Eric Bristow

Eric Bristow MBE ("The Crafty Cockney") (born 25 April 1957) is a former professional English darts player. He was ranked World No1 by the World Darts Federation a record six times from (1980–81,83–85, 90). He is a five time World Champion a five time World Masters Champion and a four time World Cup singles champion. He won twenty two WDF and BDO Major titles and seventy career titles overall. In the 1980s, Bristow's skill and personality helped turn darts into a worldwide spectator sport.

In 1993, Bristow was one of sixteen top players who broke away from the British Darts Organisation to form their own organisation, which became the Professional Darts Corporation. He retired from competitive darts in 2007 and now works as a commentator and pundit on Sky Sports' darts coverage.

Early career

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.