What is the Ally Pally wasp that keeps attacking darts and snooker players?
THE Ally Pally wasp has become a recurring character, not unlike a pantomime villain, who turns up to wreak havoc at the World Darts Championship.
This infamous insect has gained notoriety for its countless cameos during matches.
What is the Ally Pally Wasp?
To be clear there is more than one wasp pestering players at the oche, but it’s funnier to make-believe it’s just one flying fiend hellbent on mischief.
Several players have encountered the Ally Pally wasp(s) during the championship over the years.
After Scott Williams took a 2-1 lead in sets during his victory over Australia’s Damon Heta, the Englishman attempted to karate chop the irritating insect.
At the same championship, the wasp landed on Callan Rydz‘s head during his last-16 match-up with Robert Owen.
During Luke Littler‘s quarter-final victory over Brendan Dolan the previous year, the Nuke appeared to be stung on the arm.
Perhaps the most dramatic encounter occurred during that same World Championship, involving Ross Smith.
After winning his second-round match against Niels Zonneveld, Ross’ post-match interview was interrupted when the wasp stung him, prompting an expletive-laden reaction.
Once he’d regained his composure, Ross said: “I got stung three times, I’m going to be like the Elephant Man tomorrow.
“It went ping, ping, ping and flew off. Luckily it’s my left hand.”
Ally Pally icon
The Ally Pally wasp has transcended its role as a mere insect to become a cultural icon within the darts community.
Each appearance of the wasp generates significant buzz on social media platforms, with fans eagerly sharing and commenting on these incidents.
One person took to X/Twitter to write: “This Ally Pally Wasp action has made me laugh more than anything in years. What the super slo-mo was made for…”
Another joked: “It’s good to see the Ally Pally wasp is still alive and kicking.”
A third said: “The Ally Pally wasp, some things never change.”
While a fourth quipped: “The Ally Pally wasp seems to have found a home .”
There have even been Instagram and X pages set up in its honour.
Masters Snooker
The Ally Pally wasp has not only made its mark at the World Darts Championship, but has also become a regular at the Masters Snooker, which is also held at Alexandra Palace.
During the 2024 Masters, it once again returned to disrupt play, much to the amusement of the audience.
In one hilarious incident, Jack Lisowski entertained the crowd by swinging his cue wildly in an attempt to swat the wasp while competing against Luca Brecel.
And during a match in 2023, the impudent insect caused chaos when it interrupted Mark Williams‘ match against David Gilbert.
The insect not only distracted the Welshman, but also prompted an amusing reaction as he tried kicking it away, leading to laughter from the crowd and commentators alike.