Generally, if something looks too good to be true, it is as such. If that appraisal seems simplistic to the point of cruelty, look at it another way. In top level professional sport, there’s very seldom room for romantics or fairytales.
But there are exceptions to such analysis. Like that of Hewick – the €800 wonder horse – who is now surely entitled to favouritism for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in a little over two months.
Or Leitrim coming from oblivian to win the Connacht SFC in 1994. How about Leicester City doing something similar. Escaping the relegation bacon slicer by the skin of their collective butt cheeks and going from there to sensationally lifting the Premier League title twelve months later.
Now consider the following – a young lad, 16 years of age, jacking up school weeks before he’s due to return in order to turn professional at darts and five months later he is 21 legs of from lifting the Sid Wadell Trophy, winning the World Darts Championship and being declared the best player on the planet.
No, this is not fiction or fantasy. Matt Groening and Seth McFarlane, you men may stand down. This headline act produces his own material and brings his own props. It’s not so much stand up as stand out.
Just remember, Luke Littler is not old enough to drink or vote and will still have to wait a few weeks before he can apply for a driving licence. No matter, he doesn’t need to do any of those things to throw tungsten. By God does he let his arrows doing the talking!
After navigating a way past his idol Ray Van Barneveld at the Last 16 it was correct and understandable that when tackling the obdurate and admirable Brendan Dolan at the third last hurdle, he began as a warm order favourite with the bookies.
However, it’s very doubtful that even they who are supposed to know more than the rest of us expected the Warrington lad to blitz Fermanagh’s finest with the the deftness and confidence bordering on temerity he did.
Having said that, it was quite easy to concur with Gary Anderson’s plea for people to back off, give the lad space and just let him do his thing. Utter sense from The Flying Scotsman.
In fairness to Littler himself and the team around him, he has done a remarkable job of shutting out the brouhaha whilst – with no small smidgeon of irony – continuing to give the populus ample fodder with which to continue to ramp it up.
Mind you, on that score, it’s probably no harm that the fixtures are coming as thick and fast, as it means the player hasn’t time to be dwelling on outside noise.
That said, either he himself or the team around him will be wearily aware of the dynamite darts being flung on the other side of the draw.
Aficionados of matters of the oche of certain vintage would contend that the 2007 Final between RVB and Phil Taylor stands alone – or at least did – as the greatest collision of arrowsmiths of all time.
Having seen it innumerable times after the fact, in no way would such a billing be disputed but it now most certainly has company in being worthy of such accreditation. Let me see… What could be comparable to being 4-0 down in a race to five. As Rob Cross found himself at the quarter final stage against Chris Dobey. Maybe Meath’s overhauling of Dublin in the fourth game of the 1991 saga, or Manchester United doing likewise against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final of ’99.
Yet, as has been said ad nauseum in this space over the years, momentum is the biggest game changer. See David Beggy’s point after Kevin Foley’s goal, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s goal after that of Teddy Sheringham or, most relevant to this offering, Rob Cross hitting score after score as it became obvious he was going to reel in the gallant Geordie.
However, if you want to accentuate the impact of momentum, look no further than the two combatants still standing in the big saloon in London as the final shootout awaits to determine which of the Lukes will take home the voice of darts with them.
At this juncture there’s not a whole lot to say about Luke Littler that hasn’t already been uttered. On the other hand, from another angle, Luke Humphries could lay justifiable claim to the title of player of the year having won three Majors already. Something has to give. Enjoy.
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