The professional darts landscape has turned another page, ushered forward not by controversy or upheaval, but by the quiet inevitability of time doing what it always does. In the wake of George Noble’s retirement from frontline officiating duties, the Professional Darts Corporation has confirmed Owen Binks as the man entrusted to step into one of the sport’s most recognisable roles, completing a newly configured refereeing quartet alongside Kirk Bevins, Charlie Corstorphine, and Darts World columnist, Huw Ware.
For Noble, affectionately immortalised as The Puppy, this is not a farewell from darts so much as a recalibration of purpose. After years of commanding the biggest stages and lending his unmistakable cadence to the sport’s most dramatic moments, the Londoner steps away from professional officiating while remaining firmly embedded within the game’s ecosystem. As a key component of the MODUS Super Series infrastructure, Noble’s calendar will remain full – divided between family life and continued work in Portsmouth, where darts remains very much alive behind the scenes.
Into that space strides Binks, a figure already deeply familiar to those immersed in the sport’s daily rhythms. MODUS Super Series devotees will recognise the Colchester official as the voice behind more than six thousand Live Lounge matches, a staggering apprenticeship conducted largely away from mainstream glare. That accumulation of experience now crystallises into a long-held ambition, as Binks prepares to make his Euro Tour debut in Poland, followed swiftly by his first major appearance at the UK Open Darts, before stepping onto the Premier League stage in Nottingham.
This transition does not occur in isolation. Darts broadcasting and presentation have undergone noticeable evolution in recent months, with ITV unveiling refreshed broadcasting line-up and Lewis Jones assuming the formidable responsibility of succeeding the iconic MC John McDonald in welcoming the stars to the stage. Change, once resisted, has become unavoidable. The sport moves forward, whether sentimentality approves or not.
Yet what tempers nostalgia is assurance. Binks brings unmistakable passion, youthful composure, and an ease in front of the camera that suggests readiness rather than trepidation. Still shy of thirty, he already possesses an officiating résumé that dwarfs many twice his age, and the transition to televised arenas appears unlikely to unsettle him. His confident online presence, often laced with humour, complements the modern presentation of the game – particularly alongside Huw Ware, whose Tops and Tales podcast goes from strength to strength.
An era shifts. Another begins. And as darts continues its restless evolution, Owen Binks steps forward not as a replacement, but as the next custodian of a vital role. Everyone at Darts World wishes him every success as he takes his place under the lights.
—–ENDS—–
Images: MODUS
