"I got told I was about 21st favourite the other day, and I was like, 'How?'" - 16-year-old Archie Self preparing for Ally Pally debut following MODUS title
MODUS
16-year-old Archie Self is making a huge impression on the oche, proving he is capable of challenging the more experienced and established names in darts. This was showcased at the MODUS Super Series by claiming the title during Champions Week of the fifteenth edition following an impressive week.
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His performances have got many talking as he adds his name to the plethora of up and coming superstars in the sport. His nine-dart finish came after numerous near misses, becoming the youngest player to produce a televised nine-darter, superior to the likes of Luke Littler in this category.
He went on to win the entire thing, taking down former WDF world champion Andy Baetens 4-2 in the final. It was not a blistering performance by either of them with the Belgian averaging just over 80 while missing 18 darts on the outer ring in those six legs.
Self was also not at his best with an 84.51 average but dug deep and produced the goods on a very memorable night.
"It was rubbish, personally, for me"
An overjoyed Self found it hard to contain his happiness and excitement following the win. With the adrenaline pumping and heart racing, he spoke in the wake of his incredible achievement. "I just can’t find the words," he said on stage. "I was so nervous the whole way through. In my eyes, I couldn’t hit anything. Then I turned up towards the end."
The Englishman failed to continue his fine string of performances, but still found ways to win. "That break just made me reset again. It meant I wasn’t playing like I was this week. I had another practice session with Jordan on Friday, and it went a lot better this time. That got my confidence back again this week."
16-year-old Archie Self is a man on the rise in darts
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It is a quick turnaround with a lot more darts to play. "Definitely. I feel a lot more confident now. I was waiting to see how this week would go before going into the Globals next week, and then the Pro Tour as well. So, yeah, I’m definitely confident."
He moved on to talk about the lavish support he had been receiving. "Oh, they’re special to me. All of them, every single one of them. They’re all special to me," he commented. "I did get a bit annoyed with them towards the end of that final because I didn’t want them shouting at me as I was going for a double. So I did make a couple of gestures to calm them down, but, you know, that’s darts, unfortunately."
Moving onto the performance, and Self was very critical of his final display. "It was rubbish, personally, for me," he remarked. "I know that. I was too nervous. I just couldn’t find anything. Everything was going high, and I had to find something and change a tiny bit. I just changed where I was throwing towards the stem, and it worked."
Ally Pally debut awaits
There are some big things on the horizon for Self. Most notably a debut venture at Ally Pally. He qualified for the PDC World Darts Championship via the Challenge Tour, finishing fifth, but a late surge by Tommy Morris in Players Championsip 32 got him in.
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He will follow in the footsteps of Littler, although he will turn 17 when he makes his debut at the World Championship. The hype around him is already growing, and Self believes the bookmakers are going over the top a bit with their estimations.
"I got told I was about 21st favourite the other day, and I was like, 'How?' because I’ve only played four Pro Tours, and that’s it. But, you know, I’m looking forward to Ally Pally, and hopefully I can take this into that."
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026
- Littler lost to crabtree in the youth/junior/whatever you call it. He had no point in being there. He's unfortunately now got to the stage,he feels all he has to do is get on the stage to win. Well,I hope he realises part of his fear factor has gone. Happened to Taylor,then van gerwen,and it's causing him to realise pretty sharp,he isn't unstoppable. It's good for the sport,not 1 single player in my 60 years has ever,or will ever be, unbeatable.rick6725-10-2026
- I think it's great to see Mark Webster looking good,good ladrick6725-10-2026
- I agree,I can't believe the lack of coverage of this sad loss. Always enjoyed watching him,but I guess now it's all about littler,well it seems that way. Darts has sadly lost a good manrick6717-10-2026
- In the absence of a report regarding the death of Stefan Lord, I'll assist. An excellent player in the late 70s and early 80s, he actually won the now defunct 3rd place match at two World Championships and a couple of the News of the World Championships. A fabulous player and easily the best Swedish player ever. Rest peacefully Stefan.richieburnettrocks16-10-2026