A few years ago, Luke Humphries nearly gave up on his darts dream to go back to life as a roofer.
But egged on by a supportive family, shedding nearly four stone and finding a new mental fortitude, he stuck with it — a decision which ultimately paid off on the biggest stage on Wednesday night.
Already a three-time major winner this season and world No1, he is now world champion, adding the Sid Waddell Trophy to his cabinet, as well as £500,000 to an already impressive bank balance.
The 28-year-old from Newbury was all too aware he was not the crowd favourite at Ally Pally on Wednesday. That role was unsurprisingly reserved for his 16-year-old opponent, Luke Littler, who has brought a new audience to the sport and record viewing figures in the past few days.
And Littler came mightily close to winning what prior to Christmas had seemed the unlikeliest of world titles. He was, at one point, a dart away from going 5-2 clear of Humphries.
It was not to be, and Humphries instead averaged 114, 113 and 109 over the next three sets to recover from what had briefly looked in danger of becoming a drubbing and eventually pull clear. In the final actions, he every bit lived up to his nickname Cool Hand Luke in securing a 7-4 win.
This was billed as a potential classic between the two leading lights of this tournament — and it did not disappoint. Both players had been level on 50 180s each prior to the final and averages in excess of 100 in the preceding six rounds.
Littler had already put out former champions Raymond van Barneveld, his idol, and Rob Cross in the earlier rounds and had shown himself unfazed by the big occasion.
But the world final is a different affair, and the teenager clearly felt the nerves as he amassed just 44 points with his opening three darts.
Such is the speed with which both players throw that he was 1-0 down within the blink of an eye. Humphries should have doubled that advantage, but fluffed his checkout at the end of set two.
Much of the match involved both players going on runs, only to be pegged back. In set two, a relentless Humphries went 2-0 clear, only for Littler to win the next three legs.
Humphries fought back to go 2-1 up before the next three sets went in the youngster’s favour.
Humphries stopped the rot with a 170 checkout at the start of set seven for a steal. Missed doubles by the world No1 saw Littler break back, but he then missed a bull for a 2-1 lead.
In what proved the set of the match, Littler then hit a 122 checkout and had a double two for a 5-2 lead. He missed and Humphries pounced.At the time, the commentator felt it could be the turning point of the match — and so it proved.
Littler lost the next three sets, but even with Humphries’s averages as high as they had been all tournament, every 180 landed or double sealed, he found something else from his armoury.
Humphries, who had struggled with depression and wrestled with a return to his former life away from darts, was every bit a worthy world champion
In the end, Humphries was a deserving champion, sinking to his knees once he landed the winning double. Immediately afterwards, he talked of plans to celebrate with a glass of water. Well aware of his billing, he said: “A lot of people don’t think I’m rock and roll, do they?”
This was still a fairytale of sorts, although not the one the crowd had wanted. Long after the finish, they chanted Littler’s name.
But Humphries, who had struggled with depression and had wrestled with a return to his former life away from the oche, was every bit a worthy world champion.
