In a bombshell revelation that has sent shockwaves through the world of professional darts, Jonny Clayton has accused teenage sensation Luke Littler of attempting to gain an unfair advantage by secretly planting sensors on the oche.
The “Ferret,” known for his jovial nature and fair play, was visibly agitated in a post-match interview, detailing an accidental discovery he made that he claims goes beyond traditional gamesmanship.
“I’ve been on the circuit for a long time. I’ve seen people try to lean in, I’ve seen the slow walks to the board to put an opponent off, I’ve even seen the odd bit of baiting,” Clayton stated, shaking his head. “But this? This is a discovery. This is something else entirely.”
According to Clayton, the incident occurred during a practice session ahead of a major Premier League night. He arrived at the arena earlier than scheduled and, upon entering the player’s lounge, stumbled upon a scene he wasn’t meant to witness.
“I came in through the back, just to grab a coffee and have a quiet hour before the crowds showed up. The lights were dim, and I thought I was alone,” Clayton recounted. “But then I saw him. Luke [Littler] was down on his hands and knees at the main stage oche. He had a small tool kit open and was carefully pressing something into the side of the raised platform.”
Clayton froze, watching in disbelief as the 19-year-old prodigy appeared to be embedding tiny, disc-like objects into the wood.
“He was placing them at specific intervals—where his heel lands, where his toe taps during his rhythm. It was meticulous, like a surgeon at work,” Clayton continued. “At first, I thought he was just paranoid about the surface being level. But then I saw the faint blinking of a tiny LED light.”
The Welshman alleges that these were not simple floor levelers, but sophisticated pressure sensors or haptic feedback devices, designed to sync with a player’s stance and foot positioning.
“He wasn’t just checking the floor; he was wiring it. He was planting sensors,” Clayton claimed. “Imagine being able to practice on a board that knows exactly where your feet are supposed to be every single time. It’s not darts anymore; it’s cyborg-oche.”
When confronted, Clayton says Littler was uncharacteristically flustered.
“He jumped about a foot in the air. He started mumbling something about ‘data analytics’ and ‘biomechanical feedback for his coaching team.’ He said it was for a documentary they’re filming about the science of his throw,” Clayton said with a scoff. “A documentary? Since when does a documentary require you to secretly screw tech into the PDC’s stage before anyone else gets there?”
The revelation has sparked a fierce debate within the darting community. Some see it as a cutting-edge, if clandestine, approach to the modern game, while others view it as a fundamental breach of the sport’s integrity.
PDC officials have since cordoned off the stage area for a full inspection. An anonymous source backstage confirmed that “several small, non-standard electronic components” were removed from the oche following Clayton’s report.
“It’s not about throwing the dart anymore,” Clayton lamented. “It’s about hacking the stage. What’s next? A microchip in the flights? We play darts, not chess. Well, actually, this is more like playing chess against someone who has the whole board rigged with GPS.”
Littler’s management team has yet to release an official statement, but sources close to the teenager insist the devices were “advanced but entirely legal training aids” that were being tested for a new virtual reality darts training program.
As the darting world waits for a full investigation, one thing is certain: Jonny Clayton has thrown a spanner in the works—or perhaps, more accurately, he has uncovered the wires.