That 1980s Sports Blog: 1989 World Darts Championship A blog about anything to do with sport in the 1980s. Thursday, 10 January 2013 1989 World Darts Championship Such was the popularity of darts in the UK at the start of the 1980s that it was hardly surprising come the end of the decade that the nation's love affair with the sport had waned considerably. As with any relationship, you have the initial excitement, the buzz of anticipation during those early days when everything is so new and different, but over time you have to be on your guard that things do not become stale and repetitive, otherwise there may be trouble ahead. In 1989, darts and television were definitely going through a cooling off period. The BDO World Championships was now the only tournament to be shown live on national television, and although the image of the sport was being addressed - this would be the first World Championships where players could not drink alcohol on stage - the writing was on the wall for the marriage.

The messy divorce would arrive in 1993, which eventually would lead us to the world of darts that we see today. In 1989 though, this seemed a million miles away, as the world's best players arrived at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey, to contest the 12th World Darts Championship. The little talk there was before the tournament began, focused on one man - Eric Bristow MBE. This was hardly surprising, as the darting legend himself modestly pointed out during the championship: "Let's face it, when people talk darts they talk Eric Bristow." Bristow's recently awarded MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list, had certainly put the game back into the headlines. Understandably, Bristow was cock-a-hoop at receiving his award: "I was delighted with the honour and I'll be a proud man when I go to the Palace to receive it." Yet opinion elsewhere was less than enthusiastic. Bristow's great rival, John Lowe, commenting on the negative reaction to Bristow's MBE, stated: "The adverse publicity this award has sparked off seems certain to backfire on the game.

I don't begrudge Eric his award but it has become an excuse for all and sundry to pour scorn on darts." The general point of view of Joe Public, we were led to believe, was that Bristow had earned an MBE for "only throwing darts", and that a darts player was an unworthy recipient of such a prestigious honour. T. Higgins of Portsmouth was one of many to voice his views in the letter pages of the Daily Mirror: "Darts star Eric Bristow, TV comedy stars Penelope Keith and Richard Briers and others haven't achieved much beyond getting well paid for their jobs." Perhaps Lowe was right, in that Bristow's MBE had provided an opportunity for the darts bashers to once again clear their throats, but surely if anyone in the sport was deserving of such an award, then it was the five-times World Champion? From a purely playing perspective, it looked as if Bristow was again the man to beat.

Although he had been through the hell of dartitis in the past few years (see the fourth point on my list of sporting what ifs of the 1980s), the Crafty Cockney was beginning to return to form; he won the £42,500 World Grand Prix title in Tokyo in June, 1988, the World Match Play championship in October, and the Challenge of Champions In New York. Crucially it appeared as if the old swagger was back. "It's true I was struggling with my darts this time last year but that's all behind me. I'm throwing well again and I'm really looking forward to the championship," said Bristow, adding that the Embassy World Championship was the "Wimbledon of darts" (presumably the tennis tournament, and not a reference to the Crazy Gang). Bristow was also in a much better shape physically, his discovery of golf apparently helping him to lose two and a half stone in weight. Certainly the bookies were impressed enough to install Bristow as the 3/1 favourite. Another man attempting to recreate former glories was Jocky Wilson.

The 1982 World Champion was still as popular as ever - from Dexys Midnight Runners to his own computer game - and after teaming up with manager Tommy Cox in 1988, he was starting to reap the rewards. His win at the British Professional, and the MFI World Pairs with Ritchie Gardner in 1988, indicated that he was again ready to challenge for the big one. This along with his record of three semi-finals and three quarter-finals since his previous world title suggested that Wilson would be one of the few men capable of toppling Bristow. The other two men tipped heavily were reigning champion and world number one Bob Anderson, and two-times winner John Lowe. Anderson was a narrow second favourite to Bristow (best price 100/30) with Lowe at a reasonable 5/1, and it was hard to see beyond the four past World Champions at the time. With 1983 winner Keith Deller not even competing, and fourth seed Mike Gregory at a telling 11/1, Bristow, Anderson, and Lowe, along with Wilson as an outside bet, were definitely the men to follow. And so it proved.

There was little drama in the first round, although world number nine Cliff Lazarenko did crash out, losing 3-1 to Australian Wayne Weening. Anderson easily beat Ken Summers 3-0, and Bristow was just as comfortable in his 3-1 win over Canadian naval officer John Fallowfield. Wilson and Lowe both progressed without dropping a set, as did Mike Gregory and Alan Warriner. It was against the latter that Wilson would enjoy a narrow escape in the second round, as the tournament came to life. In hindsight, the Wilson-Warriner tussle was probably the key match of the tournament. Wilson raced into a two sets lead, but the 26-year-old Warriner came back strongly, levelling at 2-2. In the final set, Warriner missed eight darts to win the match, allowing Wilson to take the sudden death leg, hitting a 180 and then a 115 checkout. For Wilson the relief was evident: "I'm lucky to be still in the tournament. Warriner is one to watch for the future. But I'm not finished. You watch me go now." Name on the trophy?

One man who was slightly disappointed, even though he moved into the next round, was Anderson. After eight perfect darts in a leg against Weening, Anderson missed a dart at double-twelve which cost him the chance of claiming the £52,000 nine-dart checkout prize (a full £32,000 more than the winner of the championship would receive). Less comfortable was John Lowe, who did not have things completely his own way, requiring three straight legs in his deciding set against Paul Lim to limp into the quarter final. Gregory easily defeated Sweden's Magnus Caris 3-0, with Bristow winning by the same margin against Steve Gittens. "I'm going to win the title," declared an ever confident Bristow. Of the four men to make the semi-finals, only Lowe would have an easy ride, his 4-0 win over Denis Hickling in stark contrast to the other three quarter-finals. Anderson won in a deciding set against twice runner-up Dave Whitcombe, missing three match darts before breathing a huge sigh of relief: "That was the toughest match I have ever had".

Bristow fell behind in sets on three separate occasions against Peter Evison, and in the sixth set Evison had three darts in his hand for a 2-0 lead. Fortunately for Bristow, Evison did not take his chance, and the Crafty Cockney fought back, winning three legs in a row in the last set to squeak through. Another match that went the distance was Wilson's 4-3 win over Mike Gregory, Wilson's second such match in a row. His third was just around the corner. Wilson's semi-final with Anderson was a seesaw affair. The Scot came out of the traps, to take a 2-0 lead against the Limestone Cowboy, but Anderson showed his true qualities, reeling off four sets on the bounce to put himself one set away from the final. Wilson never gave up though, gradually edging his way back into the match, before forcing yet another final set win. His 5-4 victory over Anderson set up a clash against Bristow, who easily defeated John Lowe 5-1, to reach his eighth final in ten years.

Both men were naturally delighted to have made the final, Wilson indicating "I'm thoroughly delighted to beat the world's number one, and I hope I can nick the title tomorrow", and Bristow seemingly happy at meeting his old rival in Saturday's final: "I'm pleased Jocky's in the final because he's a character. There's going to be a great atmosphere." The final is now remembered as a classic encounter between the two men, but for a long time it looked as if it would be as big an anti-climax as you could imagine. Wilson surged into a five-set lead (needing six sets to win), Bristow unable to finish when chances were given to him, and the resigned grin on his face in both the fourth and fifth sets seemed to suggest that even the great man was not expecting a comeback. The interval at 5-0 helped Bristow though, slowing Wilson's momentum enough to allow him to win his first set. As Bristow's dart hit double-top, he threw his hands to the sky in a moment of relief, and ruffled Wilson's hair as the two smiled at Bristow's reaction .

Before too long though, Wilson would become even more ruffled, and the smiles began to fade. Bristow took the next two sets, taking time to blow a kiss to the TV camera as he clinched the eighth set. In the ninth, it appeared as if the pressure was seeping into every part of Wilson's consciousness. Standing on the oche with the score at 2-2, Wilson needed 104 to become 1989 World Champion, and after hitting 54 and 14 he had his first dart for the title. Inexplicably Wilson miscounted , going for double-top when he required double-eighteen. A surprised Bristow stepped in, reducing the score to 5-4, and leaving a dumbfounded Wilson in the background shaking his head. "I don't know what went through my mind. For some reason or other I thought I needed 40. I guess I got too excited", Wilson later commented. In what was turning out to be a thrilling darts match, the pendulum was now swinging back towards Bristow.

Wilson soon moved into a 2-1 lead in the tenth, and nearly took out a 156 for the title, narrowly missing his shot at double-eighteen (although at least this time the Scotsman went for the right double). Bristow bravely took out 130 (20, 60, bullseye) and in such a pressure cooker environment it was heart-warming to see the two men exchange a sporting handshake. The next leg had a sudden death feeling to it; obviously if Wilson won it then he would be champion, but conversely if Bristow could level the match after being 5-0 down, then surely there could only be one winner? Wilson crucially threw first, and finally managed to creep across the line, missing another championship dart at tops before hitting double-ten at the second attempt . Jocky sunk to his knees, both in relief and delight, before embracing Bristow and then punching the air. Post-tournament Wilson detailed the secret of his success; cutting back on the booze. "Drink nearly destroyed me," he admitted, adding "I have got the bevvy under control. There is no doubt that has what has made the difference to my darts.

The drink didn't do my game any good. There were times when I had one too many. I still have a couple of pints to relax before matches but nothing like before." Tommy Cox, who in Sid Waddell's words knew how to handle Jocky, could take enormous credit for reining in his star man. For eight days in January 1989, Cox managed to get his house in order, allowing Jocky to add a much wanted second world title to his CV. Jocky's sad death in 2012, although not entirely unexpected, still hurt darts players, commentators and fans throughout the world. But what memories we have of a great character in the game. As one of the faces of the sport in the 1980s, he helped to put darts on the sporting map, and I am sure the players of today, along with us fans, are eternally grateful for that. Posted by World Dart Champions Share / Home / Resource / World Champions Today there are two recognised World Dart Champions the BDO / WDF Word Champion and the PDC World Champion. The first World Champion was Leighton Rees from Wales.

Leighton beat John Lowe 11 legs to 7 and won £3,000.The final was played in legs not sets as it is today. The first World Championship was held at the 'Heart of the Midlands' night club in Nottingham. The tournament then moved to Jollees Club Stoke-on-Trent where it remained until 1985. Since1986 the World Darts finals have been held at the Lakeside complex Frimley Green, Surrey. In 1992 saw a number of players split from the BDO and form their own darts organisation; The World Darts Council later to be renamed as the Professional Darts Corporation PDC (See History ). In 1994 the PDC staged their first World Darts Championships to rival The BDO Championship. Many of the best names in darts had moved to the PDC and it has always been bitter rivalry of who is the best. In 2001 the BDO introduced the first women’s World Darts Championship. Trina Gulliver from England has won this event every year from 2001-2007.

In 2008 Trina reached the final again but this time she was defeated by Russia's Anastasia Dobromyslava 2-0. Trina lost again in the 2009 final to Francis Hoenselaar but regained her crown in 2010, 2011 and 2016. Trina has qualified for the World final ever year since it's conception. The lists below shows the World Champions of past and present. Many remember the winners but who did they beat and what was the score? The first World Championships, 1978, was play best of 21 legs not set play as it has been ever since. A few past World Champions Leighton Rees, John Lowe, Eric Bristow MBE, Jocky Wilson.

Phil Taylor & Trina Gulliver MBE 2017 BDO / WDF Men's World Champion - Glen Durrant (England) 1978 - 3 PDC World Championships Main Sponsors: 1994 - 1995 Skol International, 1995 - 1996 Proton Cars, 1996 - 1997 Verons, 1998 - 2002 Skol International, 2003 - 2014 Ladbrookes, William Hill 2015 - Current The highest average achieved in the televised stages of the PDC World Championship Finals is 114.05 set by Michael van Gerwen in the 2017 semi-finals. Michael beat Raymond van Barneveld who also set the highest losing average seen also seen at the championships, 109.34 Phil Taylor recorded a three dart average of 110.94 in the 2009 final. The highest ever for any major darts championship final.

The 2017 final also broke the most 180’s hit in any darts match, a total of 42. Michael van Gerwen hit 20, 180's while Gary Anderson hit 22, 180's Adrian Lewis hit a nine dart leg in the opening set of the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Final in 2011. The first ever dart player to achieve this feat in a World Darts Final For more information on PDC events please visit the PDC website 2016 PDC Unicorn World Youth Darts Champion Corey Cadby (Austraila) 2011 That 1980s Sports Blog: 1986 World Darts Championship A blog about anything to do with sport in the 1980s. Monday, 6 January 2014 1986 World Darts Championship The 1986 World Darts Championship may have been played at a different venue, but it was very much a case of the same old story come the end of the final.

Eric Bristow celebrated his fifth world title on the stage of the Lakeside Country Club, and his period of domination looked set to continue for years to come. The fact that this would be his last world championship may have been surprising, but his march to a third consecutive title had a chilling inevitability about it from the off. An 11/8 pre-tournament favourite, and recent winner of the British Open, Bristow was at his cocky best prior to the first championship at Frimley Green. In fact, his only concern going into the tournament seemed to be a nagging pain he was experiencing due to toothache. "I'm sorry about Eric's tooth," stated Bristow's first round opponent, Alan Evans. "Perhaps I can give him something else to think about". There was certainly no love lost between the pair. "Playing Evans is about as enjoyable as a visit to the dentist," retorted Bristow, who won a potentially tricky opening match 3-1. The biggest casualty of the first round, both from a sporting perspective and physically, was the 22-stone number four seed Cliff Lazarenko, who lost in a deciding set to Dave Lee.

Former champions John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Keith Deller progressed without too many problems. Rising star Bob Anderson crushed Bobby George 3-0, with Dave Whitcombe dropping a set before seeing off Finland's Arto Lintunen. Bristow highlighted his class in round two, his 3-0 win over Malcolm Davies completed in a little under half an hour. However, his post-match comments caused controversy, angering Lowe in particular. "Now the fun starts," proclaimed Bristow, "We get rid of the rubbish in the first two rounds". Forthright as ever, the reigning champion then went on to predict a final meeting with Whitcombe, who limped through to the quarter finals after a 3-2 win over Ceri Morgan, the defeated Welshman tantalisingly close at one point to the £51,000 prize for a nine-dart finish. For the 1983 World Champion Keith Deller, it was the end of the road. His 3-1 defeat to 46-year-old Alan Glazier emphasised Deller's struggles since his memorable year , and he would never again win a BDO World Championship match.

Still, at least he had the memories of 1983 and his infamous 138 checkout to remind him of happier times. Wilson and Anderson eased into the quarter finals, both still to lose a set after their wins over Vic Hubbard and Kari Saukkonen respectively. Despite beating Fred McMullan 3-1, Lowe was damning of his own chances, stating "I won't win this title. I'm just not playing well enough". An honest assessment in the Bristow mould, although the polar opposite in terms of optimism. In fairness, Lowe was spot-on. His 4-3 defeat to Anderson was hardly surprising, and was another stepping stone to world domination in the eyes of the victor, who confidently said "I have one aim in this game - to take Eric Bristow's crown". Another first-time semi-finalist would be Glazier, who narrowly beat Australia's Terry O'Dea to set up a last four clash with Bristow. The Crafty Cockney's relentless destruction of anyone in his path continued, Wales' Peter Locke annihilated 4-0 in just 38 minutes.

"It's a pity Alan (Evans) and Malcolm (Davies) didn't wait - then the Welsh lads could have all gone home in the same car," Bristow cheekily commented, fully living up to his billing as the biggest wind-up merchant in Britain. He could definitely talk the talk, and unfortunately for the rest, he was now walking the walk. The last quarter final was overshadowed by allegations made by Whitcombe. After defeating Jocky Wilson 4-2, Whitcombe revealed that many of the top officials had backed Wilson to win the match. "I heard them shouting for him. Even at the introductions they were yelling 'Stuff him, Jocky'. I don't care if they've put their house on him but they shouldn't say anything - they should be neutral". Whitcombe used his anger productively, reeling off ten straight legs, and twelve in thirteen, to book a semi-final meeting with Anderson. Bristow was at least pushed harder in his semi-final win over Glazier, his 5-3 victory keeping his dream of a fifth title alive. The main drama concentrated on the Whitcombe-Anderson match, Whitcombe eventually coming out on top in a final-set decider.

Bristow's prediction of a final meeting with Whitcombe had now come to fruition, and he was an overwhelming favourite; of their last eleven meetings, Bristow had won ten, four of which had been at the World Championships, including the 7-1 destruction in the 1984 final. Whitcombe must have been sick of the sight of his nemesis, even more so after the 1986 final. Whitcombe needed a fast start, but it was Bristow who came out flying, his 3-1 win in the first set including an eleven-dart leg , as the champion stamped his authority on the occasion. A repeat scoreline in the second set spelt danger for Whitcombe, although as the third set developed, it looked as if he could force his way back into the match. At 2-2 and 201-206 on Whitcombe's throw, a chance was there for the taking . And despite Whitcombe only scoring 60 to Bristow's 140, a miss on double-16 by the champion looked to have cost him the set.

Whitcombe stood at the oche with two darts at the same double to gain a foothold. But as Whitcombe's second dart flicked the barrel of his first attempt and stayed out, a relieved Bristow eagerly stepped forward to take the set and with it a 3-0 lead. It was undoubtedly a pivotal moment. The hangover of the missed opportunity lingered on into the fourth set, with Bristow only dropping one leg to move four sets up. Whitcombe had a glimmer of light in the next set, leading 2-1 and sitting on 60, as Bristow attempted to take out 87. Legendary champions often produce the goods when they need to, or when their opponent least wants them to, so although it was no surprise that Bristow hit 20-17-Bull , it must have been another body blow to Whitcombe's already sagging morale. Inevitably, Bristow then took the next leg, and at 5-0 Whitcombe only had pride to pay for.

The last dart is sometimes the hardest, however, and as the finishing line neared, Bristow spurned championship darts; one at bull (perhaps remembering his failure to even go for this shot against Deller in 1983), two at double-16 in the fourth leg, and four more in the fifth. Finally though, Bristow hit double-2 , throwing his arms aloft in ecstasy and relief, as he celebrated a third world title in a row and his fifth in total, pocketing £12,000 in the process. Whitcombe playfully threw a towel at the undisputed king of darts. If it had been a boxing bout, someone might have done this for him earlier. "I ripped his head off," noted Bristow, before taking a pop at British sports stars in general: "Other British sportsmen can learn from me. I don't want to put up a jolly good show - I want to stuff the other guy". Certainly his destruction of Whitcombe in the 1986 final backed up his statement, and it would have been a brave man to have backed against him not making it four in a row in the following year.

Whitcombe for his part was content with his performance, indicating that he felt he had played well, but was still getting murdered. The defeated finalist was defiant though: "But Eric is beatable. John Lowe can stop him. Jocky Wilson can. And so can I". In fact, the man who would knock Bristow off his perch was a little closer to home. The onset of dartitis - the inability to release a dart, similar to the yips in golf - meant that Bristow's 1986 triumph would incredibly be his last world title. "If you had told me then I won't win another world title, I'd have laughed at you," Bristow admitted on the recent ITV Life Stories programme. How many world titles the debilitating affliction deprived Bristow of is debatable - his good friend Keith Deller estimated at least five - but judging by his displays at the 1986 tournament alone, Bristow looked set to create records that even a certain Phil Taylor may have needed quite some time to break.

Posted by PDC World Darts Championship: In bed with Phil 'The Power' Taylor - BBC Sport BBC Sport PDC World Darts Championship: In bed with Phil 'The Power' Taylor By Ben Dirs Read more about sharing. It is dark in Phil Taylor's hotel room. But I can just about make him out through the gloom. Slumped on his double bed, face low-lit by the snooker on his telly. There is an awkward moment as I rummage through my bag, attempting to locate my pad and pencil. Wondering if Phil is going to get up, wondering if Phil is going to turn a light on. But Phil remains resolutely bound to his bed. "Where shall we have our chat?" I ask, assuming we'll repair to the sofa on the other side of the room. Phil pats the sheets, pulls the cord on his bedside lamp and I dutifully climb aboard. Taylor is in town for an exhibition, at the Frontier Club in Batley. The Bee Gees, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones - they all played here in the West Yorkshire venue's heyday.

Now they flock to see the greatest chucker in history, a capacity crowd of 1,400 darts fans, drawn in by "The Power". Taylor in numbers Taylor came second in the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards Has recorded nine televised nine-dart finishes Won 16 World championships (14 PDC, 2 BDO) Unbeaten run of 44 matches in winning three consecutive Premier League tournaments Taylor was 52 when he won his 16th world title, the oldest ever PDC winner Has won 80 major events across the BDO and PDC Scored world record televised average of 118.66 against Kevin Painter in 2010 UK Open The first player to win over £1m in prize money Taylor, 53, doesn't look particularly powerful just now. Surrounded by unpacked luggage, decked out in a tracksuit, he looks worn out and crinkled. He looks how he describes himself: "A bog-standard person, a normal working man." But this bog-standard person is arguably the most enduring talent in sport.

Even if you are of the belief that darts is not a sport, you have to admire his indefatigability. He has been the best at what he does for a quarter of a century, a man who has transformed his discipline. Because darts hasn't always been like this, a riot of booze and fancy dress, every night a giant stag and hen do combined. "When I first started doing exhibitions," says Taylor, who is odds-on favourite to win his 17th world title in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) version of the event, which gets under way on Friday, "you'd have 20 people down the pub. If you were lucky. "If we went to America for a tournament, we'd have to get to the final just to get our money back. We'd go down the butchers and buy a loaf of bread, some butter, some boiled ham and some bags of crisps for dinner. "But when we played in Sheffield this year there were 16,000 in the arena.

I was looking out at all these people and thinking: 'Now I know what it feels like for these pop stars.' My grandkids tell me: 'Darts is trendy now, granddad.'" Taylor's capacity for regeneration is such that he should ditch "The Power" and start calling himself "The Time Lord". Having taken up darts in 1986, turned pro in 1988 and won his first world title (the British Darts Organisation version) in 1990, Taylor has done battle with and seen off several generations of throwers. As the late, great darts commentator Sid Waddell memorably put it: "If we'd had Phil Taylor at Hastings, the Normans would have gone home." First there was the Eric Bristow-John Lowe-Jocky Wilson triumvirate which was in the vanguard of the sport in its 1980s boom years. Bristow, Taylor's mentor, won the last of his five world titles in 1986 and packed the game up professionally at the age of 43 in 2000. "It seems like another lifetime," says Taylor.

"I used to watch the likes of Eric and 'Lowey' and think: 'I'll be different to that lot.' I didn't do the drinking and I was more dedicated." Next was Taylor's rivalry with Dennis Priestley in the early years of the PDC circuit, following the sport's great schism in 1993. The pair went toe-to-toe in five finals, Taylor winning four of them. There followed rivalries with John Part, Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis and latterly Michael van Gerwen, the 24-year-old from the Netherlands whom Taylor beat in the final of the 2013 PDC World Championship. "I can still see things they're doing wrong," says Taylor, a sly grin appearing on his face. "But I'll not tell them." Although Taylor does suggest many of the new breed practise too much. There have been slumps, but only by Taylor's standards. He was written off by many in 2007, when at one point he failed to hold any of Sky's major televised titles, for the first time since 1994. But he came barrelling back, winning almost everything there was to win the following season.

The doom mongers were at it again in 2012, when he failed to reach the last eight of the PDC World Championship for the first time in his career. But Taylor got sharpening those arrows and has won 11 titles since. If you want to know the real secret of Taylor's drive and longevity, you have to know something of his formative years in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. "My mum and dad worked in the pottery industry," says Taylor, an only child. "Dad didn't earn a big wage but even if he was really ill he'd go to work. Mum was nuts - you'd get a bucket of water over you if you refused to get out of bed. "I worked as an engineer before going into ceramics, making insulators. It was my job, so I got it done. But I also had a lot of pride in myself. I remember my boss telling me I'd done this thing wrong - I could have crawled up my own backside. I told him: 'Derek, it will never, ever happen again.' And it didn't. "When I turned pro I was married with four children, so I had a lot more incentive to be better.

That's why employers like blokes with a family - they know you'll do the job well because you need to feed them." An addiction to perfection doubled as an addiction to winning once Taylor committed himself to darts. "The money has always been second to winning," says Taylor, who has won more than 200 tournaments, including 80 major titles. "I couldn't even tell you what I'm worth or how much I've got in the bank. It's the fact your reputation is on the line and the fear of losing that keeps you going. "I can't play tiddlywinks without trying my best. My daughter beat me at pool once and I went down the pool hall for 10 days on the trot, so that I'd get her next time. That's life, isn't it? It's all about winning." Taylor has a holiday home in Tenerife, another near Blackpool and has invested wisely in property. He comes over all wistful when talking about retirement - "I can't wait, the plan is to follow the sun" - but you sense he is also addicted to the adulation and revels in the fact darts needs him more than he needs darts.

Media playback is not supported on this device 'The Power' on loving the challenge "Last year [PDC chairman] Barry Hearn asked me to do another five years," says Taylor, "because Sky gave him £20m on the condition I'd stick around. So I'll keep going, if I can. I do feel a responsibility, to keep the sponsorship coming in and the interest up. Every interview, every article in the newspaper is based on me. "And it's a lovely feeling when you're up there and everyone is cheering you on. It's something you get used to. It's like love, ever so weird." But fame has its downsides. In 1999, Taylor was accused by two female fans of "indecently groping" them in his camper van. A devastated Taylor, who denied the claims but was made to pay a £2,000 fine, says he contemplated suicide. Earlier this year, Taylor was accused of cheating by his old pal Bristow. During a match against Dean Winstanley in Gibraltar, the referee failed to see what the television cameras did not, namely that Taylor's attempt at a double 12 had missed.

"When they were calling me a cheat, that was wrong," says Taylor, looking hurt. "It was a shadowy board and I thought it was in. I offered to forfeit the game or replay it and Dean didn't want that. But everything I do will be scrutinised. "When you're famous, your life's not your own any more. You've got to be careful in everything you do, everything you say gets taken out of context. But I'm just a dart player. I've been with Robbie Williams and seen his fame." One of sport's personalities Taylor has twice been nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, in 2006 and 2010, finishing as runner-up on the latter occasion. I had read that Taylor was something of a name-dropper. But the truth is he is just as likely to mention his old friends Bert and Glenys or the bloke who teaches him how to cook Indian food ("I'll give you his number") as he is to mention his good mate Robbie, which is actually quite endearing. Taylor beams when I mention his Sports Personality of the Year runners-up finish in 2010.

It suggests that Taylor, despite his monumental success in his chosen sport, craves the acceptance of the wider sporting community and those members of the public who dismiss darts as nothing more than a glorified pub pastime. "I was absolutely made up," says Taylor, grinning from ear to ear. "It was bigger than winning the World Championship. David Beckham giving me the thumbs up, all the Ryder Cup lads standing up and applauding me - it was ever such a nice feeling, the best I've ever had. And very humbling." Taylor and darts have nothing to be humble about. Under Hearn's stewardship, darts has become one of sport's greatest - and most unlikely - success stories. Packed arenas, big prize money (the winner of the PDC World Championship will pocket £250,000 next month, £50,000 more than this year) and healthy viewing figures (1.27 million tuned in to watch this year's final between Taylor and Van Gerwen) - darts has come a long way from its crisp sandwich days. No wonder Taylor looks worn out. He's been there every step of the way. Raising standards, raising the profile, changing the game.

But seven tournament wins in 2013 suggest "The Power" has plenty more battery life left, even if he does have to recharge more often nowadays. "Is that it?" says Phil when I declare our pillow talk over, an hour after it started. And with that, Phil finally rises. "I'd hate anybody to say I made them feel inferior," he adds as he ushers me to the door. Phil, trust me, it's not every day I interview a 16-time world champion in bed. Share this page That 1980s Sports Blog: 1984 World Darts Championship A blog about anything to do with sport in the 1980s. Monday, 15 December 2014 1984 World Darts Championship This week I am taking a look back on the 1984 World Darts Championships, as Eric Bristow emphatically rights the wrong of the previous year, Keith Deller finds it tough at the top, John Lowe causes ire, and a slightly tipsy Jocky Wilson takes a tumble in a classic semi-final.

Deller falls at the first After his surprise win at the 1983 World Championships , Keith Deller was determined to prove that this was not a one-off achievement. "I know I flopped in the British Professional, the other big one on TV. But I did well in the World Cup and the British Matchplay, both of them on the box. You'd think people would realise I'm not a fluke." Deller was certainly bullish enough on his arrival in Stoke, proclaiming that no one would outscore him, and that he was more than capable of retaining the title. After earning a reported £100,000 in the year since he became world champion, the Ipswich-born 24-year-old had recently treated himself to a house with a swimming pool, with his manager John Markovic claiming that a successful title defence would see Deller become the first millionaire of darts. It didn't quite work out like that though. Dumped out in the first round by the American Nicky Virachkul, Deller's 2-1 loss saw the 1983 champion brought down to earth with a bump, and he would only ever win three more matches at the BDO World Championships.

After beating John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Eric Bristow on his way to the 1983 title, no one could dispute his right to be champion, but Deller's subsequent performances at Jollees/Lakeside left a lot to be desired. The man that Deller had beaten in the final twelve months earlier was certainly not unhappy to see the back of the young upstart, Bristow revealing in his Crafty Cockney autobiography that Deller had been insufferable during his spell as world champion. "I said to Nicky afterwards, 'Cheers for that. Now we don't have to suffer that twat for another year. We can get on with the tournament now'". Say what you mean, Eric. First round sprint The short nature of the first round matches did not leave much room for any nerves or wayward darts. Each match was the best of three sets, meaning a few dodgy legs would leave even the best in danger of an early exit. Along with Deller, two other seeds departed.

Cliff Lazarenko lost 2-1 to Wales' Ceri Morgan, with Bobby George - who the Daily Mirror reported had just signed a lucrative three-year deal with Courage Breweries - also losing to a Welshman, Malcolm Davies beating the Dazzler by the same score. Elsewhere there was very little to worry about for the top players. Bristow eased past the Dane Finn Jensen 2-0; Lowe beat Tony Brown without dropping a set; Dave Whitcombe had a similarly straight forward win over Canada's Bob Sinnaeve; and Jocky Wilson put in a stunning performance against Australian Terry O'Dea, winning in just 14 (FOURTEEN) minutes and not allowing his opponent one shot at a double. Future world champion Bob Anderson made his debut in the tournament, losing to the number seven seed Stefan Lord. The Swede may well have enjoyed himself against one English debutant, but Lord was about to be shown the door by another, as the tournament moved on to the second round, and the slightly less cut throat nature of best of seven set matches. Second round procession The big three were again remorseless in the next round, Wilson particularly impressive during his 4-0 destruction of Alan Glazier.

Lowe hammered John Joe O'Shea (more of which later), with Bristow handing out a similar thrashing to American Rick Ney. "I think I'll now make it to the final," stated an understandably confident Bristow. "I think my opponent will be Dave Whitcombe, not Jocky Wilson as everybody seems to think". Very prophetic. Mike Gregory made sure that the remaining seeds did not have everything their own way though, the qualifier defeating Lord 4-1 to set up a quarter final clash with Wilson. "I beat Jocky in the World Masters less than a month ago, but I know he likes the longer matches and this time the format will suit him better". Gregory was confirming to the world that he was a player to be reckoned with in the future, the 27-year-old laminator promising to hand in his notice if he could repeat Deller's feat of the year before. Third seed Whitcombe continued his smooth progress, his 4-1 win over Steve Brennan booking a quarter final date with Virachkul who crushed Gerry Haywood 4-0.

Wales would be represented in the last eight by Ceri Morgan and Peter Locke, the latter having knocked out his compatriot Davies in a final set decider. Lowe blows And now on to a bit of controversy. John Lowe's actions against Ceri Morgan in their quarter final match upset the Welshman, so much so that after his 5-0 defeat, Evans spoke out. "I thought he was taking the mickey. He had the upper hand - and he was rubbing it in a bit," Evans complained, after Lowe started going for ambitious outshots and bull finishes when he really had no need to. "I've come here to play exhibition darts - the game I play 300 days a year," retorted Lowe. "I find I miss double two and double four these days. I don't miss the bull. I respect Ceri, but he's got to accept that your opponent will rub your nose in it if he can at this stage in a world championship". Lowe had already caused a bit of a stir after his second round match against John Joe O'Shea, indicating that he had considered throwing a set on purpose in order to give himself more practice time and potentially more money.

"I toyed with the idea but then chickened out. There's a £32,000 prize for a nine dart minimum checkout and, I was going so well I thought I'd give it a go by losing a set. But then one set can become more - so I dropped the idea". Unstoppable Bristow If there were any hard feelings felt towards Lowe then he certainly was delivered a dose of sporting karma come the semi-final. Eric Bristow was in awesome form and was about to hand out a thrashing to Lowe, just as he had done in previous rounds against Jensen, Ney and Locke (Bristow's quarter final win over the Welshman took just 46 minutes). The Crafty Cockney was fully justifying his pre-tournament odds of 6/4, the bookies reducing his price to 11/8 as he marched on imperiously. His first three wins were fine performances, but to beat someone as solid and composed as Lowe without dropping a set was startling, an indicator of just how good Bristow was at the time. "I have never been so embarrassed in all my life," Lowe said after his 6-0 humiliation.

"I just wanted Eric to finish it and get me off," he added. In his defence, Lowe had been suffering from flu during the match and the tournament, but whether he could have lived with Bristow at the time is debatable. Wilson staggers out Bristow v Lowe may have been a let down in terms of drama, yet the other semi-final certainly made up for it. Jocky Wilson, like Bristow and Lowe, had not dropped a set on the way to the last four, his 4-0 win over Gregory in the quarter final seemingly backing up his own claim that he was playing well enough to be world champion again. But in Whitcombe - who had beaten Virachkul in the previous round - Wilson would be provided with a stern test of his mental and physical capabilities. One that he would unfortunately fail in a big way. It all looked so good for the Scot as the match unfolded. Leading 3-1 and 4-2 at various stages, Wilson appeared to have one foot in the final, yet in what would turn out to be a marathon session of darts, his stamina let him down. That and the fact that come the conclusion of the match, Wilson was a little worse for wear.

Whitcombe's 6-5 comeback win was a rare epic in a tournament that contained a number of one-sided affairs, a match that quite literally left Wilson on the floor. At the conclusion of the lengthy semi-final, Whitcombe hit double-18 and turned to shake the hand of Wilson, only to find his opponent sprawled across the stage . Commentator Tony Green explained Wilson's fall in this Guardian article . "It was the World darts semi-final and Jocky looked set to go all the way. But then you could drink and smoke on the stage, which Jocky always took full advantage of. He kept downing the pints, his game got poorer and Dave eventually beat him 5-4 (in fact, it was 6-5). But when the cameras turned round he'd disappeared. Jocky was so drunk he'd fallen off the stage". Not the first time that Wilson had been drunk on the oche, but in a year in which he was playing so well, you do have to wonder if a less inebriated Jocky would have prevailed and given Bristow a bigger headache in the final. But with characters such as Wilson you had to learn to take the rough with the smooth.

After all, he wouldn't have been such a popular figure if he had done things in a conventional manner. The inevitable conclusion Bookmakers are rarely wrong. Bristow's price of 2/7 was a true reflection of his tag as favourite - conversely, Whitcombe was 5/2 - and despite his painful 1983 scars, the world number one was rightfully confident. "I had no doubts going into that match that I'd win because I was playing the best darts of my life," Bristow recounts in his autobiography. "I'd hit top form". The reigning World Cup and World Masters champion was at the peak of his powers. Bristow also highlighted the laid back approach of his opponent, stating that Whitcombe sometimes could not be bothered to practice, and even on the day of the final Bristow was warming up whilst the number three seed sat in his room watching videos. "There's more to life than just darts," admitted Whitcombe before his quarter final with Virachkul. "If I spend all day in the lounge of the players' hotel, I do nothing but talk darts, throw darts at the practice boards and even watch videos of the darts".

Mind you, Whitcombe could have spent six hours a day preparing for his date with Bristow and it might not have done him any good. The Crafty Cockney stood clearly head and shoulders above the rest in 1984, and the final was another example of this. The 1200 spectators inside Jollees saw Bristow race into an early two set lead, and although Whitcombe won the third - the only set Bristow would lose in the tournament - Bristow took the next for a 3-1 advantage, as the players left the stage for a break. Bristow and Whitcombe returned with the much missed chant of 'Here we go' ringing around the room (missed by me at least). The outcome of the fifth set was the final nail in Whitcombe's coffin, as his chance of edging his way back into the match disappeared. Failing to take out 25 in the deciding leg, Whitcombe found himself 4-1 down instead of 3-2, and it was the point of no return. "After that he was dead.

It was all over," Bristow told Tony Gubba after the final, a statement as accurate as his darts on the day. The impact of the fifth set was clear for all to see as Bristow reeled off the next seven legs to move closer to his third world title. Whitcombe stopped the rot by taking the second leg of the final set, yet there was no stopping Bristow, even if he did miss three darts for the championship. When his final dart hit double four , there was simply no argument that Bristow was a fully deserving champion. Posted by Phil Taylor's sweet 16: how he powered to his world title triumphs | Sport | The Guardian Phil Taylor's sweet 16: how he powered to his world title triumphs The Burslem-born magician first became world champion in 1990 and has been almost untouchable ever since Phil 'The Power' Taylor's 16 world championship victories have included four whitewashes in finals.

Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images Phil Taylor's sweet 16: how he powered to his world title triumphs The Burslem-born magician first became world champion in 1990 and has been almost untouchable ever since Brooke Streatfield and John McDougall Wednesday 2 January 2013 20.29 EST First published on Wednesday 2 January 2013 20.29 EST No1: Beat Eric Bristow 6-1 , 13 Jan 1990 It all began for Burslem-born Taylor as he claimed his maiden world title with a 6-1 win over his mentor Eric Bristow at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. The 125-1 unseeded player overcame the Australian Russell Stuart and Englishman Dennis Hickling in the early rounds before beating the Scotsman Ronnie Sharp 4-2 in the quarter-final. 'The Power' then thrashed Cliff Lazarenko 5-0 in the semis before taking on the five-time winner and No1 seed, Bristow.

'The Crafty Cockney' was destroyed 6-1 by his protégé and a new legend in the world of darts was born. No2: Beat Mike Gregory 6-5 , 11 Jan 1992 Taylor won his second world darts title at the Lakeside Country Club by beating Mike Gregory 6-5. It was to be Taylor's last World Darts Championship win before a dispute in 1994 led to the formation of the WDC, later the PDC Championship, rivalling the British Darts Organisation's version. Taylor overcame Sweden's Magnus Caris and Denmark's Per Skau in the first and second rounds respectively, before thrashing Wales' Martin Phillips 4-0 in the quarter-final. A close 5-4 victory over John Lowe in the semi-final was followed by a tight final win over Gregory, one Taylor has described as among the favourites of his career.

No3: Beat Rod Harrington 6-2, 2 Jan 1995 Having been thrashed 6-1 by Dennis Priestley in the inaugural PDC final the previous year, Taylor's third world crown came after he dispatched Rod Harrington, in the now Sky pundit's only final appearance. Taylor beat Gerald Verrier and Sean Downs in the group stages and Bob Anderson in the quarter-final but it was an epic semi-final against Lowe where Taylor scraped through to win 5-4 that darts fans will most remember from this tournament. No4: Beat Dennis Priestley 6-4, 2 Jan 1996 'The Power' gained revenge over Priestley for his 1994 defeat by beating 'The Menace' 6-4 at the Circus Tavern. Drawn in group eight, Taylor beat his fellow Englishmen Shayne Burgess and Lazarenko 3-0 to gain passage to the quarter-finals. He faced the group seven winner, Keith Deller, defeating 'The Feller' 4-0 before beating Lowe in another semi-final, 5-1.

The finalists had lost only three sets between them in getting there, setting up a tantalising encounter in which Taylor eventually came through. No5: Beat Dennis Priestley 6-3, 5 Jan 1997 The Circus Tavern was again the venue as Taylor clinched the title 6-3. He beat Verrier and Chris Mason in the group stages and Deller in the quarter-finals but the most memorable match of the competition was his semi-final against Bristow that was branded the battle of The Mentor v the Protégé. Taylor emerged the winner beating Bristow 5-4, equalling the Crafty Cockney's tally of world championship triumphs. No6: Beat Dennis Priestley 6-0 , 4 Jan 1998 The Power became the most successful player in world championship history after defeating Priestley for a third time in consecutive years to record his fourth title in a row. Taylor took over from Bristow, who won five titles during the 1980s. The match was one of Taylor's most convincing wins to date with Priestley unable to take a single set off the champion.

During the tournament Harrington was the only player to take any sets from Taylor, in their semi-final. No7: Beat Peter Manley 6-2, 3 Jan 1999 Taylor's seventh and final world title of the nineties saw the beginning of his trio of final defeats of Manley, defeating 'One Dart' 6-2. As usual Taylor won his first-round tie comprehensively with a 3-0 victory over Reg Harding, but dropped a set in his 3-1 second-round victory over Chesterfield's Lowe. The Power returned to being flawless with a 4-0 victory over Anderson in the quarter-final, before facing a sterner test in his 5-3 semi-final win over the former world No1 Alan Warriner-Little. Taylor made it five world titles in a row with his final victory over Manley. No8: Beat Dennis Priestley 7-3, 8 Jan 2000 With the World Darts Championships being the earliest sporting event in the calendar, Taylor was labelled the "First World Champion of the new Millennium" after winning his eighth PDC title.

Taylor continued to show what a dominant force he was in the world of darts by retaining his title although many reports labelled Priestley unlucky after his fourth final defeat by Taylor in five years. The Power had endured a tough first-round match with Mick Manning, where he struggled to a 3-2 win, but after that early scare he did not lose another set en route to the final, beating Graeme Stoddart, Warriner-Little and Dennis Smith. No9: Beat John Part 7-0 , 3 Jan 2001 Taylor's seventh title in succession was among his most dominant victories as he dropped only one set in the entire tournament and thrashed Part 7-0 in the final at the Circus Tavern. The Power won all three sets in his first-round encounter with Nigel Justice, before dropping his only set of the championship in his 3-1 second-round win over Les Fitton. Taylor then comprehensively defeated Deller in the quarter-final and Dave Askew in the semis. The Canadian Part – who won only three legs in the final – was simply no match for The Power.

No10: Beat Peter Manley 7-0, 5 Jan 2002 Another year, another whitewash in the final, this time over Manley. Taylor beat Paul Williams, Burgess, Part and Askew in his quest for his 10th title, this time dropping two sets during the tournament. Manley had a much harder time getting to the final, dropping at least two sets in every round and having to battle through the semi-final. Manley was booed for years by darts fans after refusing to shake Taylor's hand after the final, later claiming he had urgently had to run to the bathroom. No11: Beat Kevin Painter 7-6 , 4 Jan 2004 Taylor survived a sudden-death leg against Painter to triumph at the Circus Tavern. The No1 seed had beaten Colin McGarry, Priestley, Warriner-Little and Wayne Mardle to reach the final. In a classic showpiece Taylor was 4-1 down after five sets as Painter pressed his advantage. He fought back, though, to reduce the deficit to a set, eventually going 6-5 ahead.

Painter drew the scores level to take the final to sudden death but The Power won an unbelievably tense encounter with a double five. He announced his retirement from darts but performed a U-turn four days later. No12 Beat Mark Dudbridge 7-4 , 3 Jan 2005 Changing his mind over retirement proved the right decision as Taylor won the title again the following year. He had to come from behind twice to win as Dudbridge led by 2-1 and then 3-2. Taylor had enjoyed another easy path to the final, losing only one set, his first in the quarter-finals against the man he had beaten in the final the previous year, Painter. No13: Beat Peter Manley 7-0 , 3 Jan 2006 Manley suffered another whitewash at Taylor's hands as the champion secured his 13th World Darts Championship title. Taylor was imperious once more, losing only two sets on the way to the semis. He breezed past David Platt in the first round, before dropping a set in his 4-1 victory over Matt Clark.

A 4-0 triumph in the third round over Andy Hamilton was followed by a 5-1 quarter-final drubbing of Painter. The semi-final proved more difficult as Taylor struggled past Mardle 6-5, leaving Manley confident it would have left his final opponent mentally spent. But it did not prove the case. No14: Beat Raymond van Barneveld 7-1 , 4 Jan 2009 After a three-year gap Taylor regained his form, crushing the Dutchman in the final at Alexandra Palace. He set a world record average for a tournament final of 110.94, underlining his status as world No1, and was never really troubled throughout the competition. No15: Beat Simon Whitlock 7-3 , 3 Jan 2010 Taylor was at his best throughout the 2010 World Darts Championship, losing one set to Scotland's Robert Thornton in the third round on his way to meeting Whitlock. This championship prize was the biggest of Taylor's career to date with a fund of £1m.

No16: Beat Michael van Gerwen 7-4 , 1 Jan 2013 Having gone out in the second round in 2012, the first time in his career Taylor had not reached the quarter-finals of the worlds, others were being touted ahead of him for the title. Taylor, however, breezed through the early rounds, losing only one set as he closed on a semi-final against Van Barneveld. Taylor led 5-1 and fought off a Van Barneveld fightback to win 6-4, before having a memorable spat with the Dutchman for which he later apologised. In the final he came back from 4-2 down – despite suffering from a cold – to defeat Van Barneveld's fellow Dutchman, the 23-year-old Van Gerwen, who had triumphed in their two previous meetings, in the final at Alexandra Palace. Darts Daily | Phil Taylor Player Profile Date of Birth: August 13, 1960 Home Town: Stoke-on-Trent, England Achievements: Widely regarded as the best darts player of all time. Winner of over 200 tournaments including 83 major titles.

16-time World Champion including eight consecutive titles from 1995-2002. 15-time World Matchplay Champion. 11-time World Grand Prix Champion. Six-time PDC Player of the Year. Twice nominated as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Has hit a record eleven televised nice-dart finishes, and is the only player to have done so twice in one match. Phil Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest player to ever throw a dart. Taylor learnt his trade from the five-time world champion Eric Bristow, but it wasn’t long before he would outplay his senior and make a name for himself. Nicknamed “The Power”, the Englishmen burst onto the scenes in the late 1980s and went on to dominate the sport for the next three decades. Over that period, Taylor has won over 200 professional tournaments, which includes 83 major titles and an unprecedented 16 World Championships. Taylor won a record eight consecutive titles from 1995 to 2002 whilst reaching consecutive finals from 1994 to 2007. He has also won the PDC Player of the Year award six times.

Taylor won his first title in 1988 at the Canadian Open. The victory, along with reaching the quarter final of the British Open and the semi final of the Winmau World Masters in 1989, allowed him to qualify for the World Championship in 1990 for the first time. Taylor was a massive outsider in the event and started at 125-1 odds to win the tournament, but proved his doubters wrong to reach the final where his opponent was, rather incredibly, his mentor Eric Bristow. Taylor dominated the match and claimed his first world title to announce himself to the world of darts. Taylor would win the World Championship again in 1992, however it wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Taylor would dominate the sport. He would lose in three finals to Dennis Priestley before beating him in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and his World Championship victories would continue into the new century. John Part eventually broke Taylor’s amazing run of eight straight World Titles in 2003 as he fell in a tight 7-6 match.

The Power was able to regain the title the following year as he defeated Kevin Painter in a sudden death leg in 2004. Throughout the 2000s Taylor was nearly unstoppable as he was undefeated for many years while he won up to six times in a row at different tournaments around the world. Taylor claimed the World Championship title again in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. The Darts Premier League was formed in 2005 and Taylor won the event the first four times before winning it another two times in 2010 and 2012. The Power was the first to hit a live nine-dart leg as he completed the feat on Sky Sports during the 2002 World Match play. He was able to back up these efforts in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 at the UK Open and the 2007 International Darts League whilst also being the first and only person to throw two nine-dart legs in a single match in the 2010 Darts Premier League.

Despite entering his 50s, Taylor has continued to perform at a high level and is constantly winning tournaments all over the world. Taylor reached the final of the 2015 World Championship but fell to Gary Anderson in a match that saw 32 180s thrown which broke the record of 180s thrown in a final. Taylor’s recent success includes back-to-back victories in the Perth and Sydney Dart Masters in 2015. Taylor’s dominance on the sport has led him to be compared to some of the greatest sporting champions such as Mohammed Ali, Sir Donald Bradman and Kelly Slater. Tags:

Question: Who won the World Darts Championship 4 times in the 1980s?
Answer: Eric Bristow