“I wish I was in the crowd with them” - Luke Littler hails rowdy England fans as World Cup fever hits US Darts Masters

Luke Littler admitted he wished he had been in the crowd with the England fans after a rowdy Madison Square Garden atmosphere added a World Cup edge to finals night at the US Darts Masters.

The 19-year-old reached his first final in New York after sweeping aside Jim Long and then holding off James Wade, before losing 8-7 to Luke Humphries in a deciding-leg final. Littler’s wait for a first US Darts Masters title goes on, but the night still left an impression.

England supporters were in New York ahead of Saturday night’s World Cup clash with Panama, having already seen their side beat Croatia 4-2 and draw 0-0 with Ghana in Group L. Many also made their way to the Infosys Theater, where the noise grew as Littler pushed through the draw.

“It was an unbelievable experience tonight,” admitted Littler, who was featuring in his maiden US Darts Masters final. “There were a lot of England fans here who are going to the game tomorrow, so I appreciate them coming along. As the night went on they got louder and louder, and I wish I was in the crowd with them to be fair!”

Littler’s run to the final came after a shaky opening-round performance against David Cameron, where he averaged 87.84 and had to recover from 4-3 down before closing out a 6-4 win.

Finals night brought a sharper version. Jim Long had stunned Josh Rock in the first round, but Littler gave the Canadian little chance of another upset, averaging north of 102 in a 6-1 quarter-final win.

Wade then provided a far more awkward semi-final test. The ten-time TV title winner averaged over 100 and hit all four of his attempts at double, but Littler still came through 7-4 to set up another final against Humphries.

The final itself swung both ways. Humphries led 4-1, Littler fought back to move 5-4 ahead, and the match eventually went the distance before Humphries sealed back-to-back US Darts Masters titles with an 11-dart deciding leg.

The England presence had already been noticeable earlier in the tournament. After his opening-round win, Littler joked that the fans at the top of the arena were “all a bit rowdy” and were bringing a United Kingdom fan base into Madison Square Garden.

By finals night, they had become part of the atmosphere. Littler, a massive football fan, had already said he planned to attend England’s meeting with Panama, even joking that he hoped Thomas Tuchel’s side would go “three or four nil up” so he could leave early and avoid the traffic before heading to the Barclays Center for the boxing.

First came his own New York final. Littler had said before the tournament that winning at Madison Square Garden “would mean the world” to him and insisted the US Darts Masters was not just preparation for his World Matchplay defence.

The title still escaped him, but his best US Darts Masters run yet came on a night shaped by more than darts alone. With England fans in town, Littler chasing a first New York crown and Humphries defending his title in a last-leg final, Madison Square Garden had the sort of crossover energy the World Series has long been trying to create in America.