Luke Littler’s football coaching debut was a baptism of fire as the darts sensation took on the challenge of helping the ‘worst’ team in the United Kingdom.
The Nuke swapped the cauldron of Alexandra Palace for the muddy turf of Tunley, Somerset, to visit Specsavers’ ‘Best Worst Team’ in the country.
Tunley Athletic lost all 26 of their games last season, with a goal difference of -137, and are not faring much better this campaign.
At the start of the month it was revealed that Harry Redknapp has stepped in to coach the players until the end of the season, as he did for Swansea’s Cwm Albion in 2024.
On his visit, Littler played darts with the team, gave them advice about handling pressure, took part in some football drills, and watched the first half of a 4-1 loss to Cheddar AFC.
Manager Duncan Fear even handed him a shock defeat on the oche as he hit a 180 which the 18-year-old could not match, though his class shone through across the day.
Luke Littler tried coaching the ‘worst team’ in the United Kingdom – but couldn’t get a tune out of their stars
The darts sensation gave Tunley Athletic advice on handling pressure but they still lost 4-1
The lads had a great time as Littler took them through some darts and football drills
‘I had a great laugh with the Tunley lads. I’ve always been a football fan myself, so it was nice to get on the pitch for a change and talk to them about how I prepare and block out the noise during a game,’ said Littler.
Giving the team advice, he said: ‘I’ve dealt with it throughout this year, just pressure, some of the biggest stages in darts. But for myself, you’ve just got to get your head down and work hard.
‘As long as you enjoy it, you shouldn’t feel any nerves. Obviously, if you’re 1-0 up and it’s first to five or six (in darts), you’ve always got to stay on the opponent and not give them any breathing room. It’s the same for you guys.
‘Me and my family, we just didn’t expect to get the limelight that I did when I got to the final. But I’m just getting used to things.
‘When they try to get on my back (those hurling abuse), I’ll just give it back and they don’t like it!’
Littler says he was ‘alright’ at football and led the squad through a series of drills, including football darts – trying to hit a giant inflatable board with a ball.
It turns out he might need a bit more practice in that discipline as he missed the gigantic board entirely with his first two efforts, but hit a treble 19 on his final kick to pull in a score of 57.
Littler knew he had a job on his hands to make an impact and unfortunately it wasn’t to be for Tunley as they took to the pitch in front of him.
Specsavers’ ‘Best Worst Team’ series is now in its third season following some of the nation’s most out-of-form clubs
Harry Redknapp has signed up to help the Somerset side until the end of the season
Littler’s main advice for the struggling team was to ‘get your head down and work hard’
Despite his extraordinary darts ability, even Littler had a hard time once he was blindfolded!
Tunley went into the day sitting 13th out of 14 in the Somerset County League Division 3, with four points after 12 games and a goal difference of -66.
They went into the half-time break 3-0 down – at which point Littler had to leave – before clawing a goal back and conceding another in the second period.
All the same, long-term manager Fear was optimistic that his presence will make a difference.
‘Having Luke here was a breath of fresh air for the team – he’s world-class. We’ve been through a tough few seasons, but bringing in someone who knows what it takes to succeed under pressure and block out the noise is exactly what we needed,’ said Fear.
‘Luke’s insights have been invaluable – not just for the lads on the pitch every week, but for the entire club’s mentality moving forward. We’re really starting to believe that we can turn it all around.’
