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'Littler Effect' has big impact on darts clubs

Jo Makel/BBC Rylie, a 15-year-old boy aims a dart at the board. He has short dark hair and is wearing a black hooded top. He is holding the dart in his right hand. It has light blue flights. Behind him are other youngsters playing darts in a club in Hull.Jo Makel/BBC
Rylie, 15, is already playing for the senior team and says Luke Littler is an inspiration

Darts clubs in Hull have reported a surge in the number of children wanting to take up the sport thanks to the success of 17-year-old World Champion Luke Littler.

Coaches say dozens of youngsters in the city are on waiting lists to join clubs and they are having to put on extra junior sessions due to what they have dubbed "the Littler Effect".

The Hull Junior Darts Academy, which is based at the New Trinity Club, has seen its numbers almost double over the past 12 months since Littler first made it to a world title final.

It says children are travelling to the club in east Hull - not just from across the city, but from the East Riding and northern Lincolnshire.

Head coach Mike Laws said they were getting "a massive volume of kids".

'Gives me belief'

The club runs a juniors' night every Tuesday, but is planning to put on extra sessions to meet the demand.

"Just over 12 months ago, we had 18 kids coming down. Straight after the 2024 final, we went up to 30 within a few weeks," said Mr Laws.

"Now we've got 30 people on a waiting list and we probably have four or five people, at least, every week enquire to see if they can join.

"With Luke Littler, they've seen what he can do and obviously they want to do it same."

Fifteen-year-old Rylie, who is already playing for the club's senior team, said: "He [Littler] has just grown the game and he gives me the belief that he did it at such a young age, so can I.

"I'm in here most of the time. My long-term aim is to develop as a player and hopefully be as big as Luke Littler."

Mr Laws added: "It's not just about being competitive. I get them all to mark the games as well, so even the younger ones, they'll stand on the stool and mark the games.

"Then the maths side improves massively. A lot of parents make a comment saying that it's helped them at school."

Jo Makel/BBC Two boys, Harry, aged 11, and Charlie, aged nine, stand in front of a darts board. They are smiling at the camera. Harry, on the left, is holding a set of three darts in his left hand. The darts have green see-through flights. Charlie, on the right, is holding a set of three darts. The flights are designed with a picture of a darts board.Jo Makel/BBC
Harry, 11 and his brother Charlie, aged nine, have attended Hull Junior Darts Academy for a year

Harry, 11, and his brother Charlie, aged nine, said the excitement after Littler got into his first world final against Luke Humphries in 2024 inspired them to play.

"Everybody was talking about Luke Littler," said Harry.

"I practise about an hour a day and I've done that for a year.

"I did have an obsession with throwing stuff when I was little. I used to make and throw paper aeroplanes every single day - our house used to be like Humberside Airport."

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