Sport
Bizarre scenes at the Premier League Darts in Manchester as Where’s Wally gets in a scrap
Is there anything that sums up British sport better than someone in fancy dress scrapping whilst everyone is trying not to spill their pint?
Danny Jones -
5th April 2024 
Premier League Darts produced a cracker in Manchester on Thursday as Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler made it back-to-back wins in front of 11,000, but there was no finer moment than when someone in Where’s Wally fancy dress was spotted fighting in the stands.
Luke ‘The Nuke’ produced a great display against Stockport’s Nathan Aspinall in the semi-finals, with the pair of them helping turn the crowd into a choir as a sea of Mancs serenaded the AO Arena to the tune of The Killers, but it was the other semi with Gerwyn Price that produced the biggest highlight of all.
As if things couldn’t get any more quintessentially British than a lot of drunken fans belting out ‘Mr Brightside’, a clip of someone dressed as Where’s Wally scrapping with other supporters as they desperately tried to cling onto their pints has now gone viral.
In typically chaotic fashion for UK crowds, it also happened to unfold just as Gerwyn Price hit the best of the night in the background as the AO was left utterly bouncing.
Can we just say, we have all the respect in the world for the people filming who quickly swivelled the camera to capture Price’s nine-darter and celebrate like nutters – rightly so. Well done to the arena staff who did a good job of defusing the situation as well.
Although the runner-up himself shared a post saying the “final was spoilt before a dart was even thrown” and that “change is needed” after a pocket of fans were filmed throwing drinks at each other, we can assure ‘The Iceman’ that most the vast majority were well-behaved and soaking up what he admitted was an “amazing atmosphere”.
While we obviously don’t condone any form of violence and details surrounding how the bust-up began are still unclear, it’s also hard to take a fight involving a life-sized Where’s Wally seriously and fighting at the darts is still a relatively rare occurrence. When we think arrows we just think good vibes.
Gezzy can rest assured that it in no way overshadowed what was another blockbuster night involving the very best talents on the circuit. Just look at the scenes.
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As for the round itself, not only did Greater Manchester local ‘The Asp‘ do a great job of whipping the crowd up for his home turf match but it was another star showing from the 17-year-old darting superstar from Warrington.
Littler is absolutely one a roll and has taken like a duck to water in his first season in the Premier League, not to mention seemingly living the sports personality dream.
His beloved Man United might have conceded two late goals to give up a huge result elsewhere but we’re sure going a point clear at the top of the table helped him get over it soon enough.
A bust-up in the stands or darts’ biggest phenomenon going for an inevitable kebab after his win might not be as iconic as this, but it’s a reminder that we’ll take British sporting culture over all others any day.
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Featured Images — Connor Munday (via X)
