Charlie Manby has spoken about the intense rivalries that can arise on the darts oche, highlighting that “there are no friends on the oche” as the ongoing tension between Luke Littler and Gian van Veen continues to be a topic of discussion.
The conflict between Littler and Van Veen took place during their Premier League quarter-final in Manchester two weeks ago. The world champion was seen celebrating after his opponent missed a crucial match dart, followed by a gesture towards him. This led to a frosty handshake and further exchanges on social media. However, both players have since expressed their readiness to move past the incident.
Manby, who is well-versed in the challenges of competition, recalls his own clash with James Hurrell during the recent UK Open. He believes such conflicts are a natural part of the sport.
“I suppose it could be good for the sport,” he told the Press Association. “Those sorts of things can happen in the heat of the moment. You’re playing for a lot, a lot is on the line and at stake.
“On the oche, you’ve got no friends anyway. Backstage, you can be how you like with everyone and be all right, but when you are up there you shouldn’t really care who you are playing, how close you are off stage.
“These players are all trying to take money out of your pocket. A lot is riding on it, you can’t be friends on the oche.”
Manby, 20, made connections off the oche during his impressive run to the last 16 of the World Championship in December. He is now considered one of the promising young players in the sport and has been given opportunities accordingly, joining Littler in the Target Darts stable.
The Huddersfield thrower had to juggle his darts career with a job as a bricklayer, but this has changed after he secured his PDC Tour card. He is determined not to return to his previous profession anytime soon.
“I stopped doing the bricklaying when I got my tour card in January,” he added. “It’s good to be on tour, I miss parts of it I suppose, I pay them a visit every now and again and see what they are up to but I never really get the trowel out.
“The motivation is not to have to go back. For now I just want to keep my tour card, get in the top 64 after two years.
“It is one thing to get it but you have to perform once you get it.”
Manby gained attention during the Alexandra Palace tournament when he publicly criticized his girlfriend’s employer for not allowing her time off to watch him play. However, this year’s tournament will not present the same issue, as Manby shared some positive news.
“She still works there,” he said. “She got a couple more holiday days this year as well so happy days.”
Charlie Manby is set to release his upcoming Target Darts product in September. His journey from a bricklayer to a professional darts player highlights the dedication and hard work required to succeed in the sport. As he continues to build his career, Manby remains focused on maintaining his position on the tour and achieving his goals.
