Charlie ‘Champagne’ Manby celebrated a memorable Alexandra Palace debut, edging Scotland’s Cameron Menzies 3-2 to reach the second round of the World Championship. The 20-year-old from Huddersfield produced a composed five-set victory on a standout Monday afternoon, averaging 90.62 and landing five 180s as he recovered from being 1-0 and 2-1 down.
Manby first drew wider attention earlier this year when he produced a 47-dart leg to average 130.70 on the Winmau Development Tour — the best average in the tour’s history and a mark that eclipsed friend and reigning world champion Luke Littler’s previous best. The sudden spotlight briefly dented his confidence, he says, but a win in the MODUS Super Series helped him regain form ahead of the world stage.
A few quick facts: Manby is 20, plays with 22-gram Target darts, has five titles to his name, and sits at 166 in the PDC world rankings. His career-high average remains that 130.70 on the Development Tour.
“When you have a stat like that, people want to beat you,” Manby reflected. “You feel like you’ve got a target on your back and sometimes your confidence dips. I had to build it back up, but I found it quick enough.”
That regained momentum came through a busy run on the Development Tour. Manby navigated a 278-player field, defeating the likes of Beau Greaves and tour card holder Owen Bates — the latter in a last-leg decider — to claim his maiden Development Tour title in September. The following month he pushed Littler in an unforgettable World Youth Championship tie, narrowly missing two darts to win, including the bull on a 130 finish.
Manby arrived in north London with that recent form and growing reputation, ready for a tough opening clash with Menzies. After overturning the deficit in their match he described his Ally Pally experience as overwhelming but incredible — “the greatest thing I’ve ever done in darts,” he said.
Away from the oche he works as a bricklayer for a construction firm in Huddersfield and is represented by Zeal Sports. His talent was first noticed at a local working men’s club, and he played his first tournament at 12. He progressed through Bradford Darts Youth, the WDF Youth England Grand Prix and the JDC circuit, joining the Development Tour at 16.
Manby is candid about the next step in his development: consistency. “Finding that level of consistency is the hardest part of getting there,” he said, praising Littler’s ability to switch on and produce big legs when needed. Manby downplays direct comparisons, noting their shared history — they grew up playing for England in JDC events and remain good friends. “Luke is number one in the world — people see him differently to how I see him. He knows where I’m at and he acknowledges how good I am,” Manby added.
His nickname, ‘Champagne Charlie’, came from Chris Coles, the manager at his local football club, who suggested the walk-on to ‘Champagne Supernova’. The name stuck.
Manby now awaits the winner of Matt Campbell versus Adam Sevada on December 22, with a chance to build further on his breakthrough and cement his place among the sport’s most exciting young prospects.