'Champagne Charlie' buzzing for Ally Pally debut after smashing Littler record

‘Champagne Charlie’ Manby is ready for an Alexandra Palace reception to remember having already smashed Luke Littler’s record on the Development Tour.

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Who is Charlie Manby?MODUS Super Series champions A free shot for Manby?‘Consistency is the hardest part of the game’

Manby was the talk of darts when the Yorkshire slinger threw just 47 darts, racking up a staggering 130.70 average on the Winmau Development Tour in February.

It was the best in the tour’s history, obliterating reigning world champion and good friend Littler’s record of 115.22, but fame quickly left the 20-year-old flummoxed.

“I think when you have that sort of stat to your name, you’ve got a bit of a target on your back and people have that extra fight in them when they’re playing you to do well and beat you,” admitted Manby, who was warming up for Alexandra Palace by winning the MODUS Super Series.

“I think my confidence dropped a bit after that so it was just finding your confidence where it needs to be and I think I managed to do that quite sharpish.

“People are playing their A-game against you all the time because they just want to beat you. It was just confidence where I think it just dropped off a bit, but I built my way back up.

“Littler also has a target on his back, but he seems to relish it. People are different, aren’t they? Everyone’s different in darts. Nobody’s the same.”

Manby’s mettle did return as he emerged through a 278-player field – including Beau Greaves and Tour Card holder Owen Bates in a last-leg decider – to clinch his maiden Development Tour title in September.

A month later and Manby went toe-to-toe with Littler in arguably one of the greatest games in World Youth Championship history. He came within millimetres from stunning the Warrington teenager in a memorable encounter, missing two darts to win the match, including the bull on a 130 attempt.

A free shot for Manby?

He now heads to north London and the bright lights of Ally Pally with his form, confidence and reputation on the rise as he prepares to face Scottish star Cameron Menzies in the opening round – not an easy contest in the race to three sets – but one Manby is relishing on the big stage.

“I think it’s a good draw. He’s fast-paced, same as me so hopefully it’s a good game,” said Manby, who is looking forward to the buzz of appearing on the grandest stages of them all in the afternoon session on Monday, December 15.

“It’s a bit of a free shot this year, first time doing it. I don’t look too far ahead so will just take it one game at a time.

“I think I’m just going to be myself, be normal. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself to do well and over-practice. I’m just going to do what I normally do leading up to it then maybe hit it hard a couple of days before and get ready for it properly.”

A bricklayer by trade, Manby works for a construction company in his native Huddersfield and is on the books of Zeal Sports. His talent was first spotted down his local working men’s club with his first tournament coming at just 12 years of age as he began to lay down foundations for a future in the sport.

Manby went on to play for Bradford Darts Youth beating fellow talent Maison Wilson, who became under-18s Yorkshire Youth Classic Champion at 12.

“Everyone sort of looked at me and said ‘I’ve never seen him, who’s he’? And that’s when I sort of realised, ‘yeah, I can play a bit’,” said Manby, who went on to play at the WDF Youth England Grand Prix before heading to the JDC circuit and then the Development Tour at the age of 16.

“The Dev Tour it’s definitely the place to be as you’re starting off as a young player because you find out where your level is at and then you just work on that and progress and progress.”

‘Consistency is the hardest part of the game’

Now it’s all about finding consistency with Manby planning on putting in the hard yards and ready to take some of the limelight away from Littler at Alexandra Palace.

“I think finding that level of consistency is the hardest part of getting there,” he said. “I think if Luke needs to hit a 12-darter to break through, he will hit a 12-darter – it’s as simple as that! He can just switch it on like that and just kill players off. There is a bit of natural ability but he’s done all the hard work.”

But can Manby reach the same heights as world No 1 Littler? “It’s just unbelievable what he’s done for the sport. Just loads of respect for him for what he’s done.

“He’s brought the game on loads in the past couple of years.”

Manby goes by the moniker ‘Champagne Charlie’ but it’s not a salute to former Arsenal forward Charlie Nicholas. It is in fact the brainchild of Chris Coles – the manager at his local football club.

“He said, ‘Oh, Champagne Charlie sounds mint. Walk on to ‘Champagne Supernova’ and everything! So it just sort of started from there really.”

Now Manby is bubbling with excitement with the aim of popping a few corks with a champagne supernova in the sky on his Ally Pally bow later this month.

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