Last December saw the meteoric rise of Luke Littler, going from a relative unknown to a household name in UK sports in a matter of months.
Littler’s rise in darts was on full display at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, as he made it to the final but was ultimately beaten by Luke Humphries. Despite this, Littler’s stock has only grown heading into this year’s World Championships.
But behind every great sports star, there is almost as equally a great team behind them, and that was Target Darts for Littler since the age of 12.
Speaking to Insider Sport, Target Darts Managing Director James Tattersall reveals how the darts manufacturer nurtured the 17-year-old to where he is today.
Insider Sport: Firstly James, Luke Littler has been part of Target Darts since he was 12-years-old. What qualities stuck out the most about him at that age?
James Tattersall: Even as young as 12 we saw the tenacity he had, and of course an insane natural ability. Garry Plummer, Target’s Chairman, tells a great story of the first time he saw Luke play in a youth tournament, he was the youngest kid there and he made the final… but he lost.
After, Luke was so upset, despite performing far better than he could be expected to. Back then we saw he is a winner.
Insider Sport: How essential was the Target Darts Elite programme to Littler’s development at an early age, as well as other notable roster members such as Phil Taylor, Rob Cross and Stephen Bunting?
James Tattersall: Only Luke can properly answer that, but through our Elite1 programme we give our players the coaching and mentorship they need to make it as a professional player.
Headed up by former world number one, Lorraine Winstanley, she is there to provide support to the parents and players with essentially whatever they might need.
The programme benefits hugely from the association with the top pros, they regularly visit academies in-person or attend events to provide tips and support to the youngsters.
Insider Sport: How was Target Darts moving in real-time from a promotional and sponsorship standpoint when Littler made his meteoric rise to the 2024 World Darts Championship final?
James Tattersall: Darts has been on an upward trajectory for many years already, so we have been preparing and were well-placed for the explosion in 2024. With Littler, we were ahead of the game.
No other darts brand would have a custom shirt and personal darts created for a little-known 16-year-old. We treat our young players the same as we treat the top professionals, ready to pounce if something incredible happens like it did at last year’s world champs.
Insider Sport: Since the 2024 World Darts Championship Final, what sponsorship/marketing campaigns have Target Darts supported Littler with to support his growth as one of the faces of darts?
James Tattersall: We’ve done a lot! Key for us has been creating a range of products to allow both us and Luke to tap into the new audience that have come into darts.
We launched a ‘The Nuke’ magnetic dartboard which has made a huge impact on the toy industry and has been a best-seller through the likes of Smyths Toys and Argos. Our new Luke Littler Cabinet Set was awarded “Best gift for Teens” at the Christmas Wishlist Awards 2024, and was featured on live TV on This Morning.
We have also worked with Luke on collaborations with the likes of F1, The Sidemen and plenty more.
Insider Sport: How important is it for sports organisations to protect young players who burst onto the world scene – such as yourselves with Littler or FC Barcelona with Lamine Yamal – from overexposing them too much from a promotional standpoint?
James Tattersall: This is of course the priority. Luke’s well-being and his performance on stage are the most important thing.
Although we have worked hard together, it has always been in collaboration with him, his family and the team around him to make sure he is 100% comfortable with everything.
Insider Sport: Since joining Target Darts in 2014, how have you leveraged your tech experience to help bring forth new innovations and ideas to not just the company, but the sport as a whole?
James Tattersall: Darts is one of the few sports that is still rife for technological enhancement. We’ve been working with DartCounter now for a number of years as I saw this opportunity for darts to be played online and this app was one of the first, and the best enabler for this.
If you think about it, no other sport can be played online without changing fundamental rules. Darts is the only one!
We’ve worked tirelessly with our colleagues at DartCounter to grow this world of online darts, simultaneously developing hardware that enhances the experience, such as our Omni Auto Scoring System and Virt Camera.
The company has always been at the forefront of new developments in the sport with products such as the Corona dartboard light and interchangeable Swiss Point technology. We are always thinking about what is next and often, is something the market didn’t know it needed.
Insider Sport: Much like all sports, data, enhanced equipment and technology evolve. Could you explain how these three facets have helped evolve darts?
James Tattersall: Our new Omni Auto Scoring System is a great example here. Our pros are now using this every day in their practice, and it is recording every throw they take and exactly where each dart lands on the board, to the millimetre.
Over time, this builds up a huge bank of data at their fingertips that has never been available before. This data can be used to make subtle changes to their throw, aim or thinking moving forward.
Before, the stat was did you hit the double 16 or did you miss. Now, it’s how much did you miss by!
Insider Sport: With the sport growing year on year, how has Littler’s popularity helped garner new younger viewers, both male and female, and could this grow even further if Littler meets Fallon Sherrock in the second round of the 2025 World Darts Championship?
James Tattersall: It’s undeniable Littler has brought younger viewers and players in from all over, both male and female. Fallon had a huge impact on the sport a few years ago, being the first female player to win a match on the PDC World Championship stage, garnering global press attention… one thing it shows is that darts is a great leveller.
It doesn’t matter who you are, man or woman, 16 or 60, if you have the talent, the dedication and the drive, anyone can succeed. If they do meet in Round 2, it will be a great celebration for the sport.
Insider Sport: Lastly James, and thank you for your time, what can we expect from Littler at Ally Pally this December and Target Darts as he tries to make his way back to the final again?
James Tattersall: Of course, we’d love Littler to win it. But we also sponsor a number of top players including Rob Cross, Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Chris Dobey, Dimitri van dan Bergh and others, all more than capable of lifting that trophy on their day. It’s going to be a great tournament!
