John Lowe
Personal information
Nickname	Old Stoneface
Born	(1945-07-21) 21 July 1945 (age 66) New Tupton, Derbyshire, England
Home town	Chesterfield, Derbyshire England
Darts information
Darts	21g Unicorn World Champion Golden John Lowe
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1975 - 1993
PDC	(Founding Member) 1993 - 2008
Current world ranking	N/A
BDO majors - best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner 1979, 1987, 1993
World Masters	Winner 1976, 1980
PDC premier events - best performances
World Ch'ship	SF 1995, 1996
World Matchplay	SF 1995, 2002 ; QF 2000
World Grand Prix	SF 2001 ; QF 1998
UK Open	Last 16 2005
Other tournament wins
Tournament	Years
News of the World Championship British Open WDF World Cup Singles WDF World Cup Pairs (with Eric Bristow) WDF World Cup - member of winning England team Nations Cup - member of winning England team Butlins Grand Masters British Gold Cup Dry Blackthorn Cider Masters BDO World Matchplay British Matchplay	1981 1977, 1988 1981, 1991 1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1991 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984 1977 1978, 1979, 1982 1983 1984 1978, 1985
Other achievements
1984 - First televised nine-dart finish 1986 to 1993 - England Captain (unbeaten)
Updated on 11 February 2008.

John Lowe (born 21 July 1945 in New Tupton, Derbyshire) is an English darts player who was one of the best-known men in darts during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the United Kingdom. Lowe is one of only five players to have won the World Championship 3 times.

Biography[link]

Lowe won the World Championship title in three different decades - 1979, 1987 and 1993. He was regarded as the gentleman of the game, but he was very much a bridesmaid figure behind Eric Bristow in the early days of darts' rise to prominence - in terms of results and charisma. He met Bristow six times in the World Championship in various semi-finals and finals and it wasn't until his fourth attempt (in the 1987 final) that he managed to overcome his great rival. His record against the "Crafty Cockney" in majors was three wins and six defeats.^[1]

Lowe achieved the ultimate feat in darts on 13 October 1984 during the World Matchplay tournament against Keith Deller when he managed a nine dart finish – the sport's equivalent of a hole-in-one in golf or a 147 break in snooker. This was the first time this had ever been accomplished by any darts player while being televised. For this, Lowe won £102,000. He went on to clinch the tournament.

In addition to his three world titles Lowe has also won two World Masters titles, two British Open titles, two British Matchplay championships, two World Cup Singles and three European Cup Singles Titles, as well as countless other titles around the world in a hugely successful career. He played for England over 100 times and was captain for seven years, during which time his team were unbeaten.

He also gained credit for his decorum and sportsmanship at the oche, often in notable contrast to the gifted but arrogant Bristow. He was also probably unique in darts in that he looked after his health, never developing the weight difficulties associated with darts players, though he did consume alcohol onstage with the others when it was still permitted during matches.

Nicknames were all the rage in darts, but Lowe never really had one which caught on. A studious, composed performer, he didn't have anything which stood out in his demeanour or personality – until someone decided to use these very traits to come up with a soubriquet of Old Stoneface. This is also the title of Lowe's autobiography which was published in 2005.

Lowe has enjoyed a longevity at the sport that is currently unmatched. He played in the televised stages of the World Championship for a record 28 consecutive years from the inaugural championship in 1978 to his last appearance in 2005 where he was defeated by the Canadian John Verwey in a last leg tie-break.

Lowe is married to Karen and lives in Chesterfield, from where they both support Sunderland.^[2] He was secretary of the World Professional Dart Players Association (later to become the Professional Dart Players Association (PDPA)) and in 2005 enjoyed a testimonial year in the sport to commemorate his 30th year as a professional. He still attempted to qualify for the World Championship each year until 2008, but fell short in the early qualifying rounds. After joining a short-lived venture, the Setanta Sports televised BetFred League of Legends in 2008, Lowe became ineligible to compete at the PDC World Championship so could not attempt to qualify for the 2009 event.

In May 2009 Lowe released a book entitled The Art of Darts, in which he offered his personal insights into the game to both amateur and aspiring professional dart players.^[3]

Lowe is currently planning an exhibition tour of the United States in November and December 2011, with possible stops including Boston, New York and Las Vegas.^[4]

External links[link]

• John Lowe's official website
• Interview with John Lowe
• John Lowe's profile and stats on Darts Database
• John Lowe's Blog at Unicorn-Darts.com

References[link]

This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (April 2012)

John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson (22 March 1950 – 24 March 2012) was a professional darts player from Fife, Scotland. After turning pro in 1979 he quickly rose to the top of the game, winning the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, then again in 1989.^[2] A contemporary and rival of Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson and John Lowe, Wilson won many titles in his career including the British Professional Championship a record four times between 1981 and 1988, as well as the prestigious British Open and Matchplay titles. He retired from the game in 1995, withdrew from public life, and was rarely seen in public or gave interviews before his death in 2012.

Early life[link]

As a child, Wilson's parents were deemed unfit to raise him and Wilson spent much of his childhood in an orphanage.^[3] Wilson served in the British Army from 1966 to 1968.^[3]

He had been a coal delivery man and also a miner at Kirkcaldy's Seafield Colliery. However, it was a spell of unemployment which was to prove the catalyst to Jocky achieving darting greatness. During this period of unemployment, Jocky entered a darts competition at Butlins, Ayrshire in 1979, which he went on to win, claiming the top prize of £500.^[4] His success at this tournament convinced him that he should turn professional as darts was beginning to become popular on television and the World Championship was in its infancy.

Greatest achievements[link]

His greatest achievements came in the World Championships, first in 1982 where he beat Lowe 5-3 in the final, and then seven years later, when he beat his other great rival Bristow 6-4 in a classic match, where Bristow had recovered from 5-0 down to find himself at 5-4 and 2-2 in the tenth set. This was to be the Scot's last taste of success in a major event although the odd final appearance still came over the next few years.

His record at the World Championship was one of great consistency. From his debut in 1979 until 1991 he managed to reach at least the quarter-finals on every single occasion. He was quarter-finalist eight times (1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991) and three-times a losing semi-finalist (1983, 1984, 1987) in addition to his two World titles. In 1992 and 1993 he suffered first round defeats for the only time at the Lakeside Country Club.^[4]

Darts split[link]

Wilson joined the other top professionals who split away from the ruling British Darts Organisation in 1993 to form the WDC (now Professional Darts Corporation). He was not able to recapture the form that took him to two world championships however and only participated in two PDC World Championships, failing to win a single match. He lost both group games in 1994 (to Dennis Priestley and Graeme Stoddart) and again in 1995 (to Priestley and Lowe).

He did reach the final of the WDC Lada Classic in 1993, one of the very early tournaments during the acrimonious split. He lost that final to Mike Gregory. Wilson also reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Matchplay, losing to eventual champion Larry Butler.

His final appearance in a televised tournament came in the 1995 World Matchplay. He beat Rod Harrington 8-7 in the first round, but lost to Nigel Justice in the second round. Wilson never appeared in a major televised event again.

Personal life[link]

Wilson was sometimes controversial, occasionally outspoken, but always extremely popular with darts fans who loved his honest approach and natural talent.

In 1982, Wilson was banned from competing in darts tournaments after he allegedly threw a punch at an official during a championship. This was taken as a reaction to Jocky's being under intense pressure at the time of the Falklands War, as he was married to an Argentine woman named Malvina (the Argentine name for the Falkland Islands is "Islas Malvinas"). He was soon allowed back into professional competitions again.

Jocky and Malvina had two sons, John and William, and one daughter, Anne Marie.

Wilson was a constant sweet-eater and generally refused to brush his teeth ("My Gran told me the English poison the water"); he had lost his last tooth by the age of 28. Following his 1982 World title win, he paid £1,200 for dentures, but never took to them. They made him belch when drinking, he complained.^[4]

After retirement[link]

Wilson never formally announced his retirement from darts; he just departed from darts suddenly on 23 December 1995. It is believed that he left after being diagnosed as having diabetes, which stopped him drinking during games.^[5]

For ten years during his darts career he had a house in Wallsend to cut down on travel expenses, but he left that to return to his home town of Kirkcaldy. Within two years, he was declared bankrupt, and then survived on disability allowance, living as a recluse in a one-bedroom flat back on the council estate where he grew up.^[4] In 1996 he said, "I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me. There's only one person to blame for the situation I'm in, and that's me."

He ceased giving interviews to the press and television. An Observer reporter tried to interview Jocky in January 2007 on the 25th anniversary of his first title win to be told by his wife, "He never has (given an interview) since stopping and never will. He thinks it's all in the past, it's over with."^[4] Despite Jocky's withdrawal from the game, in August 2009 the PDC announced a new tournament called 'The Jocky Wilson Cup' in which Scotland's best played England's best. England beat Scotland 6-0 in the inaugural Jocky Wilson Cup in December 2009.

A heavy smoker for forty years, in November 2009 it was announced that he had been diagnosed as having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.^[6] Reports stated that Wilson had smoked up to 50 cigarettes a day for most of his life. He died just after 9 p.m. on 24 March 2012 at his home in Kirkcaldy.^[7] His funeral was held on Monday 2 April at the crematorium in his home town:^[8] his great rival Eric Bristow and sports presenter Helen Chamberlain were amongst the estimated 400 mourners.

World Championship results[link]

BDO[link]

• 1979: Quarter Final (lost to John Lowe 1-3)
• 1980: Quarter Final (lost to Eric Bristow 0-3)
• 1981: Quarter Final (lost to Tony Brown 2-4)
• 1982: Winner (beat John Lowe 5-3)
• 1983: 3rd place (beat Tony Brown 2-0; lost in Semi Final to Keith Deller 3-5)
• 1984: Semi Final (lost to Dave Whitcombe 5-6)
• 1985: Quarter Final (lost to Dave Whitcombe 3-4)
• 1986: Quarter Final (lost to Dave Whitcombe 2-4)
• 1987: Semi Final (lost to John Lowe 0-5)
• 1988: Quarter Final (lost to Eric Bristow 2-4)
• 1989: Winner (beat Eric Bristow 6-4)
• 1990: Quarter Final (lost to Mike Gregory 3-4)
• 1991: Quarter Final (lost to Kevin Kenny 3-4)
• 1992: First round (lost to Kevin Kenny 1-3)
• 1993: First round (lost to Dennis Priestley 0-3)

PDC[link]

• 1994: Group Stage (lost both group games to Dennis Priestley and Graeme Stoddart)
• 1995: Group Stage (lost both group games to Dennis Priestley and John Lowe)

In popular culture[link]

• In 1982 his picture was displayed on Top of the Pops during a performance of "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" by Dexys Midnight Runners, apparently an in-joke on the part of the production staff.^[4][9]
• He was amongst the first sports people to have a computer game created after him. Published by Zeppelin Games, Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge (1988) and later Jocky Wilson's Darts Compendium (1991) were created for several different home computer systems.
• One of the suites in the fictional Phoenix Club (as seen in Phoenix Nights) was named after Wilson.

References[link]

External links[link]

• "A Sporting Nation" - article from bbc.co.uk
• Jocky's dart out of the shadows The Scotsman, 17 March 2001
• DartsDatabase profile and stats

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010)

Eric Bristow MBE
Personal information
Nickname	The Crafty Cockney
Born	(1957-04-25) 25 April 1957 (age 55) Hackney, London, England [1]
Home town	Leek, Staffordshire England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1977
Darts	22g Harrows Eric Bristow
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	Rabbit by Chas and Dave
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1979 - 1993
PDC	(Founding Member) 1993 - 2000
Current world ranking	N/A
BDO majors - best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986
World Masters	Winner 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984
PDC premier events - best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi Final 1997
World Matchplay	First Round 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)
Other tournament wins
Tournament	Years
News of the World WDF World Cup Singles British Professional British Open British Matchplay Butlins Grand Masters PDC World Pairs British Gold Cup Blackthorn Masters Swedish Open Danish Open N.American Open	1983, 1984 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 1982, 1985 1978, 1981, 1983, 1986 1976, 1983 1981, 1982, 1983 1995 1980 1984 1979, 1981, 1982 1980, 1984, 1989 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986
Other achievements
1989 Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE[2] 2005 Inducted (with John Lowe) as first members of PDC Hall of Fame
Updated on 19 November 2006.

Eric Bristow MBE ("The Crafty Cockney") (born 25 April 1957) is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.

Early career[link]

Bristow won his first world championship in 1980, defeating fellow Londoner Bobby George, and so began a decade's worth of domination, in which he would retain his title in 1981 and win it again in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Like his snooker contemporary Steve Davis, however, he had to cope also with a shock defeat during this period, when young unknown Keith Deller beat him in the 1983 final, not to mention Steve Brennan in the previous year's 1st Round. He finished as runner-up on four other occasions up to 1991.

The nickname of the Crafty Cockney was given to Bristow when he visited an English pub of that name in 1976 during a visit to Santa Monica, California. Bristow wore a shirt (which he received from the same pub) depicting a uniformed British policeman, a Union Flag and the title Crafty Cockney whenever he took part in a tournament.

Technique[link]

The way players hold a dart when playing the game has no rules nor recommended technique - players grasp a dart simply in the manner with which they feel comfortable. Bristow became known more than other players, however, for his style, which involved the extension of his little finger in a similar manner to the drinking of tea, often but falsely attributed to the English upper class - "me perked up right pinkie" he called it. Yet when he pulled the dart back from aiming position, he circled it with all of his fingers, therefore leading to speculation that the routine with the little finger was worthless to his throw. When asked about it, Bristow admitted the style was "just for show".

Achievements[link]

Bristow emerged as the most successful and consistent darts player of the 1980s, reigning as number one in the world rankings from 1980 until 1987. He was fortunate to have been around at the right time as television began showing increased interest in the sport in the late 1970s, with the first world championship occurring in 1978. This, allied to the fact that a governing body had been formed in January 1973 and that Bristow had not only supreme talent for one so young but an imposing personality and uncontained self belief, enabled him to make a very successful living. Cocky and arrogant, he invariably wound opponents up before and during matches with his gamesmanship. Crowds would boo Bristow when he was on stage, no less so than in Scotland, an atmosphere in which he revelled. During the 1982 Arrows Chemicals British International Championship match in Scotland, Bristow was subject to what Darts World Magazine called "the most sustained barrage of jeering witnessed at a Darts match" - he played to the crowd during his game with Harry Patterson - following a Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (more booing..) next dart, Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (even more booing, shouting..) third dart was single 20 but he smiled and the crowd applauded - Bristow at his incomparable best.

As well as his world championship exploits, Bristow also lifted the prestigious Winmau World Masters crown no fewer than five times (1977 beating Paul Reynolds, 1979 beating Canadian Allan Hogg, 1981 beating defending champion John Lowe, 1983 beating Mike Gregory and 1984 beating Keith Deller). He also reached the final in 1982 losing to Jocky Wilson and in 1989, losing to Peter Evison. He was a winner of the World Cup Singles on four occasions (1983 beating Jocky Wilson, 1985 beating Tony Payne, 1987 beating Bob Sinnaeve and 1989 beating Jack McKenna) and won the News of the World Darts Championship in 1983 beating Ralph Flatt and 1984 beating Ian Robertson together with countless other major tournaments including the British Open and Swedish Open three times each and the North American Open on four occasions.

Dartitis and mentoring[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

During the Swedish Open in the summer of 1987, he found himself unable to let go of his darts properly - a psychological condition known as dartitis, a bit like the yips in golf. It seems, looking back at footage of his career, that it was gradually building up - the fluent throwing action had slowed in the previous year and he certainly struggled in April 1987 in the Nations Cup where he was particularly ragged for England. He was never the same player again but did, incredibly, regain the number one ranking briefly in 1990.

Bristow had come across a raw darts talent in Stoke-on-Trent in the late 1980s and offered him £10,000 to fund his development in the game, on the understanding that the cash would be repaid. The player was Phil Taylor who would go on to usurp his mentor as the greatest darts player ever, with Bristow often on the receiving end of his brilliance.

Bristow's form deteriorated alarmingly in the early 1990s and he was dropped from the Merseyside team (his third county) where he played with his international team mate Kevin Kenny and then the national side. The split within darts - another governing body was formed - saw Bristow become a founding member of the Professional Darts Corporation. At the World Matchplay event in Blackpool, Bristow made six appearances and never managed to win a single match. His swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship which he lost, ironically, to his protégé Taylor. Bristow's last appearance came at the World Championships in 2000 - ending his 23 years run of playing in the event and he ceased playing the sport professionally. He now works mainly as a pundit and occasional commentator for Sky Sports during PDC tournaments, whilst continuing to travel and play on the "exhibitions" circuit. Eric still plays a lot of competitive and exhibition darts, and he and John Lowe are currently doing exhibitions throughout the country with the Legends Tour (darts). Eric returned to the darting TV screens in 2008 on Setanta Sports to compete in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, beating Bobby George in the opening match 7-5. Unfortunately, Eric, no longer the great darts player he was, failed to maintain his form, and he never won another match in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals, and finishing bottom of the League of Legends table.

The success of the League of Legends on Setanta was immediate, Eric, John Lowe and Bobby George joined with comedian Duncan "Chase me" Norvelle, who hosted and presented a 2009 Theatre tour of the UK and Ireland.

Personal life[link]

Bristow was awarded the MBE for his services to sport in 1989.

In 1979 Bristow was the subject of an intimate film portrait directed by Scottish filmmaker John Samson. Entitled Arrows,^[3] the 30 minute film was released as a theatrical trailer to the classic British gangster film The Long Good Friday.

Bristow was in a relationship with former lady darts player Maureen Flowers during the late 70s and early 80s.

Bristow was accused of assaulting his wife, Jane (born 1962) in 2005. They had been married since around 1989. North Staffordshire magistrates ordered him to stay away from the family home in Milltown Way, Leek, Staffordshire and he was remanded on conditional bail.^[4] Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on 29 April 2005.^[5] He was eventually cleared of the charges.^[6] After the case was concluded Bristow said that his wife had just got a new boyfriend and wanted a divorce and he was now living with his children at his mother's house in Leek. Bristow was also involved in a public disturbance in Gateshead, which was by chance recorded by police reality show Street Crime UK, and then broadcast as part of an episode of the show.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Eric Bristow darts exhibition
• Eric Bristow's profile and stats on Darts Database
• Arrows - A John Samson documentary about Eric Bristow (1979)

Paul Lim Leong Hwa^[1] known simply as Paul Lim (born 25 January 1954 in Singapore) is a professional darts player who will be best remembered for being the first player to hit a perfect nine-dart finish during the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship in 1990. It remained the only televised nine-dart game to have been achieved in either version of the world championships until 2009, where Raymond van Barneveld hit one against Jelle Klaasen in the quarter-final of the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship.

Lim represented three different countries at darts. Singapore was not affiliated with the sport's governing body, the World Darts Federation (WDF), so Lim played briefly for Papua New Guinea, but settled in California and represented the United States in international competition, before also playing for his native country when they became a WDF playing nation.

He made his World Championship debut in 1982, losing a first round match to Dave Whitcombe. He failed to progress beyond the second round for the next seven years - losing to the likes of Cliff Lazarenko (twice), Bob Anderson, Mike Gregory, and John Lowe (twice). Then in 1990 he hit the headlines and jackpot as he achieved the first World Championship nine-dart finish against Jack McKenna in the second round on January 9. The bonus prize of £52,000 was more than eventual tournament winner Phil Taylor claimed for becoming world champion. It was the only year that Lim managed to reach the quarter-finals of the event, losing again to Lazarenko.

He continued to come up against the biggest names in the game in the world championship: Alan Warriner, John Part (en route to the 1994 title), and Lowe defeated him again in the years after his nine-darter.

Lim decided to switch to darts other organisation, the World Darts Council (now PDC) later in 1994 and made his debut at the 1994 World Matchplay. Lim never enjoyed any success in the PDC - he managed to win only one match in the PDC World Championship, despite appearing in the tournament each year between 1997 and 2002. Although he no longer competes on the darts circuit full-time, Lim still competes at tournaments in his home country. He reached the last 16 of the Las Vegas Open in January 2007. [1]

He won many titles in and around his native country including five Singapore Opens, five Malaysian Opens, and five Asian Cups, but his failure to reach the final stages of the British Darts Organisation and Professional Darts Corporation major tournaments has meant he will be best remembered for his 1990 nine-dart achievement.

Paul Lim is a six-time Medalist (Soft-Tip) Grand Master singles champion. He is arguably the best soft-tip player in the world, even having a dart game programmed with his voice called "out on a Lim".

Outside darts[link]

Lim is a former military policeman and a former chef. He served his National Service in the Singapore army between the ages of 18 to 21. He came to Britain to seek a City and Guilds qualification course in cookery, studying at Battersea and Westminster Colleges in London and undertaking his first role as a chef at the Chelsea Hotel in Knightsbridge. It was whilst he was in Britain studying that he was introduced to the game of darts at the Robin Hood pub near Gunnersbury Station.

He settled in San Bernardino, California and is married to Janet. They have two sons, Christopher and Michael.

Appeared on Bullseye, scoring £203 for charity.

External links and references[link]

• Paul Lim biography
• Paul Lim lifeline and achievements
• Paul Lim profile