STWF Sports | LONDON | Dec. 16, 2025 — Alexandra Palace is no stranger to sporting miracles, but on Monday night it witnessed another chapter of darting folklore as 20-year-old debutant Charlie Manby produced the biggest shock of the World Darts Championship so far. The Huddersfield thrower, who works full-time as a bricklayer, toppled world No. 26 Cameron Menzies in a gripping first-round encounter — then promptly had to worry about setting his morning alarm.
Well… almost.
Manby, making his maiden appearance under the bright Ally Pally lights, held his nerve to hit double one for victory, igniting pandemonium inside the arena. The celebration was pure, raw, and loud — matched only by the frustration on Menzies’ face after yet another early exit.
The win books Manby a precious week of preparation ahead of a second-round showdown with either Matt Campbell or Adam Sevada. But even darting heroes have day jobs.
“My boss will probably want me back in work tomorrow…”
Speaking to talkSPORT immediately after the match, Manby joked about returning to reality rather quickly:
“Yeah, just go back home, chill out and my boss will probably want me back in work tomorrow, no doubt.”
For most players, a week between rounds means long practice sessions, tactical fine-tuning, and recovery. For Manby? It means mixing mortar and laying bricks — with the same hands he uses to guide darts toward the treble 20.
Given the importance of those hands, it was only natural to question whether a return to the construction site was a wise move.
“Maybe not,” Manby admitted. “But I’ll take it as it comes. I might want to get back to a bit of normality.
If I do, I do. If I don’t, I’ll hit that practice board like I normally do. I don’t want to change anything. I’ve come into this on my debut and I haven’t changed anything I’ve done all year.”
But on Tuesday morning, the bricklayer-turned-giant-killer revealed his boss had taken the decision out of his hands — literally.
“He’s fine with it,” Manby said on talkSPORT Breakfast. “He came down with us yesterday… and I said, just to let you know, mate, I’m not working tomorrow.”
Debut nerves, big-stage composure
Menzies, who suffered his second straight first-round exit at the Worlds, entered as the heavy favourite, but Manby showed composure beyond his years.
He soaked up the Ally Pally atmosphere, battled through early nerves, and let the roaring crowd carry him through momentum swings.
“I think I played well,” Manby said. “When I won my first leg I settled, and after the first set I felt a lot more comfortable.
I just wanted to go up there and show what I can do… and my family helped me push through the difficult times in that game.”
From chants echoing his name to fans urging him on during every checkout attempt, Manby admitted the experience helped flip fear into fuel.
“I had nerves before the game and the walk-on, but it soon went. The adrenaline took over. I really enjoyed it up there.
It was absolutely amazing. They pushed me through that game.”
A week to dream — and prepare
With his first Ally Pally win secured, Manby now enjoys an unexpected luxury: time.
Time to prepare.
Time to soak in one of the great debut moments.
Time, thankfully, away from the job site.
His fairytale continues next Monday — and if his composure, grit, and crowd connection are anything to go by, the Cinderella run may not be over yet.
The bricklayer from Huddersfield came to London hoping to build an experience.
Instead, he built a moment.
And the darts world is watching what he constructs next.
