• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Darts spotter explains why it is 'horrendous' to work on a match Luke Littler is involved in

Home> Darts

Published 12:00 9 Feb 2024 GMT

Darts spotter explains why it is 'horrendous' to work on a match Luke Littler is involved in

Working on a Littler match isn't so easy.

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton

A darts TV spotter has explained why working on a Luke Littler match is "horrendous".

Luke Littler has wowed the sporting world since bursting onto the scene as a teenage darts sensation.

The 17-year-old is already one of the best players in the world right now, and did his bit to thrust darts under the spotlight with his unexpected run to the final of the World Darts Championship last month.

Advert

What's good for Littler is good for darts - well, almost.

The Littler story has been great for fans and event organisers alike, but his skills have made life considerably more difficult for spotters.

The role of the spotter is to make sure the TV cameras zoom in on the correct part of the board, especially when players on are a crucial double.

Advert

Spotters are integral to television coverage, are by and large they do their job seamlessly.

Experienced trio Keith Deller, Colin Lloyd and Richard Ashdown shared duties during the Paddy Power World Championship, but all three had to adapt to some of Littler’s quirky finishing routes and sheer speed.

"Er, horrendous," Lloyd said when asked by Daily Star Sport to describe what it's like spot during a Littler match.

"Luke’s got his own fandangled way of going, very much like Simon Whitlock and Rob Cross. They’ve all got their own ways going and it’s just a matter of picking up on them.

Advert

"When someone’s gone for a shot in a match and you’ve called it and, a few legs later, he’s left the same finish, you automatically think he’s going to go that way.

Luke Littler. (
Getty)

"But Luke sometimes doesn’t, he’ll go the way he feels comfortable. If he wants to go a fandangled way, he’ll go that way. But that’s the life of being a spotter in championship darts."

With years left ahead of him, Lloyd is sure that Littler will come up with even more new shots to keep the spotters busy.

Advert

"He’s not afraid of using the dartboard, that’s what it’s all about. I learnt the old-style ways because I’m of that age. But I’ve had to adapt and adjust to certain shot-outs.

"This younger generation have got their own ways of going and, nine times out 10, it comes off, so good luck to them."

Littler came close to earning a first title in the BetMGM Premier League Darts, but he came up just short against Michael van Gerwen in Thursday's Night Two final in Berlin after wasting two match darts.

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports

Topics: Luke Littler, Darts

Alex Brotherton
Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a journalist at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He can often be found watching dreadful non-league football.

X

@alex_brotherton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 days ago
14 days ago
19 days ago
21 days ago
  • 2 days ago

    Luke Humphries speaks out after darts fans criticise moment in 'ridiculous' Luke Littler clash

    Humphries and Littler had to deal with an unusual problem at the inaugural Hyde Park Darts Championship.

    Darts
  • 14 days ago

    Rob Cross finally speaks out on five-year ban as director over £450,000 tax debt ahead of US Darts Masters defence

    Cross has spoken at length about his ban and the two-year-long process that led to it.

    Darts
  • 19 days ago

    Luke Littler hits back at darts player who taunted him after World Cup of Darts defeat

    It comes after he responded to Dennis Priestley's claims.

    Darts
  • 21 days ago

    Luke Humphries hits back at darts legend who said he and Luke Littler 'don't deserve MBEs' over World Cup exit

    Humphries has followed Littler in responding to the former world champion.

    Darts
  • Darts spotter explains why it's 'horrendous' to work on a match Luke Littler is involved in
  • Luke Humphries speaks out after darts fans criticise moment in 'ridiculous' Luke Littler clash
  • Darts star reveals 'unreal' thing Luke Littler does in practice room before every match
  • Exclusive: Luke Littler delivers cold response when asked what would happen in a darts match between him and Phil Taylor