"Next thing you know it’s all over Twitter, Instagram, it was blown completely out of proportion": Scott Williams addresses viral Humphries middle finger incident

Three years ago, at a Target Darts event in Stratford, he was still in the shadows. A quiet sixteen-year-old, a bit shy in a corner next to his father. Hardly anyone spoke to him. But those who looked closely already saw it: a phenomenon in the making. His name? Luke Littler.

On the other side of the hall stood a player who already counted himself among the best in the room. Confident, outspoken, and never afraid to add a little extra on stage. Scott Williams still remembers that period clearly.

From his side, the rise of Littler did not come completely out of nowhere. “I first started properly playing PDC stuff around 2021 into 2022. That was the year I was one of the best amateur players in the world. I won the Challenge Tour without a Tour Card. Because I didn’t have a Tour Card, I could play everything else around it as well — the MODUS Super Series, Live Lounge — and I played for England," he said on the Happy Hour Podcast.

It was in that England setup that he regularly shared a room with the teenage Littler. “That’s where I played with Luke. I represented England a couple of times that year, and even then he was great — but he was only about 12 or 13 at the time, maybe slightly older. I’d walk into a room thinking, ‘I’m the best player in here,’ and Luke would basically be like, ‘Hold my beer.’”

Even then, the level was frightening. “I remember the first summer we both represented England, at the British Internationals in Wales. After two or three games, I had the highest average — 99.5 — and he had 99.2. It was close. I was still thinking, ‘Yeah, I’m still the best.’ Looking back now… yeah, I probably wouldn’t say that anymore.”

And then came the explosion onto the world stage.

“So yeah, people in darts knew he was special. But for him to do what he did at the World Championship, on debut, that quickly — that’s still mad.”

Remarkably, Williams and Littler have only faced each other twice in official matches. The score stands at one apiece. “Only twice. One-all. I dragged him right down to my level one of those times! He was awful that day — and he knows he was.”

That victory came on a streamed board. “It was on a streamed board; the clip’s still out there. I beat him 6–3 or 6–4 and made the final that day. He had 25 left at one point and it was dreadful. I think he went for 5 and hit 20, then went for 3 for double one and hit big 7. It was miles away. But anyone can have an off day.”

Williams’ approach to matches is unconventional in more ways than one. While many players study their opponent’s every dart, he deliberately looks away.

“I don’t look. I always stare at the floor when my opponent’s throwing.”

The reason is psychological. “Because if you watch them for those 10 or 15 seconds, sometimes you put more pressure on yourself. If you see they’ve hit 180 or 140 and you’re still stuck on 200, you’re thinking, ‘Right, they’ve got 40 left and I’ve got 160.’ Whereas if I don’t watch, it gives me that little bit more time to not feel any pressure.”

He only checks the scoreboard when he’s on a finish himself.

“The only time I really take notice of the score is when I’m on a finish and I feel like I can make it easier for myself.”

And “making it easier” can mean something unusual in Williams’ world.

“I’m known for being a bit of an arse — or a cocky prick, like I said the other day. I played someone recently and had 120 left and went tops, tops, tops.”

Not because he had to — but because he could. “Just because I did it to Dom Taylor last year — twice in one game. It was on stream as well, so that clip went everywhere.”

For some, that’s flashy. For Williams, it isn’t. “Some people don’t like that flashy stuff, but for me it’s not flashy — it’s the perfect shot.”

His first major mainstream TV appearance came at the Grand Slam of Darts, where he faced Luke Humphries.

“I played Luke Humphries and I could have been 2–0 or 3–0 up, but I lost 5–3. I shook his hand, gave him a hug, and joking around I stuck my finger up behind him. It was literally a joke between friends.”

He immediately realised how it might look. “I completely forgot there were about 40 cameras there.”

Within minutes, social media had exploded. “I’m in a cab with my manager going back to the hotel and his phone starts going. Next thing you know it’s all over Twitter, Instagram — just a still image of me behind Luke doing that. It was blown completely out of proportion. I was s***ing myself. I was new in the game thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s going to happen?’”

There had been no bad blood whatsoever.

“There was no beef on stage at all. It was literally just a joke between friends.”

He issued a brief apology. “I said, ‘Sorry Luke, I thought you were going to turn around — I was getting ready to give you the Stone Cold Stunner.’ He replied within 10 minutes saying, ‘Don’t worry about it, I’d have countered it with a Rock Bottom anyway.’ From that moment I thought, ‘Thank God.’ He’d taken it in jest.”

The fine followed. “I did get fined £250 — my first offence. They understood it wasn’t malicious, luckily.”

The next day in the players’ room, Michael van Gerwen couldn’t resist.

“Michael van Gerwen went, ‘Scott, you’re a naughty, naughty boy.’”

Later, the Dutchman even played bodyguard. “MVG actually went to the door like a bodyguard and ushered him around, saying, ‘Don’t worry about him.’ Then Luke came over, we had a laugh and a hug, and that was that.”

Until Munich. “That was me and Josh Rock at warm-up darts. All you could hear from behind me was, ‘Who scored? F*** you.’ So I stuck my finger up again. That one cost me £1,000. That’s an expensive finger.”

He laughs about it now. “When I said earlier about fingering, that’s what I meant! I won’t pay a thousand to stick a finger up anywhere else, that’s for sure — and I’ve been to some lovely places.”