Luke Littler has found himself at the centre of a very different kind of controversy — and this time, there wasn’t a dartboard anywhere in sight.
The darts superstar has been mocked by fellow player Jackson King after his £39,000 BMW 120 M Sport was spotted parked on a gravelled area outside a leisure centre in Wigan, with the rear of the car overhanging the kerb. For one of the biggest names in darts, it was hardly the sort of precision fans have become accustomed to seeing from him.
King, 18, apparently couldn’t resist taking a picture of Littler’s parking job and sharing it on social media. His caption was brutally simple: “Park like a t*** Luke Littler edition.”
It is the sort of cheeky exchange that feels very much at home in darts. The sport has always had plenty of banter between players, and Littler certainly isn’t someone who appears desperate to avoid a joke at his expense.
Littler has the perfect response
Rather than turning the incident into something bigger, Littler responded in typically relaxed fashion.
The world champion simply replied: “Class that.
“No spaces mate so seen the car in front was on the gravel so thought I would join.”
That response probably says everything about the incident. There was no angry reaction, no attempt to turn it into a serious dispute and certainly no suggestion that Littler was particularly bothered by the criticism.
And honestly, that may be the best way to handle something like this.
Littler is now one of the most recognisable figures in British sport, so virtually everything he does can attract attention. When you’re that famous, even an ordinary trip to a leisure centre can suddenly become a story.
In this case, the story is simply that the 19-year-old apparently couldn’t find a proper space and decided to follow another driver’s example by parking on the gravel.
The £39,000 BMW has become part of the Littler story
The car itself is hardly an insignificant detail.
Littler’s BMW 120 M Sport reportedly cost around £39,000 and has a personalised number plate. The car has previously attracted attention because it represents another part of Littler’s extraordinary rise away from the oche.
He passed his driving test after becoming a global darts star and previously explained that his first car was a brand-new BMW One Series. Littler has also spoken about how different his life outside darts has become as his fame has exploded.
That makes the parking photograph slightly amusing rather than controversial.
After all, this is not a story about reckless driving or a serious incident. It is a picture of a young sportsman apparently making a questionable parking decision.
Still, because the person involved is Luke Littler, it was always likely to attract attention.
The timing is interesting
There is another reason this little story has appeared at an interesting moment.
Littler was in Wigan for the World Youth Championship, where he was attempting to achieve something genuinely historic. Despite being the reigning senior world champion, he entered the youth event at just 19 and was trying to become the first player to hold both titles simultaneously.
His tournament ultimately ended in dramatic fashion.
Littler won seven matches to reach the semi-finals but was beaten 6-5 by fellow Englishman Cam Crabtree. The defeat was another frustrating result during a period in which the world No.1 has experienced some unexpected setbacks.
He had already suffered a shock first-round defeat to Luke Woodhouse at the World Grand Prix, while he was also beaten by Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals.
So perhaps the parking story provides a welcome bit of light relief.
Instead of another discussion about Littler’s form, averages or recent defeats, fans suddenly have something much more harmless to debate: whether the world’s best darts player can actually park a car.
His recent struggles deserve more attention
Of course, the parking incident is funny precisely because it is so insignificant compared with what Littler normally has to deal with.
The teenager has already achieved more in professional darts than most players could dream of achieving over an entire career. He won the World Youth Championship in 2023 before reaching the senior World Championship final at 16, then went on to become world champion and successfully defend the title.
That level of success inevitably creates enormous expectations.
When Littler loses, particularly against an opponent he is expected to beat, the reaction can be much bigger than the result itself. His recent defeats have therefore created plenty of discussion about whether he is experiencing a genuine dip in form.
But one semi-final defeat at the World Youth Championship certainly doesn’t suddenly change what Littler is capable of.
In fact, his run in Wigan showed that even when he isn’t at his absolute best, he remains extremely difficult to beat. He opened the tournament with three 5-1 victories, posting averages of 95, 96 and 97 before navigating several knockout matches.
Against Crabtree, Littler also produced a sensational 164 checkout and later hit a 117 finish to force a deciding leg. Crabtree ultimately held his nerve, winning the match 6-5.
That is hardly evidence of a player falling apart.
Maybe King has just found Littler’s weakness
If anything, Jackson King may have discovered the one area where Littler isn’t quite as clinical as he is on a darts stage.
Littler can find a treble 20 under enormous pressure. He can produce spectacular checkouts when a match is on the line. But apparently, finding a perfectly positioned parking space at a busy leisure centre is another matter entirely.
And that is exactly why the exchange has resonated.
Fans don’t always get to see elite sports stars behaving like normal 19-year-olds. Littler’s life has been dominated by major tournaments, television appearances, sponsorships and enormous expectations ever since his breakthrough.
A little bit of harmless banter about a badly positioned BMW makes him look much more relatable.
The bigger picture
Ultimately, there isn’t much controversy here beyond the joke.
Jackson King took a playful swipe at Littler, Littler gave an equally playful explanation, and fans joined in. One commenter wrote: “The champ can park where he wants,” while another joked: “Did he park or land it?”
That’s probably where this story should stay.
Littler’s recent results are worth discussing because the world No.1 is entering another important part of his career. His decision to compete in the youth championship, his recent defeats and his response to those setbacks will all be far more significant than where he left his BMW.
But for one day at least, the darts superstar isn’t being judged on his averages or checkout percentage.
He’s being judged on his parking.
And judging by King’s post, Littler may have missed the double on this particular occasion.