Darts fans fought in the stands and missed the moment Gerwyn Price hit the first nine darts of the Premier League season, with a Where’s Waldo tribute fan living up to his name?
Footage shows revelers clashing with each other as beer spilled and waiters tried to separate them.
Staff managed to remove a woman dressed in a “Where’s Wally?” disguise as three men continued to fight each other.
And Wally had apparently been drawn into the fights at the wrong time, because deep down, Price went through the climactic stages of his nine-darter in his semi-final assignment against Michael Smith in Manchester.
The Welshman would lose the final to Luke Littler, who won 6-3 to claim his second consecutive night win in the Premier League.
Darts fans fell out in Manchester and missed Gerwyn Price’s nine-darter, with a Where’s Waldo tribute living up to its name?
Price threw two 180s and finished with a triple 19, a triple 20 and a double 12 to fly from 141 and send the crowd wild.
It was the seventh nine-dart throw of his career and first since 2022.
Smith was all smiles and high-fived Price as he played to the crowd, who were jubilant after seeing his success.
Price beat Smith 6-3 to qualify for the final, where he lost to Littler.
Littler, 17, now tops the standings after sealing his first win in Belfast last week before backing it up with another standout performance at the AO Arena.
He has 23 points, one ahead of world number one Luke Humphries, to whom he lost in the World Darts Championship final in January.
Nathan Aspinall (18 points) and Michael van Gerwen (17 points) make up the two remaining play-off spots with six weeks of the regular season left to play.
Price is only seventh but will be encouraged after his run to the final in Manchester. He is seven points behind Van Gerwen.
Littler could well be at the top of the table, but any euphoria at his victory was soon tempered when he discovered how his beloved Manchester United had fared at Chelsea.
Luke Littler won his second night of Premier League darts in Manchester on Thursday night.
The teenager claimed his first Premier League win last week in Belfast.
United conceded two goals from Cole Palmer in the 100th and 101st minutes to let their lead slip, collapsing to a 4-3 defeat at Stamford Bridge despite many bright moments.
“I’m glad I won because I just saw Man United concede two goals in two minutes!” Littler joked.
‘I have adapted (to the Premier League). The first 5-6 weeks I won the first game and then I lost and lost. But winning last week gave me a lot of confidence coming to Manchester.
“I saw that I was up 4-0, with an average of 123, and I thought, ‘That’s enough, that’s enough, Gezzy.’ But then I focused and practiced, and I saved it for last.
‘I’m going in the direction I feel on the board. If I feel comfortable, I will try to do it.
‘Tonight we did our best. Last week the practice paid off. The same as tonight. It’s been worth it.’
Looking ahead to the play-offs, Littler was equally confident he would feature, adding: “There are 6-7 weeks left, I have to push myself, get 2 or 3 points every week and I’m sure I will.” the play-offs. “The crowd has been incredible.”
On the way to the final, Littler had defeated his close friend Nathan Aspinall 6-4 in their semi-final in Manchester.
In a quasi-derby between the two United fans, Littler was the picture of confidence after overcoming Aspinall, whom he defeated in their final in Belfast last week, to claim a 2-1 lead in the match thanks to a maximum and an output of 131 with two double roofs.
In the semi-final, Littler bested his friend and last opponent last week, Nathan Aspinall.
Michael van Gerwen was able to recover, but his shaky form saw Littler cruise to victory in the quarter-finals.
Littler then took a 4-2 lead after starting with a bullseye before breaking Aspinall to put him within striking distance of the final.
Aspinall fought to reduce Littler’s lead, but a strong final leg with a double 10 finish saw him book a place in the final, where he will face either Gerwyn Price or Michael Smith.
Before overcoming Aspinall, Littler overcame a shaky Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals at the AO Arena.
Littler made a quicker start overcoming a shaky Van Gerwen to claim the first leg, but neither player looked confident in the opening stages.
But the teenager was the first to settle and went on to contest the next two stages before the champion got his first stage on the board.
Van Gerwen regained control of the match with maximum dominance before sealing an 11-dart break for his second leg, before leveling the score just minutes after his opponent appeared to be clinching an equaliser.
Halting his run after Van Gerwen failed to find the target for a 167, a final double 10 from Littler gave him a fourth leg and set up an icy break in the fifth to put himself in the driver’s seat and sweep away his more experienced players. rival aside.
