Bricklayer, 20, causes huge shock at World Darts Championship to earn massive payday
Charlie Manby has made a name for himself by making the WDC fourth round
Charlie Manby, a bricklayer who's mates with Luke Littler, will take home a handsome reward regardless of his performance in the remainder of the World Darts Championship (WDC).
Known as 'Champagne' Charlie Manby, the 20-year-old from Huddersfield already shocked darts fans when he made the third round after causing an upset in mid-December with a 3-2 win against Cameron Menzies.
Menzies was seen punching a table three times after being knocked out, before Manby went on to defeat Adam Sevada 3-0 in his second match and beat 'Rapid' Ricky Evans 4-2 in his third round match-up today (29 December).
It means that the bricklayer, who was working on the construction site as recently as two weeks ago, faces world youth champion Gian van Veen, 23, in the fourth round, on what is the Brit's Ally Pally debut.
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Manby, who doesn't even have a PDC tour card, will play against the Dutch heir to Michael van Gerwen on Tuesday (30 December) for a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Littler's mate could very well be on his way to causing as much of a shock as he did back in the 2024 edition of the championship.
The British darts player will need more than the £60,000 he has already secured by making this stage of the WDC in order to go full-time into the sport, with victory over the Dutchman giving him his tour status without needing to go to Q School.
Speaking to the Sun last week, Manby admitted: “I’m not working over Christmas. But I went into work on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week.
“It was all good. Most of the lads had been down here with me anyway, so they enjoyed it and they had a good time.”
He revealed that he's 'self-employed' and that he only gets paid if he works, pointing out: “You look at all the people coming through who might not have worked a day in their life.
"I’m not like that, I just want to crack on. I love going to work and I enjoy it.”
In his dream scenario, winning the tournament would secure him an eye-watering £1 million, while just one more victory would secure him a £100,000 reward.
His boss is his girlfriend's father, as the darts prodigy added: “It’s a family-based business. They’ve helped me out. The sponsor on the back of the shirt, GBV. They’ve done a lot for me.
“They’re top class for me and they still see me at work as Charlie Manby, not this champagne Charlie Manby on stage. It’s completely different.”
“I’m not a professional darts player. My main income for the past three years has been bricklaying. It’s as simple as that,” Manby stated.
Speaking about his opponent, the Huddersfield-native told The Times: “I like Gian, I like the way he plays, quick and young player,
“He’s doing well but so am I. I’m just waiting for my A-game to come. I’ll be here all the time if my A-game comes.”
Manby previously posted a three-dart average of 130.70 in a development-tour match this year, breaking Littler's record and putting the world on notice.
Littler beat van Veen in the youth final back in 2023, though the Dutchman has won both of the youth titles since.
Van Veen said over the weekend: “In the Netherlands, we’re looking for a guy who’s right behind Michael [van Gerwen], Michael is of course the No1, but he hasn’t performed as well as everybody hoped in the last couple of years, so everyone in the Netherlands is looking for a No2.
“We’ve got great players like Jermaine Wattimena, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Danny Noppert, but now myself as well. I feel, in this tournament, that I can be the No2 in the Netherlands.”
Van Veen is the No.10 seed at the tournament, so it won't be an easy task for Manby - but time will tell.
Luke Humphries could be waiting in the quarter finals, for the winner of the match which has been called the battle of the boys.
Topics: Sport, Luke Littler
Joshua Nair