Darts star calls out girlfriend’s boss for ‘out of order’ World Championship snub
A World Darts Championship debutant spoke of his heartbreak after his girlfriend missed his stunning win at Ally Pally because she couldn’t get the time off work
Charlie Manby confessed he felt devastated after his remarkable triumph over Ricky Evans due to his girlfriend’s absence.
The 20-year-old extended his fairy-tale journey in his debut PDC World Darts Championship appearance by defeating the 35-year-old 4-2 to reach the fourth round at Ally Pally. Dubbed ‘Champagne’, the darting sensation – who has still been working as a bricklayer during the tournament – has earned himself £60,000 in prize money with his progression to the last 16.
Manby’s decisive surge at the conclusion of his Monday encounter with Evans saw the Huddersfield-born thrower claim seven of the closing eight legs to achieve the victory. Having already overcome Cameron Menzies in round one and Adam Sevada in the second, Manby has demonstrated his calibre on the sport’s biggest platform at such a young age.
Reflecting on his run, he commented: “In my first game I showed I can fight back from behind and grind wins out. In the second game, I showed I can be a good front-runner as well and dominate. People think you’ve got loads of time when you’re 3-2 up or 2-0 up, but everything can change in seconds – especially in set play.”
Whilst he could celebrate his Evans triumph with family members, there was a notable void in his corner, as he disclosed his girlfriend – who happens to be his bricklaying boss’s daughter – couldn’t make it owing to work obligations. “Massive,” he said of his family being there for him.
“The stage can be a lonely place. My girlfriend couldn’t make it today because of work, which was heartbreaking, but my family being there meant a lot. My grandad came today – he’s 78 and struggled a bit with it, but that meant more to me than anything.”
The dejected Manby went on to express his disappointment about his girlfriend’s absence, even openly discussing her employment situation and describing it as “out of order” that she wasn’t permitted to travel to Ally Pally.
He explained: “You want your close family there. She works for Ford in Huddersfield in admin. She was absolutely gutted. Her manager has been good letting her have a couple of days off here and there but I think it was too much this time. Like this happens often you know. I think it was a bit out of order to be honest.”
European champion Gian van Veen awaits Manby on Tuesday in a clash for a quarter-final berth, with victory against the Dutchman also securing him a PDC Tour Card. He’s determined his girlfriend will attend, stating: “I’m going to try and make her.
“People don’t understand – especially him as a local lad supporting a local lad – things might not work out the same if she’s not here or not.” Manby is excited about the prospect of earning his Tour Card on his Worlds debut. “Yeah, it would mean a lot,” he expressed. “It’s the same tournament I started in, so it would be great.
“But people don’t come here expecting a Tour Card on debut – they just want to do well, and I’ve already done that. Tour Card or not, I feel like I’ve shown what I can do. I haven’t even hit second gear yet, and I think that’s the scary thing.”
Manby is drawing inspiration from reigning world champion Luke Littler. “You can’t look past Luke Littler and what he’s done for the game,” he said. “But I want to push further. I don’t just want a Tour Card and to stay there – I want top 16, top 10, top eight. I want to keep pushing.”
