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).

You probably need to be careful of saying things like that. What issues, do you know her, whats your evidence?

It's completely clear. No idea how some people have managed to misunderstand.

Meh, can't see the problem. I was 16 when I met 20 year old DH. And he had a child too! 😱

No one is bringing the child down here, but a 21 year old adult in a relationship with a 16 year old child is creepy. And for clarity, it is the adult who is the creepy one in that scenario.

Good grief
None of your business
If his family is fine with it then why would they give a s**t what little miss Mumsnet think.

My ex isn’t creepy and wasn’t creepy. Not all 16 year olds are childlike and such. People mature at different rates, I was a 16 year old who was living alone dealing with all my own life stuff. I had a full time job after college. Very different to a 16 year old still being treated like a child at home. It’s weird to just generalise everyone as being the same.

It's a forum no one is planning on writting a letter to his mother.

You probably need to be careful of saying things like that. What issues, do you know her, whats your evidence?

Careful. 🤣🤣

My evidence....Adults with normal healthy boundaries don’t date children.

whatever you think of darts as a 'sport' - or darts generally, if the guy is playing at a professional level, presumably he spends a lot of his time around adults who treat him as an equal, rather than a child - so possibly more mature than many 16 year olds who spend their time around others of a similar age?

• I presume he's far from millionaire status, but I guess wealthier than his peers and the 21 year old; there's always the old Mrs Merton classic "So, what first attracted you to the millionaire....?"

"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."

But you are, at THE biggest moment of his life so far you decide to start yet another thread with faux concern for his "vulnerability".

Let's completely ignore the fact that he most likely feels much more affected by these shitty posts. You start (another) thread despite them being all over every form of media and you know full fucking well that it'll descend into personal comments about his looks.

You didn't even bother not to comment on them in your opening post but instead poking fun. How very mean girl of you. Don't like being called out on it though do you? Funny that.

Well he's not doing too badly so far! He's an incredible talent - reminds me of Ronnie O'Sullivan.

His girlfriend's age did shock me a bit at first but then thought to myself, my grandfather was down the mines in Wales from the age of 12 and grew up very quickly surrounded by older men. He does seem very mature for his age in looks, composure and in interviews. Wish he'd ditch the kebabs though.....

I dated a guy who was 21 when I was 16. My DC are horrified, couldn't see what we had to talk about. He was an absolute gentleman. Treated me better than most of the other guys I went out with

I hope that mentioning he looks older wasn’t meant as a dig at his looks. I couldn’t care less what he looks like. But, him looking older could be part of the issue. Like when a child is tall for their age, people think they are older, expect them to be more mature, be more sensible than their actual age etc, when they’re not.

He is only 16, a child. She is 21, an adult. It’s wrong.

She's a darts player same as him.

Leave them alone!! Its only a 5 year difference, its their business, not ours.

If he played rugby you'd all fucking love him.

It was fairly normal for 16 yr olds to go out with older blokes in the 90s, but then, it was fairly normal to going clubbing every weekend at 16 too. Pubs were a bit trickier, especially locally if the barmaid knew you. In 6th form, I wouldn't have entertained the idea of going out with anyone the same age, because they were kids. Even then, 16 yr old boy with older woman would be seen as a bit odd.

It has absolutely fuck all to do with it being darts. I’d be saying the same if it was bloody water polo. An adult shouldn’t be “dating” a child.

People are being quite judgey here. My younger sister was 16 when she met her first serious boyfriend, who, at 21, was older than me. Luckily our parents were open minded and my sister was also quite mature - they could see he treated her well. They got married, had 2 kids, are still very happily together. My brother in law has been an important part of our family for nearly 30 years and these days we forget there is even any sort of age gap.

If he played rugby you'd all fucking love him.

I don’t like rugby or darts or any sport really. It’s not about the sport. It’s about it being creepy to date a 16 year old when you’re 21. People with healthy boundaries wouldn’t do it and would see it as wrong.

Hes nearly 17 hes not a child

At 21 I wouldn't have dated a 21 year old, let alone a 16 year old! Grim behaviour from the girlfriend.

If he was a rugby player I'd still think his 21 year old girlfriend was weird. I can't imagine being 21 and not being able to go to the pub with my boyfriend on a Saturday night if I fancied it

Why would anyone think differently if he was involved in a different game?
Are we all meant to love rugby players who have older girlfriends? What have I missed?

At 16 I lived with my 21 year old boyfriend and his 5 year old daughter, he was divorced already. Some people do stuff younger. That's not to say it's right. My 18 yr o,D friend married a 40 yr old guy, just celebrated 25 years marriage and having a grandchild this year.

I don’t see the problem, 21 is hardly old. She’s a darts player too so guess they’ve got a lot in common and he comes across as quite mature. I don’t see the hysteria of these 5yr age gaps when both parties are over 16

Completely agree OP. I saw this this morning online and thought 'ewwww'