The Luke Littler effect 'a huge help' for Desborough Darts Academy as young players take up the sport

Luke Littler’s 7-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship earned the 17-year-old his first world title, making him the youngest champion in the competition’s 32-year history.

Though it may seem a far cry from the packed setting at Alexandra Palace, darts is just as popular at The Ritz in Desborough, as an academy has been giving people the opportunity to try the sport for themselves.

Daniel Coe and Mel Louise, who head up the JDC Affiliated Desborough Darts Academy alongside Richard Coe and Stuart Jones, are giving local children the opportunity to get into the game, harnessing a sense of community in the fast-growing club.

Daniel said: “I think he [Littler] has got them through the door, but what keeps them here is the sport.

"They realise it’s good, sociable and can improve with practice. It is something which they can enjoy without taking too much time out of their day.

“There have been a huge influx of darts players, especially since the Luke Littler hype, that is a fact but I think the sport is still really popular anyway, especially locally.

“It’s a sport that people are interested in locally, for sure, but I do think Luke Littler has been a huge help.

“He really inspired a lot of people to get into the sport and I think he showed a brand new generation that it can be enjoyable, and you don’t have to take it too seriously.

“Everyone’s different, and there’s a really nice social aspect to it."

Darts has long been popular in Northamptonshire, with Kettering’s own Ricky Evans currently sitting at 44 in the world rankings, and pubs and clubs across the county having embraced the sport for decades.

At The Ritz – the academy’s adopted home after moving from Marlow House in search of more space – organisers are giving locals the opportunity to try out a sport that can often go overlooked by young people, taking advantage of its rising popularity using JDC software for grading and scoring for games such as Shanghai and Killer, as well as the conventional 301 and 501 matches.

Participants are given the chance to fine-tune their performance and get to grips with the fundamentals by experimenting with darts of different weights, flights, and make-ups, better understanding the intricacies of a sport that, at least on the surface, seems so simple.

The academy is growing in popularity, and while there is a waiting list for new participants, people looking to take up the sport can do so by contacting the club on its dedicated Facebook page, or by emailling [email protected].