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23
May
New shop opens in Harrogate devoted to 'UK's fastest growing sport'
Points, barrels, flights and stems are just some of the items for sale at a new shop in Harrogate devoted to all things darts-related.
All Darts opened on Skipton Road at the weekend, with the aim of servicing the growing numbers of darts players coming into the sport.
Darts has enjoyed a boom since English player Luke Littler became the youngest player to reach the PDC World Darts Championship final in 2024 at the age of 16.
'Luke the Nuke' won the tournament in January, aged just 17, and according to research quoted that month in Darts World magazine, darts is now the UK's fastest-growing sport.
There are different weights and styles of Luke Littler-branded darts.
Shop manager Lauren Hague told the Stray Ferret:
The nearest darts shop to us is in the Leeds area, but they’re popping up all over the place. The sport’s really been coming into its own again over the last couple of years.
Luke Littler’s definitely a big reason for that – he's had a massive impact, especially on the youngsters.
But he’s not just affected the kids – people are building man-caves at the bottom of their gardens and playing darts there too.
The shop stocks dozens of different kinds of darts.
In addition to darts and dartboards, All Darts sells surrounds, lights, oches and cases, and also offers a repointing service for both standard and Swiss points.
Lauren, who is herself a darts fan, said:
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to grip-types, barrels and weights. So we have a try-before-you-buy scheme, and people can come in and have a go on the trial lane in our window.
The Omni lane automatically tots up players' scores and announces them.
Upstairs, the shop has six darts lanes that can be booked. Five of them cost £10 an hour for two people, and another is an Omni lane, which automatically adds up scores and speaks them out. At £15 an hour for two people, it has already become the most popular lane.
There’s no bar, but there is a drinks fridge and a coffee machine. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
Lauren said:
In the next month we’ll be opening a kids’ club at weekends called the All Darts Academy, and we hope to introduce a junior league.
Darts is really popular at the moment, and we’re hoping we’ll get plenty of youngsters coming along, once word has spread.
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