Who is Stan Moody? Crucible debutant with Littler appeal
Reaching the World Championship main draw at his age makes him the first English teenager since Judd Trump in 2007 to make his debut at the tournament. In darts, the 'Littler effect' has sent sales of darts and dartboards stratospheric, and the sport has a booming audience, whether on television, websites or at venues. What could the Moody impact be?
More players turning up to their local club and giving snooker a try, perhaps. "Hopefully. I think people think it's a boring game, an old man's game, but it's not - it can be fun," says Moody, who hails from Halifax, West Yorkshire, and turned professional in 2023 after winning the WSF World Junior Championship.
"That's why I like to play more attacking, play fast, and encourage young players to do it and believe they can do it. " There are echoes of Trump's talk of "sexy snooker" and "naughty snooker" when he made his sensational run to the 2011 final in Sheffield as a 21-year-old. Moody says it is inspiring to see someone such as two-time world champion Littler, who is also 19, dominating in darts.
But Moody isn't concerned that he has yet to rule the roost in snooker. He's sure his time will come. "Snooker's a lot harder to dominate, especially nowadays, with the standard where anyone can beat anyone," Moody says.
"Darts isn't really like that - there's a top few who are very good and Luke's generation is amazing and that's what I'm trying to be in snooker. Got a bit to go yet but I'll keep going, keep trying. "I know I can play to this level.