COLCHESTER'S former world number one Colin Lloyd feels darts is in a ‘fantastic’ place following Luke Littler making it to the World Championships final, writes BEN MCCARTHY.
Lloyd, who grew up in Colchester and ascended to a World Grand Prix triumph in 2004 as well as a World Matchplay title the following year, commented on the current darting landscape, one that, though away from the oche, he remains a part of.
“The game at the moment is in such a fantastic place," said Lloyd, whose nickname is Jaws.
"People still look at darts as a pub sport: yes, it is. It is a pub sport, it’s exactly what it is. But it’s also a top, top professional sport now.”
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Lloyd also was full of praise for Littler, the 16-year-old sensation who started the 2023/24 World Championships as the reigning PDC Youth Champion and 164th ranked player in the PDC Order of Merit but ended it as runner-up and sport’s biggest name.
Lloyd said: “Luke Littler has created his own opportunity, he’s done it, his hard work, and he’s going to roll with it.
"He’s now a participant in the Premier League, which will make his profile even bigger. He shook the world already. The world is his oyster.”
On the impact that Littler’s run will have on the professional game, Lloyd stated: “I’d like to think that the youth academies will get busier because of Luke Littler.
"There may be another half a dozen Luke Littlers out there and how good would that be for our sport?”
Beyond Littler, Jaws emphasises the vast rewards that the sport offers.
“You can earn a living from it," he said.
"You knuckle down and treat it as a professional sport and a professional job because the rewards are that big.
"The game has just grown and grown and grown. The World Matchplay is now £200,000, I got £25,000, which was good money back then and good money, still now!”
The 2024 World Darts Championship final marked Sky Sports’ highest ever non-football peak audience, with 3.71 million people tuning in at one point to watch the tussle between Littler and eventual champion, Luke Humphries.
Lloyd certainly saw an unparalleled connection from the public with the game.
He said: “Believe me, I know through other sports people and the general public that have watched darts for the first time and they’re absolutely hooked; they absolutely love it.”
With more people ‘hooked’ to darts, Lloyd believes that there are ‘different formats for different fans.
“Watch all of it," he said. "They are different, you’ve got the World Championships, set play, you’ve got eight of the best players in the world for 16, 17 weeks of the Premier League, you’ve got the World Series events coming up, you’ve got the Masters events coming up.
“They’re all different formats and different players, some of which you may not have seen at the World Championships, because they got burned out early, the likes of Peter Wright.
"It’s all part of the package, it’s all part of the deal. Certain fans prefer certain events, but at the end of the day, darts fans are darts fans.”
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