'Luke Littler - a breath of fresh air for darts'

How much will teenage darts sensation Luke Littler inspire a new generation of young players in the South East?

He became a sporting phenomenon after reaching the 2024 World Championship final at the age of 16.

But how has this growing interest translated into more young people, as well as armchair fans, wanting to have a go themselves?

BBC journalist and keen amateur league darts player Alex Bish decided to find out.

I am a regular darts player, having started at the age of 13 and I have competed in a number of amateur leagues in Essex, Kent and Sussex over the last 30 years.

I have been wondering whether the current interest in the sport will encourage more people to participate.

Luke Littler, who is now 17, was recently voted BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, and won a series of major titles last year.

He has been described as "a breath of fresh air" by Dave Dudeney, who runs the Sussex County Youth Team.

Mr Dudeney, from Brighton, says he has had more calls from parents whose children want to compete.

"We have had a steady interest in youth players joining Sussex Youth Darts but in the last 12 months that has increased four-fold," Mr Dudeney said.

"This is because of the incredible run Luke Littler had in last year's World Championships and what he has achieved since.

His team regularly competes at under-18 and under-21 level against sides from across the South, including Kent, Surrey, Essex, Berkshire and London.

"Thanks to Luke it has brought a breath of fresh air into the game, and a new younger audience," he said.

Mr Dudeney's 20 year-old son, Tavis Dudeney, represents Sussex Youth and England and has competed against Luke Littler.

A peak TV audience of 3.7 million people watched last year's final in which Luke Littler, nicknamed The Nuke earned £200,000 for finishing second.

He earned £1m in prize money in his first year as a professional.

Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) president Barry Hearn recently told BBC Sport: "We've been watching his progress since he was about seven.

"The next thing we know Littlermania is spreading everywhere."

In fact the teenager became so popular he trended higher than the prime minister and the King in Google's most searched-for list in 2024.

PDC referee Huw Ware, who is adjudicating at the World Championships in London, which finishes on Friday, said there has been "an explosion" in the sport's popularity.

The South East has already produced some of the most recognised names in darts in recent years with former Dartford publican, Andy (The Viking) Fordham, winning the British Darts Organisation (BDO) version of the world title in 2004.

Kirk Shepherd from Kent reached the final of the 2008 PDC World Championships at Alexandra Palace and Rob Cross from Sussex won the title in 2018.

Fellow professional James Wade from Surrey has been one of the elite players for 15 years, winning numerous televised tournaments.

Can Luke Littler and the current crop of stars inspire more people to play darts competitively?

There are dozens of leagues across Kent, Surrey and Sussex where players compete in pubs and clubs.

One such division is the Uckfield and District League, which has over 130 people competing each week.

Ian Driver, who has been the chair for five years, said: "Over the last few years we have had a boost to our younger members joining, with Holly and Olivia who are both 14 and Bryony who is 17 now in their second seasons.

"We have other young members, 16 year-old Jude, Thomas and Harvey who are 17, and Rebecca who is 19, who have been playing over three seasons and all represent Sussex County Youth," he said.

"A young lad called Will who is 12 years old is just breaking into the game," he added.

"We've definitely seen signs of resurgence with more people enquiring about playing due to the popularity of darts on TV."

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