World Darts Championship final LIVE: Luke Littler vs Gian van Veen – score, result & updates
‘I have spent times driving in the countryside shouting scores’published at 19:55 GMT
Naomi de Souza
BBC Newsbeat
As we prepare for the 2026 PDC World Championship final to get under way, BBC Newsbeat’s been hearing from one young referee who has fulfilled a childhood dream.
“I never really wanted to be a player, I knew I wasn’t going to be good
enough, but I knew I wanted to be a referee even more,” said Owen Binks.
The 28-year-old is lending his eye for arrows to broadcasters at this year’s World Championship, working as a spotter in the production room.
It is Owen’s job to tell the director where to point the cameras as each competitor takes their throw.
The gig is a lifelong goal for Owen, who went through 21 jobs – including collecting supermarket trolleys and working in a call centre – before landing a full-time role in darts.
He says his ADHD made conventional jobs difficult – but saw him excel in darts.
“The main thing about refereeing is the numbers,” said Owen. “We’ve got to get the numbers right, also you get problems on stage when players may have something going on, or you have to deal with the crowd.
“One thing I’ve found the hardest is getting my voice right, that’s probably the one thing I have practised the most over the years.
“I have spent times driving in the countryside shouting scores.”
