The Two Lukes Just Got Absolutely Demolished in Germany (And It's Giving Me Serious Football Flashbacks)

By Lewis Barnett 14 June, 2025 5 mins read 112 Views

Honestly? I'm still processing what I just watched.

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries - you know, England's golden boys who literally got MBEs from the King yesterday - just got their arses handed to them by Germany at the World Cup of Darts. 8-4. In Frankfurt. With the entire German crowd absolutely loving every second of it.

I've been covering darts for about six years now, and this felt like watching a car crash in slow motion. These are supposed to be our world No1 and No2, right? The guys who can't seem to put a foot wrong on the oche most nights.

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When "Vindaloo" Becomes Your Funeral March

The whole thing started badly. They walked out to Vindaloo (because of course they did), and the German crowd just booed the hell out of them. Fair play to the Germans - their crowd was absolutely mental all night.

But here's where it gets painful. England had FIVE darts to go 3-2 up. Five! And they bottled every single one of them. Meanwhile, Ricardo Pietreczko and Martin Schindler - who I'll be honest, I didn't rate that highly going into this - took out 286 in six darts like it was nothing.

That moment broke them.

The Gerrard-Lampard Comparison That Actually Makes Sense

Twitter went mental during the match, and one comparison kept coming up that made me laugh out loud. Someone posted: "Littler and Humphries is Gerrard and Lampard for a new generation."

God, that's brutal. But also... kind of accurate?

Think about it - two absolute legends who dominated their sport individually but somehow couldn't make the magic happen when they played together for England. Steven Gerrard was incredible for Liverpool. Frank Lampard was a machine for Chelsea. Put them in the same England midfield and suddenly they looked like strangers who'd never met before.

Sound familiar? Because watching Littler and Humphries tonight felt exactly like watching those two trying to figure out who should take the free kick while the opposition scored.

Five Legs in a Row (Or: How to Destroy England's Dreams)

The Germans hit five legs on the bounce to go 7-2 up. Five! At one point I genuinely thought we might see an 8-2 scoreline, which would've been England's worst defeat since Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis got embarrassed by Spain back in 2010.

Credit where it's due though - the two Lukes didn't completely roll over. They clawed back two legs to make it 7-4, and for about thirty seconds I thought we might see some classic English fighting spirit.

Nope. Germany wrapped it up 8-4, and honestly, they deserved every bit of it.

What This Actually Means

Look, I'm not writing off either of these players. Littler's still a phenomenon at 17 (seriously, what was I doing at 17? Playing FIFA and failing my driving test), and Humphries is world champion for a reason.

But this partnership... I don't know. Maybe some combinations just don't work, no matter how good the individual players are. Maybe they're both too used to being the main man. Maybe the pressure of representing England together is different from the pressure they face individually.

Or maybe Germany were just better tonight.

Either way, those MBEs probably feel a bit heavier this morning. Poor lads.

Oh, and Scotland got whitewashed 8-0 by the Netherlands, so at least England weren't the only ones having a nightmare. Small mercies, I suppose.

Frequently Asked Questions

I keep hitting 5s and 1s when aiming for 20s. How do I fix this?

This is probably the most common frustration in darts—those dreaded 5s and 1s when you're aiming for the 20 segment! The good news is that this specific problem usually stems from a few identifiable issues.

Wait, so how exactly do you score in darts? I always get confused.

Dart scoring is straightforward once you get the hang of it! The standard game (501 or 301) starts with that number, and you subtract whatever you hit with each throw. The goal is to reach exactly zero, with your final dart landing in a double.

What weight darts should beginners use?

For beginners, I generally recommend starting with medium-weight darts between 21-24 grams. This range offers enough heft to fly straight without requiring too much force, but isn't so heavy that it becomes tiring during longer practice sessions.

How do I improve my dart throwing technique?

Improving your dart technique comes down to consistency and deliberate practice. First, establish a comfortable stance—feet shoulder-width apart, with your dominant foot slightly forward. Your weight should be balanced and stable, not leaning forward or back.

My darts keep bouncing out of the board. What am I doing wrong?

Bounce-outs are incredibly frustrating, but they're usually caused by one of a few common issues. First, check your dartboard—if it's old and dried out, even the best throws will struggle to stick. Quality sisal boards should last years, but cheaper paper-wound boards harden quickly. If you can press your thumbnail into the board and it doesn't leave a small indent, it's too hard.

What are "flights" and "stems" and do they really matter?

Flights and stems (also called shafts) are the components that stabilize your dart during flight, and yes, they absolutely matter—though perhaps not in the way beginners often think.

Statistics

In 2016, Michael van Gerwen set a world record for the highest three-dart average in a major tournament at 123.40.
The highest possible score with three darts is 180, achieved by hitting three triple 20s.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship has been held since 1994, with Phil Taylor winning a record 14 titles.
Phil Taylor has hit a record 22 televised nine-dart finishes throughout his professional career.
Research shows that top professional dart players achieve accuracy rates of over 80% when aiming at treble 20.
The dartboard wire system known as "razor wire" reduced bounce-outs by approximately 60% when introduced.
The first televised nine-dart finish was thrown by John Lowe in 1984, earning him £102,000.
A standard dartboard is divided into 20 numbered sections, with the bullseye at the center worth 50 points.

External Links

How To

The Dart Player's Journey: From Rookie to Robin Hood

I've been throwing darts since my college days back in 2008, but it wasn't until February 2022 that I really got serious about improving my game. That winter was brutal in Minneapolis—we had snow piled up to our windowsills, and I needed an indoor hobby that wouldn't drive my roommates crazy. Darts seemed perfect! Well, until I put a few holes in our wall... which led to my first lesson: always invest in a proper dartboard surround. My landlord wasn't thrilled about teh repair costs, but it taught me a valuable lesson about proper setup.

Did you miss our previous article...
https://sportingexcitement.com/darts/when-trash-talk-goes-too-far-josh-rock-loses-it-over-devon-petersens-ridiculous-antics