Secrets behind darts ace Luke Littler revealed in new Sky series – & how working class sport became mainstream success

IT was erstwhile a athletics watched by working-class lads and lasses who enjoyed a pint.

But present you are apt to find royals, politicians and Premiership footballers among the crowds astatine darts’ biggest tournaments.

From the sensational World Championships to ITV’s reboot of Bullseye, the athletics has enjoyed a spectacular comeback this year.

And present a caller Sky documentary Game Of Throws: Inside Darts goes down the scenes to uncover what it takes for players similar teen sensation Luke Littler to marque it.

Legendary sports impresario Barry Hearn, 76, is arrogant of the sports newfound popularity: “This is simply a large manufacture now, but we person had to enactment up with radical looking down their noses astatine us.

"Over the centuries we person had, successful Britain, a people structure, which means that we ‘know our place’ and I ne'er bought into that.

“We person transformed that now. Members of the Royal Family beryllium down to ticker the darts.

“We person MPs and Premiership footballers begging america for tickets to beryllium down next to a docker oregon a newsagent oregon a dustman.

“It’s precisely the satellite that I wanted, but the leaders of the satellite are the players. Without the players we don’t person anything. And they’ve not fto america down.

‘Liquid refreshment’

“I’m precise arrogant of what we’ve achieved. We make heroes and players that travel from the aforesaid working-class areas that I came from.

“They tin execute their dreams and alteration their lives, which is the essence of what athletics is about.”

Luke’s emergence to the apical is simply a classical communicative of a working-class lad done good.

The 17-year-old, who was virtually chartless this clip past year, is connected his mode to becoming a millionaire aft winning £900,000 successful prize money.

The Warrington lad, nicknamed The Nuke, grabbed the nation’s attraction erstwhile helium reached the last of past year’s World Darts Championship.

While helium mislaid to Luke Humphries, the sold-out lucifer astatine Alexandra Palace, North London, was watched by 4.8million radical worldwide.

It is simply a acold outcry from the Eighties erstwhile players were known for dense drinking portion they played and John Thomas “Jocky” Wilson and Eric Bristow dominated the game.

Cockney five-times satellite champion Eric, who said darts saved him from a beingness of crime, aboriginal boasted of three-day benders.

Despite the athletics present grabbing the attraction of A-listers and Princess Catherine, who had a spell connected a sojourn to Birmingham past year, Barry inactive considers darts to beryllium The People’s Game.

He said: “You’re with your mates, you’re having a small spot of liquid refreshment.

“Most importantly, you’re going to permission with a grin connected your face.”

There was surely plentifulness of revelry captured connected camera astatine the World Championships.

Sky’s caller documentary features footage from the last connected January 3, arsenic thousands of fans successful an unthinkable array of fancy dress, necked jugs of lager, sang, danced and cheered.

And Luke “The Nuke” Litter has a starring role. He is filmed arsenic helium prepares for the archetypal circular successful the World Championships.

He says: “I conscionable fto my darts go, and I conscionable bask it, due to the fact that I cognize my hostile is obscurity adjacent me.

“I don’t truly consciousness pressure, though I evidently get tense due to the fact that it is simply a large occasion, it’s the biggest tourney of the year.”

He adds: “I’ve got thing to lose. I’m conscionable playing my darts and I privation to triumph different game. You’ve conscionable got to enactment the hard enactment successful to get to wherever you privation to be.”

Luke has yet to follow the hellraiser manner that comes with fame and tourney winnings.

He chooses to unrecorded astatine location with his parents, Anthony Buckley and Lisa Littler, sister Caitlin and their French bulldog successful Cheshire.

But arsenic referee Russ Bray reveals successful the film, retired aboriginal this week, Luke transforms erstwhile helium is successful beforehand of thousands of people, each chanting his name.

Russ said: “He’s a quiescent lad disconnected the oche. He’d alternatively beryllium connected his PlayStation oregon his phone. But erstwhile helium gets up connected the stage, helium is simply a wholly antithetic animal.”

It is nary astonishment fixed the benignant of pep talks helium gets from his manager Martin Foulds, who doesn’t propulsion immoderate punches.

In the documentary, helium is heard telling Luke: “You spell retired determination to win, you don’t spell up determination to try, you spell up determination to win. Trying is for losers.”

Despite Martin’s efforts, Luke says helium has his parents, peculiarly his taxi operator dad, to convey for getting him to wherever helium is today.

He says: “My dad’s done truthful overmuch for me, backing maine with petrol, hotels, paying my introduction fees immoderate I’m playing successful and taking clip disconnected to travel with me.”

Anthony is seen proudly pulling boxes of medals and trophies retired from nether Luke’s furniture and remarking: “That’s conscionable the inferior tournaments.”

• Game Of Throws: Inside Darts is disposable connected Sky Documentaries from November 30, astatine 9pm. All episodes disposable from 2am connected demand.