Luke Littler’s World Darts Championship debut captured the attention of an entire nation and sports fans everywhere but we have to admit, we didn’t envisage this fairytale ending with him falling at the final hurdle and having HMRC come along to sweep up nearly half of his winnings.
The teenage darting sensation took home a whopping £200,000 in prize money following his progression all the way to the 2024 PDC World Final but, as is the nature of the income tax here in Britain, that ridiculous amount of money is set to be reduced by almost half.
Sky News reported on Littler’s earnings in his first big senior competition as part of their new live-feed Money Blog on Thursday, 4 January, detailing how the taxman is about to put an £83,000 dent in the runner-up’s impressive prize fund.
Then, less than a couple of hours later, HMRC chimed in with a swift and amusing reminder that his earnings will of course be taxed, leaving plenty annoyed in the comments below.
Big congrats to Luke on his fantastic run to the final. We can confirm the existence of income tax. https://t.co/mT9imXtrX8
Turns out, the tax office has a sense of humour, apparently — and it’s very dry.
Investment platform Saxo estimated that Littler will have to part ways with an estimated £76,203 of his winnings, as well as £7,330 going to national insurance, working out to just over £83k in total.
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This means that all things considered, the 16-year-old will lose around 45% of his winnings but will still walk away with more than £116k. Nevertheless, plenty online have labelled the post everything from “unnecessary” and “brutal” to simply “inappropriate”.
We’re sure he’ll get over it, but plenty of fans were gutted on his behalf, with one person writing, “It’s really something when your government feels comfortable smugly bragging about how they fuck you over”, and countless others just adding calling them “thieves”.
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After all, it’s still more than any teenager would even know what to do with — as proven by the Warrington lad himself when he was asked what he might do with the money.
Luckily, with the sheer talent Luke Littler clearly possesses, not to mention seemingly having his head screwed on even at such a young age, we’re sure he’ll be adding plenty more zeros to those earnings as the years go on — so much so he’ll probably forget who HMRC even is.
Get yourself something sick, a few kebabs here and there, then stick the rest in your savings, mate.
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The latest news following his blockbuster final against the newly crowned champions Luke ‘Cool Hand’ Humphries – his first ever PDC World title – is that Sky is now going to be airing a three-part docuseries later this year, giving fans and newcomers a fly-on-the-wall look into the world of darts.
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Co-op Live)
Sport
Pep Guardiola delivers important reminder about multiculturalism after Jim Ratcliffe controversy
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered an important message about the power of multiculturalism in his most recent press conference.
Guardiola’s comments come after the high-profile controversy surrounding his rival club across the city, Man United, whose co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw some of his recent remarks fall under major scrutiny.
In case you somehow missed it, the Failsworth-born British billionaire was heavily criticised after claiming he believes the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.
Fast forward a couple of days, and while the club and the fan base are still dealing with the fallout of the story, Pep acknowledged the debate by reminding people that “embracing other cultures” makes for a “better society”.
Well put, Pep – in fact, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Although he didn’t reference the 74-year-old directly after being probed on the subject by journalists, the Man City boss reiterated that his time spent living and working across the world has only broadened his mind and enriched his life.
That goes for both his professional and personal spheres, by the way, as the Catalan coach has often spoken of his love for English culture and the Manc people, specifically.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup game against local side Salford City, Pep described the attitudes towards immigrants around the world as a “big problem” despite most people simply leaving their country in search of “a better life”.
He also drew attention to the fact that he, like so many others in football – a sporting industry loved the world round by people from all walks of life and that the likes of Ratcliffe directly benefit from – is an immigrant working and contributing to not just the game but the British economy by being here.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have since shared a public statement on their club website and across social media, reiterating to fans and supporters the world over that they are an “inclusive club”.
‘We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.’
The INEOS chairman, CEO and minority stakeholder in Manchester United Football Club, has since apologised (at least in part) for his “choice of language” following the divisive interview with Sky News.
In a world where plenty of people are quick to pessimism, negativity and turn to division almost by default, Pep’s message is one echoed by so many and is one that we should all keep in mind.
And for anyone who needs a more light-hearted bit of content on their timeline this week, here’s what else Pep said in his pre-match presser…
Pep Guardiola responding to a really intelligent question from a reporter:
‘Do you want to be my assistant coach, fucking hell, you are brilliant…’
Danny Jones -
5th January 2024 
