"Ferrets everywhere!" - Things You Missed: World Matchplay Darts Semi Finals - 180UK.com
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“Ferrets everywhere!” – Things You Missed: World Matchplay Darts Semi Finals

8 August 2025
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By Sarah Leaver in Blackpool

Five things you may have missed from the World Matchplay semi-finals:

  1. The sheer number of ferrets:

Despite the 197 miles between Johnny Clayton’s hometown of Llanelli, Wales and the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, the Ferrets’ fans were out in full force with, well, ferrets.

Stood to one side of the walkway, I saw at least 10 ferret puppets while “Go Johnny Go” rang out from the speakers – although he didn’t seem to acknowledge any of them, unfortunately for the fans who had spent £20 for a puppet on Amazon.

2. The second longest Matchplay game in history

Looking exhausted in the press conference room, James Wade was shocked to learn that he had not recorded the longest game in Matchplay history with a score of 20-18– only the second longest.

The longest match was in fact the 2018 final between Gary Anderson and Mensur Suljovic which reached 21-19, only two legs longer than Saturday’s semi-final. To this, Wade scoffed: “It was the better one though.”

3. First ever match against each other in a major semi-final:

Even though the two youngsters spent a lot of their youth tour time together, Luke Littler and Josh Rock had never played each other in a PDC event until Saturday’s semi-final.

Rock believed there would be “fireworks” at the pair’s match, and that there was. An enthralling match featured both players on nine-darters before Littler took the perfect leg and eventually won the game 17-14.

Speculation has been made surrounding Josh Rock’s participation in the 2026 Premier League campaign as a result of his World Matchplay performances and his victory in the World Cup of Darts.

4. Littler’s nine-darter was only the 10th in tournament history:

You’d think from the look on his face when the dart hit double 15 that Littler hits nine-darters for fun, but his perfect leg on Saturday was only the 10th in the competition’s history and Littler’s fourth televised.

He joins a star-studded list of players to hit the perfect leg, including Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.

5. Littler breaking ANOTHER record (but not on his own this time):

Again, it seems like Luke Littler breaks records with his eyes closed, and in every press conference he takes part in he is reminded of another (that he is usually unaware of).

Saturday was no different, Littler and Josh Rock broke the record for the highest number of 180-finishes in any World Matchplay event in history, with 29.

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