Barry Hearn sends warning to top darts stars that ‘little Littler Army’ is coming to dominate the sport

BARRY HEARN expects darts to beryllium monopolised wrong the adjacent decennary by “Luke Littler and his small Littler Army”.

Britain’s apical sports promoter, 76, claims he has been monitoring The Nuke, 17, for 10 years but his displays successful his debut twelvemonth arsenic a pro person exceeded each expectations.

Littler – the satellite title finalist and Premier League champion – is susceptible of “superman checkouts” according to Hearn and has revolutionised a athletics that originated successful pubs and clubs.

Yet established large names person been warned determination is simply a horde of non-drinking youngsters emerging from their bedrooms – and that once-in-a-generation endowment Littler is lone the extremity of the iceberg.

Speaking connected the latest occurrence of The Barry Hearn Show connected Spotify, the Essex businessman said: “Luke’s scoring power, particularly successful bursts, is truthful awesome you conscionable can’t unrecorded with it.

“And helium checks retired astatine a velocity not known earlier – it’s similar Superman checkouts.

“I’m asked: Is helium going to beryllium the top of each time? Can helium surpass Phil Taylor’s record, which I don’t deliberation anyone ever dreamed anyone would?

“The reply is: He has a accidental but it’s aboriginal days.

“The biggest occupation he’s got is that he’s inspired truthful galore people.

“Especially those who haven’t been battered implicit the years and tin spot what hard work, subject and sacrifice tin bash for you successful life.

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“Luke Littler has earned astir a million-and-a-half quid already. And that’s lone the extremity of the iceberg.

“He’s seventeen. He’s buying a bully location and he’s going to get bully things. So kids look up to him. And there’s besides a wealthiness of young endowment astir him.

“They aren’t each from Britain. All astir the satellite kids person seen Luke Littler connected TV and realised this athletics tin alteration your life.

“They person dedicated themselves. And they’re not drinkers oregon coming retired of the pubs. Those days are gone.

“The occupation for the established large names is they person to enactment determination to gain the benignant of wealth they privation to earn.

“They’re going to beryllium nether pressure from Luke Littler and his small Littler Army.

“There are tens of dozens of these kids astir the satellite that are going to wholly alteration the look of darts implicit the adjacent fewer years.”

To exemplify his constituent further, Hearn utilized an illustration of a ten-year-old kid who averaged 104.89 successful a seven-leg contest, which helium clinched with a 136 checkout.

In comparison, the Crafty Cockney Eric Bristow “won satellite titles with an mean of little than 90”.

He said: “There are plentifulness of kids retired there, of that property and younger, that if they don’t observe wine, women and song, past wherefore not?

“Darts is the lone athletics wherever you tin spell backmost to your chamber astatine night, bent your dartboard implicit your door, people retired the due region and conscionable sling arrows.

“Smash the granny retired of the Treble 20. They’re coming retired of their bedrooms and are acceptable to instrumentality connected the world.”

Warrington-born Littler is the favourite to triumph the PDC World Darts Championship connected January 3, 2025 – the last is 3 weeks earlier helium turns 18.

In 2024, helium has banked much than £1million successful prize money, scooped 10 titles and moved up to 4th spot successful the satellite rankings.

Hearn said: “First twelvemonth successful the satellite championship, playing connected a large stage, each that unit – helium surpassed my expectations.

“We’ve been watching his vocation since helium was 7 oregon eight.

“He was a prodigy and he’d been knocking successful immoderate large averages connected the Junior Darts Corporation and past subsequently connected the Development Tour.

“But who knew that helium was going to really clasp the large stage? Because that’s what separates the men from the boys.”

+ The Barry Hearn Show is disposable connected each podcast platforms – with exclusive video episodes connected Spotify.