The world’s top darts players are facing a new flying foe at tournaments across Europe: the common fly. After years of dealing with the infamous Ally Pally wasp, players are now swatting away flies attracted by hot weather and soaring temperatures inside venues, which are drawing bigger crowds due to the sport’s increasing popularity.
Cam Crabtree's 'Fly Central' Experience
English ace Cam Crabtree, ranked world No69, described conditions at recent Players Championship events in Hildesheim, Germany, as almost unbearable. The 22-year-old suffered early exits at Halle 39, where he said the venue became 'fly central'.
In a TikTok video, Crabtree complained: “When it is really warm in the venue you just get eight million flies. So if you eat anything there is a fly in your food. If you drink anything there is a fly in your cup. If you are trying to throw there is probably a fly on the board. That place is like fly central. It is disgusting.”
Limited Solutions for Organisers
Crabtree acknowledged that darts chiefs have few options to stop the invasion, as air conditioning and fans can alter the flight of darts. He noted that players simply have to tolerate the conditions, though he suggested that providing ice for drinks is one small measure.
“That makes them sound bad but what can they do?” he added. “If you put fans on it will blow the darts. When they sell the drinks they have ice. So if you want some ice you can get some ice. That is about it. But there is not really anything they can do. That isn’t anything bad on their part.”
Ally Pally Wasp Legacy
The Ally Pally wasp has long been a notorious pest at the world championships in London’s Alexandra Palace. This year, Luke Littler, 19, had to fend one off on the opening night on his way to back-to-back world titles. Meanwhile, Kenyan vet David Munyua famously plucked a wasp from his face and pocketed it during his first-round victory over Belgian Mike De Decker, a result described as one of the biggest shocks in darts history.
Munyua, 30, who was sponsored by the Daily Star, kept the wasp as a good luck charm before releasing it, earning him the nickname 'The Wasp Whisperer'. Experts have said hot conditions inside venues attract out-of-season wasps, and flies are similarly lured by warmth.
Call for Postponements
World No6 James Wade, 43, has called for events to be postponed if conditions start affecting matches. Speaking after the European Darts Open in Leverkusen, Germany, last month, where several players struggled, he said: “I think it gets to a point where the organisation needs to respect the dart players a little bit and moving forwards, shouldn’t have to play in heat like that. There are dart players that are entertaining the nation. Then they are expected to go out there and play in that. That is not fair. It isn’t right I don’t think. Postpone it.”
