler admitted after the match he "stormed off stage" after his slow start to the contest. He told Sky Sports: "When he hit the double five to go 6-4 up I took myself straight off stage, I needed to get myself up for it. "The first five or six legs I was nervous and going into the break 6-4 down was not what I wanted. "I knew, especially after last year, that I love coming on after a break so I relaxed myself and I got the job done. "I stormed off stage but that was just in my own head. I just had to. "I sat down and had a drink and cooled myself down and said 'You can do it'. I got the job done."
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Luke Littler pulls out of major tournament as World Darts champion follows through on threat to fans
Littler's absence will not be a shock to many fans given his tumultuous relationship with German darts crowds LUKE OUT Luke Littler pulls out of major tournament as World Darts champion follows through on threat to fans Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LUKE LITTLER has withdrawn from the European Darts Grand Prix this weekend. The 18-year-old will be the only player ranked in the PDC top 20 to miss the event in Sindelfingen, Germany. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Luke Littler has withdrawn from the European Darts Grand Prix Credit: Rex His absence will not be a shock to many fans given his tumultuous relationship with German darts crowds. At the Uber Arena in Berlin last month, Littler was greeted with hostility ahead of his quarter-final match against Chris Dobey. Some members of the crowd booed the world champion, who responded by making gestures. Darts star Max Hopp - who was there as a pundit - admitted he didn't expect to hear boos. He even criticised the treatment of the Nuke. Hopp said: "I heard it too. He was interacting a lot with the crowd, making gestures and engaging with them. "But I don't understand why people would boo him. "They should be thanking him! The fact that prize money is about to skyrocket is all because of him." CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Littler was also booed at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich two weeks ago. After the event, he took to social media to share his discontent. On Instagram, the Nuke wrote: "Shouldn't have been in Munich but had to play anyway. "Next one in Germany for me is Dortmund and I am glad to say that."
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
‘I want more respect.. it comes down to hard cash' – Snooker chief Barry Hearn offers huge update on future of Crucible
BARRY HEARN expects the future of the Snooker World Championship to be decided by the end of this year – and it 'comes down to hard cash'. Positive informal talks were held on Thursday morning with Hearn and Sheffield City Council officials and they will all meet again in three months' time. The contract to stay at the Crucible expires in 2027 and Hearn, 76, wants more 'respect' shown as the parties try to negotiate a new deal. Hearn, president of Matchroom Sport, has threatened to take the event away from its spiritual home of Sheffield and perhaps go abroad, especially given his close business ties to Saudi Arabia. Plans to expand the 980-seater venue are one option but there are limitations to what can be done and within an appropriate time frame. It is likely a site fee, boosted by government funding, might be written into the next contract should a compromise be reached. Hearn, who managed Steve Davis during his six world championship wins, said: 'I want a bit more respect. We love Sheffield. We love the Crucible. 'In any relationship if the other side doesn't love you back, it's destined for failure. 'So, at the moment we're engaged and I'm hoping in the next few months we're going to get married again. Let's keep our fingers crossed. 'I was impressed with the passion and commitment that Sheffield Council have got for snooker. We view the Crucible as the home of snooker. 'But again, we have to live in the real world. We agreed to meet in another three months with a view to knowing exactly where we are by the end of this year. And the pressure is on. 'Both sides are really happy here with each other, but we can't turn away from the realities of sports life, which is centred around prize money. 'We have to do something big for the players because they deserve it. This event's going to be seen by 300-400 million people. Does it get the respect? 'So the talks went well. There was a frank exchange of the problems that we face. 'I think both of us agree that this is something where Sheffield can only go so far, but with government assistance it can go further and it can be maintained. 'So the onus is still on Sheffield to come up with something in line with government, in line with our thinking of where the game stands in terms of prestige and respect. 'This is a major event in England. But there's a huge amount of money outside of the UK to stage the World Snooker Championship. 'Give me the respect. Help me to do what I want to do and I won't be outrageous in my demands. I feel we're both on the same side. I'm a little more optimistic today than I was yesterday.' The PDC have bumped up the prize money for the World Darts champion to £1million this Christmas and Hearn wants to do the same for a future snooker conqueror. 1 Yet he has no plans to change the format of the tournament – so it will be kept to 17 days of action involving 32 players and with 71 frames needed to be the best. Britain's leading sports promoter said: 'The game's in good shape. We have some problems, of course, Sheffield being one of them. And the other one is prize money. 'As much as it sounds pretty barbaric, it all comes down to pound notes. 'Darts players are going to be multimillionaires and snooker players need to catch them up. 'Hopefully, if all goes well, we can start thinking about a million-pound first prize instead of £500,000 for snooker. That's clearly on the agenda as quickly as we can. 'We can sell this place out a dozen times if we wanted to. We need a halfway house. 'There's a value to Sheffield City Council for having it in Sheffield. It comes down to hard cash. 'So, show me the money, show me the way forward, and hopefully we can sign another 10-year deal at the Crucible.'
