Luke Humphries sends supply to Prince William after World Darts Championship win
Luke Humphries has sent an offer to Prince William after winning his first round tie at the World Darts Championship against Ted Evetts on Saturday night
Former World Darts champion and current No.2 Luke Humphries says Prince William is a keen fan of the sport and has kindly offered to secure him tickets for an event at the Ally Pally. Last week, Humphries visited Windsor Castle to receive an MBE for his contributions to darts.
During the ceremony, Humphries had a brief chat with Prince William, during which he recommended the best place to enjoy a darts match. Reflecting on their conversation, Humphries said: “You get a minute, a minute-and-a-half and, obviously, you’re not going to talk about silly things, you’re going to talk about things you’re there for.
“I wanted to talk about why you are an Aston Villa fan, da-da-da, all this type of stuff. But I didn’t want to differentiate why I was there. I was there for being a dart player and he just sort of said where would be my best place to come and watch darts. I said Alexandra Palace because, obviously, he knew about it.
“That shows how big it is because, if he knows about darts, then he obviously watches it a little bit. I could sort him some tickets. He knows about darts, so it’s really good. It just shows how big the sport is now.”
Humphries expressed his pride in receiving the honour, stating: “I don’t think I’ll ever realise how big of an achievement it is because I think a lot of people just think you’ve achieved an MBE for being a good darts player. That’s not it.
“I think I don’t publicise all the things I do off the board as well for charity and going to hospitals. All these things that some people see that not everybody sees. It’s not something I want to be rewarded for by everyone saying: ‘Oh, well done, you’ve done this.’
“Everybody’s seen me and Luke Littler change the sport. We’ve both got one because we’ve both changed the face of the sport. Mostly him, of course. I’ve been a part of that by challenging him, making him work hard for all his achievements.
“He’s been making me work even harder for my achievements. That’s why I think I’ve got it. For me, it was a great feeling meeting the Prince of Wales, William as well. It’s about what you do off the oche and how you carry yourself around it.”
Humphries faces his next test at Ally Pally against Paul Lim, with the 71-year-old veteran hoping to repeat his stunning 2020 triumph over Cool Hand Luke. Humphries declared: “I’m not going to look for revenge on any single player. I can’t get revenge on a certain game that happened five years ago.
“Of course there’s business in the next game and if I’m scoring the way I did tonight it’s going to be a tough one for him. If I’m not, he’s got a chance and the crowd’s going to be on his side.
“I’ve experienced that many, many times. It’s a big game, you’re playing against a legend and he’ll look forward to it and I’ll look forward to it. Hopefully I can really put in a statement.”
Humphries is savouring some well-earned rest before his next match and revealed: “It’s lovely for me, I’ve got a nice week off, I get to spend a bit of time with my son. Do a bit of Christmas shopping and enjoy myself.
“Just spend some family time, and practice doubles. I’m going to Elland Road on Saturday. I’m going. They [Leeds] play Crystal Palace. I asked and they said yes. “It’s not about going because of the Worlds, it’s the only time I can go.
“Luke’s probably doing it the same way, I’m doing it. It’s a release from all the pressure, all the stress and darts. You go there and you know one thing, you’re just a Leeds fan. He’s a Manchester United fan. It’s something that we both love football. It’s an amazing atmosphere. I’ll look forward to it. It’s something that I can enjoy.”
