“I’ve stopped working... now it’s my job” – Charlie Manby on swapping building sites for the PDC Tour

Charlie Manby has gone from building sites to the PDC ProTour in a matter of months, and the shift is already starting to show both on and off the oche.

The 20-year-old from Huddersfield has left his job as a bricklayer behind to focus fully on darts, a move that has brought rapid progress but also a very different daily routine. “It’s good, it’s changed a lot but the main thing is my job really, I’ve stopped working,” he told Oche180, before outlining the reality of that transition. “It took a lot of getting used to. You can get lazy but you’ve got to get yourself up, get yourself on the practice board and treat it like an actual job.”

Without the structure of a traditional working day, the responsibility now sits entirely on him to stay sharp. “You just have to keep pushing and keep putting the hours in,” he added.

That rapid lifestyle change is now being matched by progress on the board.

Manby’s breakthrough came with securing his PDC Tour Card, quickly followed by a multi-year deal with Target as his reputation within the sport began to grow. His nickname “Champagne Charlie” is starting to gain traction across both floor events and the bigger stages.

A wider audience took notice at the World Championship, where he reached the fourth round at Alexandra Palace before being beaten by Gian van Veen, who would go on to reach the final. Even in defeat, it was a performance that marked him out as one to watch.

He has since backed that up on the ProTour, with quarter-final runs at Players Championship 7 and 8 underlining that his form is no one-off. The Englishman is increasingly looking comfortable among the established names.

Away from results, his growing profile is also beginning to show in everyday life. “I wouldn’t say superstar but I get recognised now and again,” Manby said.

A key part of that rise has come from the support he received before making the jump to full-time darts, particularly from his former workplace.

“They’re so supportive from work even when I was working. They’ve loved it and they knew exactly where I could get to,” he said. “They were really supportive of me doing that and they couldn’t be happier for me.”

With Players Championship 11 in Milton Keynes next on his schedule, Manby continues to build momentum on the professional circuit, with expectations rising as quickly as his trajectory.