The club helping to create the next Luke Littler - and much more than that
Plus: More misery for Southport Pier arcade owner
Hello and welcome to the 14th edition of The Southport Lead.
Today’s edition focuses on a junior club which is not only giving kids an opportunity to take up a sport they may not otherwise get a chance to, but also building up a rapidly growing community.
From a group of around 15 regulars under three years ago, Southport Youth Darts Academy now has 90 players attending each Monday and a waiting list beyond that. Its older players are helping breathe new life into the local league, one has been signed to an elite programme and dozens more have found a passion for a game that otherwise would not have been made available to them.
Beyond that, its team of dedicated volunteers are helping to build something bigger, with a recent charity event raising more than £1,100 for a family member of one of the players. Read on for a closer look at the good work being done there.
Also in today’s edition is the latest trouble facing the owners of Southport Pier’s arcade and the latest headlines from across the town.
“Ninety kids every Monday night who are not on their Xboxes or roaming the streets”
A combination of the ‘Luke Littler effect’ and the hard work of volunteer coaches has helped a junior darts club enjoy a huge growth in popularity.
Set up less than three years ago, Southport Youth Darts Academy now has almost 100 players and their families packing out the Railway Club every Monday.
Late last year, the club partnered with leading darts firm Target to become one of just 17 Elite 1 Affiliated Academies while one its players, Jack Peet, has been signed by Winmau and is set to compete in the JDC World Championship tournament in Gibraltar later this year.
With a recent charity event raising more than £1,300 for the family of one young player and more community events to follow this year, the club is growing away from the oche as much as in front of it.
Head of academy Craig Eaglestone told The Southport Lead: “We started at the Glasshouse but we outgrew the space we had so we had to find another space which could take the number we had. Then the Luke Littler effect happened and it just took off with everyone wanting to get involved.”
Littler, the teenage prodigy who helped push darts to new levels of popularity, started out playing at St Helens Darts Academy alongside Craig’s son Harris. It was the experiences here that led to the creation of the Southport club.
“My lad was playing in the Southport league when he was 11 or 12 and he really got into darts and I was taking him to St Helens at the academy there. He was playing in the same group as Luke Littler. When Covid happened, Harris stopped. Obviously Luke Littler carried on, didn’t he.
“I thought it was a good idea [to set up the academy] because the Southport League is dying off. The pub teams keep dropping off, the teams are getting older and no-one else is coming through.
“We started with 15 or 20 originally and it’s grew and grew and grew and grew since then.”
The academy meets every Monday, running a 90 minute session for 5-10-year-olds, followed by one for 11 -21-year-olds.
There are now 90 players attending each week, 50 in the lower age group and 40 in the older range with another 20 on the waiting list.
In the sessions, members are grouped based on their progress and skill levels, starting with green zone finishes and advancing to doubles and closest-to-the-bull finishes as they improve.
One of the standout features observed by Target is the academy’s personalised coaching, with each group assigned dedicated coaches who tailor weekly activities to suit the group’s needs, ensuring consistent growth and enjoyment.
The best known success story of the academy so far is Jack, who was signed to the Winmau Team 360 development programme in August 2024 and gained his Junior Darts Corporation (JDC) advanced tour card in January. Other players from the academy are also competing in the JDC Foundation Tour.
Meanwhile, the academy is also helping provide players for the local Southport league, with five of the group’s players competing in the Sporting Jester Wanderers team which is captained by Craig, while almost all of the coaches compete in the same league.
Beyond that, the academy is also playing a role in the wider community. Earlier this month, it hosted a charity darts tournament with 64 adults and 32 kids taking part in a bid to raise money for Hayley Saxton, whose nephew Kobi attends each Monday.
At just 27 years old, Hayley was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS), a relentless and incurable form of MS that causes gradual neurologic decline. Unlike other forms of MS, PPMS doesn't go into remission, meaning it only progresses over time, impacting Hayley's mobility, independence, and quality of life.
Now 39, Hayley has reached a stage where she requires the use of an electric wheelchair to help get her around and the event was held to raise funds towards that. As well as proving a hugely entertaining day, the event raised more than £1,300.
Some of the coaches also joined in a walk from Liverpool Football Club to Southport to raise money for the same cause and further donations can be made here.
The academy will next week start the first of its twice-yearly mini-premier leagues within each group, where players compete in finals with the chance to win trophies in a fun and rewarding atmosphere for all participants.
Further events are planned in the summer, including a family fun day and a comedy bingo night which is being held as a way to thank parents for their support. For Craig, the level of enjoyment seen each week is reward for the hard work of all the coaches.
“It’s quite overwhelming really. We didn’t expect a lot because we didn’t think there was that much interest in Southport. We have a lad coming from the other side of Preston every Monday, we had a lad coming from Blackpool.
“I think it will [keep growing]. They’re already talking about moving again but what we’ve got here is good so we’ve had to put in the waiting list instead.”
He added: “It’s good for everyone I think. It does make me proud of what we’ve achieved. I couldn’t do it without the help of the coaches who volunteer.
“The way I look at it is we’re getting 90 kids every Monday night who are not on their Xboxes, not in their rooms or roaming the streets so that’s a really good thing.”
Anyone interested in joining the waiting list can get in touch through its Facebook page
Vandalism adds to woes for closure-stricken Southport Pier business
By Elliot Jessett
A Southport business owner has appealed to the public to ‘educate your children’ and show ‘some respect’. Colin Jamieson, runs the Southport Pier Pavilion and has become increasingly concerned about security arrangements, believing more needs to be done to protect the site.
Southport Pier was closed by Sefton Council in 2022 on the advice of structural engineers after a period of extreme weather with no timescale for when it will be repaired and re-opened. This latest incident has resulted in renewed calls for tighter security while the pier remains shut.
Less than one year ago, the LDRS reported on a trespasser who broke into the pier, ‘hot wired’ a golf buggy and used it to joyride up and down. Yesterday, Mr Jamieson released a statement about another trespassing incident on the Pavillion’s Facebook page, he wrote: “Sadly yet again, shockingly at 7.30am, four youths were seen trespassing on the pier, throwing our furniture over the side. Bench seating that was bought brand new just before the closure. Why?
“Thank you to Ocean Plaza Southport security who always look out for us, always contact us and the police. They got these guys on CCTV clear as day, called police.”
Mr Jamieson added: “To Sefton Council who are paying security guards to patrol the pier, to shelter in our business, this keeps happening … what a sheer waste of money.
“To the general public, this is a plea to educate your children to not trespass onto people’s property [and] destroy things for fun. Have some respect.
“Day by day our livelihood is being destroyed little by little with zero help and no end in sight to this ongoing nightmare”
Merseyside Police confirmed they received a report about a group of youths causing damage on Southport Pier on Sunday February 23 at approximately 7.20am. The LDRS understands police patrols attended the scene and located two males nearby, who were spoken to by officers.
A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear of the incident and will be happy to discuss ongoing security arrangements with the concessionaire”.
If you have any information about criminal damage being caused in your area, you can call 101 or DM @MerPolCC.
News in headlines
Southport curry house 'beyond grateful' to be named UK's best family friendly restaurant (Liverpool World)
Google accused of ‘monetising’ website linked to Southport misinformation (The Standard)
Birkdale High School wins Young Carers in Schools award (Stand Up For Southport)
Man, 36, seriously injured following suspected hit and run (Liverpool Echo)
Thanks for reading this mid-week edition of The Southport Lead, I’ll be back in your inbox on Sunday morning. In the meantime if there’s anything you think I should be looking into then drop me a line southport@thelead.uk
Have a great rest of the week and if you’re in a position to support this newsletter then please consider a paid subscription.
Jamie & The Southport Lead team