A Warrington bar has been forced to abandon its name “Nuke’s Sports Bar” after receiving legal warnings from Luke Littler’s lawyers over trademark violations.
The darts-themed establishment, which had chosen its name through a Facebook poll, must now rebrand following correspondence from Bird and Bird solicitors.
The bar, set to replace Religion Coffee on Sankey Street, had hoped to pay tribute to the 18-year-old darts sensation who made history by winning the PDC World Darts Championship in January.
Owen Williams, the 32-year-old proprietor, had selected the name through a Facebook poll and envisioned offering free darts playing at the venue.
A Warrington bar has been forced to abandon its name “Nuke’s Sports Bar” after receiving legal warnings from Luke Littler’s lawyers over trademark violations
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Williams, who also owns The Tank Bar and Live Lounge in Warrington, had expressed hopes that Littler would visit the establishment.
The bar was planned to take over the premises of Religion Coffee on Sankey Street, which is moving to The Hive boutique shopping centre.
Bird and Bird solicitors, representing Luke Littler Darts, informed the bar that the names Luke, The Nuke, and Luke The Nuke Littler were trademarked.
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Luke Littler won the World Darts Championship at the start of the year
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The legal team stated that using ‘Nuke’s’ would constitute a trademark violation.
The bar initially responded on Facebook, stating: “We are sure this isn’t Luke himself and he would be proud to have a bar recognising his achievements.”
They added: “Let’s tag him and see if we can stop the little man being crushed! Pray for the little man. Unfortunately we may have to change our name before it’s even begun!”
A new Facebook poll has been launched to choose a replacement name, with Bar 180 currently leading with 72% of votes.
Other contenders include TankSport at 12 per cent, 8 Ball at 9 per cent, and McCoy’s at 7 per cent.
The venue plans to offer karaoke nights and live sports broadcasts with competitive pricing.
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Williams aims to make it one of Warrington’s most affordable independent venues, with plans to serve Carlsberg pilsner at £2.50 a pint.
Williams has accepted the need for a name change, remarking: “We will be changing the name. It’s a shame (that it’s not being called Nuke’s) but we just want to move on from it now.”
He noted the situation had generated significant interest, saying: “It was crazy on Friday, loads of people were ringing us up about it.”
Luke Littler is currently preparing for night two of the Premier League
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Littler, meanwhile, has struggled since winning the World Championship at the start of the year.
The teenager was recently sent crashing out of the Players Championship after losing to Gerwyn Price.
He is currently preparing for night two of the Premier League, which is due to take place in Glasgow tonight.