# 1981 BDO World Darts Championship

The 1981 Embassy World Darts Championship was the fourth year that the British Darts Organisation had staged a world championship. The field was expanded from 24 to 32 players, the format which would remain for many years. For the third successive year the tournament was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent.
Eric Bristow was back to defend his title and would face John Lowe the champion of two years previously in the final. The final was the best of nine sets, but there was a break scheduled after three sets where the third-fourth place play-off match would be held.
Lowe ran away with the first two sets without dropping a leg and took the first leg in the third set before Bristow finally got onto the scoreboard. The "Crafty Cockney" held on to take that third set to go into the break just one set behind. As in the previous year's final, Bristow edged ahead to lead 4–3 in sets and Lowe (as Bobby George did in 1980) had darts to take the match into a final set. However Lowe missed three attempts at double ten and Bristow took out double four to win the title for the second year running.

## Seeds

* Eric Bristow
* Tony Brown
* John Lowe
* Bobby George
* Cliff Lazarenko
* Ceri Morgan
* Jocky Wilson
* Nicky Virachkul
* Rab Smith
* Stefan Lord
* Leighton Rees
* Len Heard
* Bill Lennard
* Allan Hogg
* Luc Marreel
* Dave Whitcombe

## Prize money

The prize fund was £22,800.
    Champion: £5,500
    Runner-Up: £2,500
    3rd Place: £600
    Semi-Finalists (2): £1,200
    Quarter-Finalists (4): £750
    Last 16 (8): £500
    Last 32 (16): £300
There was also a 9-Dart Checkout prize of £52,000, along with a High Checkout prize of £500.

## Results
### Preliminary round

A best of three sets preliminary round match took place between Steve Brennan of Northern Ireland and Wayne Lock of Wales, as they were tied on the rankings.
| Player | Score | Player |
| Wayne Lock | 2 – 1 | Steve Brennan |

### Last 32

| First round (best of 3 sets) 10–11 January | First round (best of 3 sets) 10–11 January | First round (best of 3 sets) 10–11 January | Second round (best of 3 sets) 12–13 January | Second round (best of 3 sets) 12–13 January | Second round (best of 3 sets) 12–13 January | Quarter-finals (best of 7 sets) 14–15 January | Quarter-finals (best of 7 sets) 14–15 January | Quarter-finals (best of 7 sets) 14–15 January | | Semi-finals (best of 7 sets) 16 January | Semi-finals (best of 7 sets) 16 January | Semi-finals (best of 7 sets) 16 January | | Final (best of 9 sets) 17 January | Final (best of 9 sets) 17 January | Final (best of 9 sets) 17 January |
| 1 | Eric Bristow 94.89 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Terry O'Dea 82.29 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Terry O'Dea 82.29 | 0 | 1 | Eric Bristow 84.96 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 16 | Dave Whitcombe 79.23 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Dave Whitcombe 88.02 | 2 | 16 | Dave Whitcombe 79.23 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Charlie Ellix 72.09 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Charlie Ellix 72.09 | 0 | | | | 1 | Eric Bristow 90.33 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | Nicky Virachkul 79.14 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Nicky Virachkul 83.34 | 2 | | | | | | | 8 | Nicky Virachkul 79.14 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | Tony Sontag 84.93 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tony Sontag 84.93 | 1 | 8 | Nicky Virachkul 79.59 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Rab Smith 81.48 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Rab Smith 86.91 | 2 | 9 | Rab Smith 81.48 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Wayne Lock 78.75 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | Wayne Lock 78.75 | 1 | | | | | | | | 1 | Eric Bristow 89.43 | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Cliff Lazarenko 83.46 | 1 | | | | |
| 5 | Cliff Lazarenko 78.42 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Cliff Lazarenko 83.46 | 1 | | | | |
| | Alan Hudson 57.18 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Alan Hudson 57.18 | 0 | 5 | Cliff Lazarenko 95.16 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Jerry Umberger 77.82 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Len Heard 65.64 | 0 | | Jerry Umberger 77.82 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jerry Umberger 80.52 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jerry Umberger 80.52 | 2 | | | | 5 | Cliff Lazarenko 86.70 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Bobby George 81.93 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Bobby George 86.49 | 2 | | | | | | | 4 | Bobby George 81.93 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| | Alistair Forrester 75.27 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Alistair Forrester 75.27 | 0 | 4 | Bobby George 80.76 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Tony Clark 75.12 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Bill Lennard 79.92 | 1 | | Tony Clark 75.12 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tony Clark 81.57 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tony Clark 81.57 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Eric Bristow 85.95 | 5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 81.36 | 3 |
| 2 | Tony Brown 82.47 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 81.36 | 3 |
| | Paul Gosling 79.44 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Paul Gosling 79.44 | 1 | 2 | Tony Brown 79.05 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 15 | Luc Marreel 76.68 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Luc Marreel 74.58 | 2 | 15 | Luc Marreel 76.68 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jan Larsen 65.52 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jan Larsen 65.52 | 1 | | | | 2 | Tony Brown 78.09 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | Jocky Wilson 73.26 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Jocky Wilson 84.54 | 2 | | | | | | | 7 | Jocky Wilson 73.26 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | Gordon Allpress 76.83 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gordon Allpress 76.83 | 1 | 7 | Jocky Wilson 79.89 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Kevin White 81.06 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Stefan Lord 69.51 | 1 | | Kevin White 81.06 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kevin White 67.56 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kevin White 67.56 | 2 | | | | | | | | 2 | Tony Brown 88.50 | 1 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 90.39 | 4 | | | | |
| 6 | Ceri Morgan 86.79 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 90.39 | 4 | | | | |
| | Doug McCarthy 86.01 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Doug McCarthy 86.01 | 1 | 6 | Ceri Morgan 79.41 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Leighton Rees 76.86 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Leighton Rees 85.35 | 2 | 11 | Leighton Rees 76.86 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tim Brown 83.13 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Tim Brown 83.13 | 0 | | | | 6 | Ceri Morgan 80.97 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 82.80 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | John Lowe 93.72 | 2 | | | | | | | 3 | John Lowe 82.80 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | Angus Ross 79.11 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Angus Ross 79.11 | 0 | 3 | John Lowe 77.49 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 14 | Allan Hogg 71.61 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Allan Hogg 70.59 | 2 | 14 | Allan Hogg 71.61 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Les Capewell 72.75 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Third place match (best of 3 sets) Cliff Lazarenko (5) 75.06 2– 1 Tony Brown (2) 75.42