16 year old darts player and his 21 year old girlfriend.

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I'm no darts fan but I've seen loads about this new player Luke Littler who is 16 and is doing very well. His girlfriend is 21, am I the only one who rinks this is inappropriate? (Despite the fact that he looks about 38).

I don't think it's anyone else's business personally. If it was illegal then it would.

Everyone should be focusing on his talent instead of his girlfriend and personal life.

I have no idea who he is but I can't imagine my 20 year old having any interest in a 16 year old kid, it's weird

I don’t think it’s that big a deal tbh.

The other thread said apparently she is also a darts player so they're in the same business so to speak.

So much older colleague starts a relationship with a worker barely out of childhood. That's fine then.

This. Maybe they just enjoy each other's company and all the rest.

No he's not more emotionally mature because he looks older.

Unless you know him personally, you can't really say that can you. We have all come across young people who are emotionally immature for their age, it follows the reverse can also be true.

Teenage girls do dress/make up to appear older. But with clean faces and a school uniform they will generally look their age. This young man isn't trying to look older (I don't know how a male would really) he just does.

I thought the same

If it was the other way around it'd be a different story

He does look older!

19 and 24 are both adults. Same stage of life.

16 is a child, at school or sixth form / college. Very different life experience.

I wouldnt comment and I wouldnt be horrified.

I agree he's very successful and I wish him well in his future matches.

But yes, the relationship is inappropriate and would she really be interested in him if he was just Luke at school doing his GCSEs and a Saturday job at the local newsagent ..... ?

I have a DS and would be concerned at the age difference and 'power' imbalance.

I get what you’re saying. However he is involved in the adult world of competitive darts and probably has been for several years, which means he isn’t really the average 16 year old who mainly hangs out with other 16 year olds so they are arguably in the same life stage.

He's definitely been on the circuit for at least 4 years as he beat my boyfriend 4-0 when he was 12.

But then in some ways that’s even worse as he isn’t being allowed to be a child and have the same experiences as other children. He’s been made to grow up before his time. Neither way round is good is it?

I accept I know absolutely zilch about darts and have no interest in it whatsoever but dd (same age as the girlfriend) and I were chatting about this earlier and she was absolutely shocked by it. She said in her group of friends (all that age, 3rd year university students) none of them would even consider dating someone 18 yet alone 16 as she just thinks it’s incredibly weird. They all date people the same age as them give or take a year.

To be fair he's pretty much 17 and plays darts so probably spends a lot of his time with middle aged men

Smacks of WAG a bit, doesn't it?

Hopefully she's genuine because that lad is going to have an incredible career.

demonheed · Today 19:45
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He's not a child ffs 😂 he's 17 in a couple of weeks”

So, a child for at least another year and a couple of weeks.

Most professional sports people (not sure if darts is a sport but ignore that for now), start young, so its a trade off, dancers, footballers, actors, singers, motorcross, kick boxers, gymnasts, the list is endless

They all work hard at what they do to reach professional level, they start young

And the modern trend for childhood seemingly going on until mid 20s is recent. Years ago, he would have been down a mine or in the navy or married. And coped just as well as all the other 16 year olds.

"Smacks of WAG a bit, doesn't it?

Hopefully she's genuine because that lad is going to have an incredible career."

Not if dickheads with nothing better to do get in his head and ruin it for him. The media has a lot to answer for. Gary Anderson is watching it play out with his very eyes and has called them out on it.

He's nearly 17, she's a darts player too, leave them alone, especially if you think he's vulnerable. Especially then.

Grow up leave the poor young boy alone! As Gary Anderson said to much can bring the lad down every ones out to get him

do you have anything better to do with your time than bring down a 16 year old boy?

100%
I am more worried about a 21 year old woman dating a teenager - 16 . . . if he was 18 then maybe. 16??

Luke has a problem here. Cross is a completely different calibre of opponent to anyone he has faced so far in this tournament. He is simply refusing to be bullied by the teenager. Darts is about hitting doubles under pressure. Now we will see how Luke deals with being put under that pressure for the first time.

Any 21 year old dating a 16 year old has issues. She’s an adult, he isn’t. It’s creepy.

If my 16 year old came home and said they are dating a 21 year old I'd freak out and think they're being groomed.

Let's just get one thing clear here. I'm not having a go at the 16 year old child here. It's the 21 year old adult with questionable motives I have an issue with.

I met my ex husband at 16 and he was 21. Lots of my friends had similar age gaps. No one seemed to care, it seems to be a much bigger issue these days.

I was living in my own place, I was an adult in every sense at 16, expect my age I suppose. My ex was still at home with his parents and we were very similar in tastes and outlook and what we enjoyed doing. It just wasn’t an issue.