In the bustling heart of Newcastle, where the roar of football chants often fills the air, a quieter revolution is brewing—one that involves a 14-month-old toddler and a magnetic dartboard. Chris Dobey, a towering figure in the world of professional darts, is watching his youngest son take his first wobbly steps toward a destiny that might just mirror the dazzling ascent of Luke Littler, the sport’s reigning teenage king. At an age when most children are mastering blocks or chasing after toys, this little one is clutching soft-tipped darts and flinging them with a gusto that has Dobey dreaming big. Dubbed “Project Luke Littler” by the proud father, this pint-sized prodigy’s early exploits are igniting hopes of a darts dynasty, blending family pride with the raw thrill of a sport that thrives on precision and passion.
Dobey, a 34-year-old stalwart ranked No. 6 in the world, has spent years perfecting his craft on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) stage. Known for his steady hand and fierce competitive streak, he’s a Premier League veteran who’s traded tungsten with the best—names like Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright etched into his battle-hardened resume. But now, the spotlight is shifting, not to his latest 180 or a clutch double, but to the living room of his home, where his 14-month-old son is stealing the show. “It’s already started with the little one!” Dobey beamed during a recent sit-down on a popular darts YouTube channel, his Geordie accent thick with excitement. The toddler’s magnetic dartboard, a thoughtful gift from Dad, has become the stage for a daily ritual of throws—some wild, some wobbly, but all brimming with potential.
The spark for this ambitious nickname—“Project Luke Littler”—comes from the extraordinary tale of Luke Littler himself, a name that’s become synonymous with darts’ new golden age. Littler, now 18, exploded onto the scene as a 16-year-old wunderkind at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship, storming to the final and capturing the imagination of fans worldwide. His story began in much the same way: a toddler tossing darts at a magnetic board, his tiny hands foreshadowing a future that would see him claim the 2025 World Championship title at just 17 years and 347 days—the youngest ever to lift the coveted trophy. “We’ll try to get him playing earlier than Littler!” Dobey declared, his eyes glinting with a mix of playful ambition and genuine belief as he watched his son’s latest attempt sail toward the board.
This isn’t Dobey’s first brush with passing down his passion. He’s a father of two, and his eldest child, now a few years older, once showed a flicker of interest in darts. At 18 months, that sibling gripped a dart and took aim, but the flame quickly faded. “The eldest lost interest,” Dobey admitted, a hint of nostalgia softening his words. With his youngest, though, it’s a different story—a spark that’s caught and held. There’s no heavy-handed coaching here, no rigid drills for a child still mastering his balance. “I didn’t force nothing on him,” Dobey insisted, his tone earnest. “I got him the magnetic board, and we’ll see what happens. But he’s always throwing it at the board and he loves it.” That unforced joy, that instinctive pull toward the game, is what has Dobey daring to dream of a future where his son might not just play, but dominate.
Imagine the scene: a toddler, barely taller than the coffee table, teetering on chubby legs as he clutches a dart. His target—a colorful magnetic board hung low for his reach—beckons like a treasure map. Each throw is a small saga, a burst of effort that might land with a triumphant clink or veer off into the chaos of a toy-strewn floor. Dobey stands nearby, a grin tugging at his lips, marveling at the mimicry—the way his son cocks his wrist, a pint-sized echo of the stance he’s seen countless times on televised matches or during Dad’s late-night practice sessions. “He loves it,” Dobey repeated, as if the repetition could cement the moment, turning a fleeting fancy into the first chapter of a grand tale.
Littler’s shadow looms large over this budding narrative. Dubbed “Littlermania,” his rise has electrified darts, drawing sellout crowds and millions of online views—especially those grainy clips of him as a toddler, hurling darts with a focus that belied his age. From that magnetic board, he progressed to a full-size one by four, honed his skills in smoky pubs by nine, and was collecting senior titles as a teenager. His 2024 Premier League win, Grand Slam triumph, and that historic world title in 2025 have set a bar that Dobey can’t help but measure his son against—not out of pressure, but out of possibility. In a sport where early starts can forge legends, the parallels are tantalizing: two boys, decades apart, united by a shared beginning and the promise of what might be.
For Dobey, the vision extends beyond mere mimicry. He’s a competitor who thrives under the lights, and the thought of one day facing his son on the oche stirs a delicious mix of pride and rivalry. “I’d like to still be playing if one of the two were to come through,” he mused, his competitive edge sharpening the words. “It’ll be great. 100 percent I’d beat them—you can’t go light on them!” It’s a father’s jest, but beneath it lies a serious hope: that darts could become a family legacy, a thread tying his own career to the next generation. At 34, with plans to play well into his 50s, Dobey could still be a force when his son comes of age—a tantalizing prospect for a sport that loves its dynasties.
Darts is a game of inches and instants, where a single throw can shift fortunes and etch names into history. Littler’s journey—from toddler tosses to world domination—proves that age is no barrier when talent meets opportunity. Dobey knows this better than most, having watched the sport evolve from a working-class pastime to a global juggernaut. His own path, marked by steady climbs and hard-fought wins, contrasts with Littler’s rocket-like ascent, yet both share a common root: an early love for the game. Now, as he watches his son, Dobey sees not just a child at play but a potential torchbearer, a chance to extend his own story through a new set of hands.
For now, “Project Luke Littler” is a lighthearted label, a father’s whimsy wrapped around a toddler’s glee. The magnetic board is a toy, not a proving ground, and the throws are about fun, not finesse. But in darts, where legends like Phil Taylor once started as barroom hopefuls and Littler rewrote the script as a teen, the improbable feels within reach. Could this 14-month-old, giggling as he launches his arrows, one day stride onto Alexandra Palace’s stage, his name reverberating through the crowd? It’s a distant dream, but Dobey’s not betting against it. In a sport built on precision and possibility, every throw counts—and for this father and son, the first ones are already flying true.
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