Just hours after hanging up his whistle following a 16-year career in the English top flight, former Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has already found a new competitive arena—and he is wasting no time making controversial headlines.
Taylor, 47, officially accepted an invitation today from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to join their officiating panel for the upcoming World Series of Darts events. However, it was his subsequent comments that have sent shockwaves through the oche, as the official singled out teenage sensation Luke Littler for specific scrutiny.
“I’ve watched the game closely from the stands, and I see patterns that others miss,” Taylor told reporters at the PDC headquarters. “I am accepting this role with one primary objective: to checkmate and watch Littler’s cheating techniques very, very closely.”
The statement has left darts fans and pundits baffled, not least due to the mixed sporting metaphor—and the fact that darts, traditionally, has no formal “checkmate” rule. When pressed, Taylor doubled down, claiming that the 19-year-old prodigy’s rapid throwing rhythm and “unusual” foot placement on the oche require “forensic examination.”
“In football, I was known for letting the game flow, but darts is a game of millimetres and microseconds,” Taylor added. “Young Littler may have the crowd on his side, but he won’t have me in his pocket. I will be watching every dart, every glance, every sip of water.”
The PDC has moved to calm the storm, with a spokesperson stating that Taylor’s role will be strictly advisory and that there is “zero evidence” of any rule-breaking by Littler, who has electrified the sport over the last two years.
Littler, who is currently preparing for the next major ranking event, responded with characteristic brevity on social media, posting a single emoji: a pair of eyes.
Former world champion Raymond van Barneveld weighed in, calling Taylor’s comments “unnecessary” and “bizarre.” He told Dutch television: “If Anthony wants to watch closely, fine. But he better watch his own scoresheet. In darts, the board doesn’t lie—and neither does Littler’s 180 average.”
Taylor is set to make his PDC officiating debut next month, promising to bring a “new era of accountability” to the sport. Whether that era includes a chessboard remains to be seen.