Eric Bristow MBE
Bristow in 1985
Personal information
Full name	Eric John Bristow
Nickname	"The Crafty Cockney"
Born	(1957-04-25)25 April 1957 Hackney, London, England
Died	5 April 2018(2018-04-05) (aged 60) Liverpool, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1968
Darts	22g Harrows Eric Bristow
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Rabbit" by Chas & Dave
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1976–1993
PDC	1993–2007 (Founding Member)
WDF major events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (5): 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986
World Masters	Winner (5): 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi-final: 1997
World Matchplay	Last 32: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
Other tournament wins
Belgium Open 1978, 1980, 1981 British Gold Cup 1980 British Open 1978, 1981, 1983, 1986 British Pentathlon 1981, 1989 Denmark Open 1980, 1984, 1989 Dry Blackthorn Cider Masters 1984, 1985, 1987 Flowers Dartsathlon 1984 French Open 1985 Golden Darts Championship 1979, 1980 Golden Gate Classic 1980 Isle Of Man Challenge 1983 Japan Open 1991 Las Vegas Open 1990 Los Angeles Open 1985 MFI World Pairs 1987 North American Open 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986 Pacific Masters 1981, 1986 PDC World Pairs 1995 Santa Monica Open 1979 Swedish Open 1979, 1981, 1982 Tokyo World Darts Grand Prix 1988 WDF World Cup Singles 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 WDF World Cup Pairs – (Team event) 1977, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 WDF World Cup Team – (Team event) 1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1991 WDF Europe Cup Pairs 1978, 1986 World Champion Super Challenge 1984 Best Old Major Results News of the World 1983, 1984 Butlins Grand Masters 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986 MFI World Matchplay 1985, 1988 British Professional 1982, 1985 British Matchplay 1982, 1983, 1986
Other achievements
1989 Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE[1]
Updated on 19 March 2008.

Eric John Bristow MBE (25 April 1957 – 5 April 2018), nicknamed "The Crafty Cockney", was an English professional darts player.

He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985. He was a five-time World Champion,^[2] a five-time World Masters Champion a four-time World Cup singles champion and 2-time champion of the News of the World Darts Championship. He won 22 WDF and BDO Major titles, he won 62 individual career titles, added to 20 titles in team events, winning 82 overall.^[3] 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 (BDO) to form their own organisation, which became the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

He retired from competitive darts in 2007 and subsequently worked as a commentator and pundit on Sky Sports darts coverage.

Early career

In 1957, Bristow was born in the London Borough of Hackney, where his father was a plasterer and his mother worked as a telephone operator.^[4] He left school at age 14.^[4]

Bristow won his first world championship in 1980, defeating fellow Londoner Bobby George. Bristow retained his title in 1981 and won it again in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Like his snooker contemporary Steve Davis, however, he also had to cope with a shock defeat in a final during the 1980s, when young unknown Keith Deller beat him in the 1983 final; he had also lost to Steve Brennan in the previous year's first round. As well as his five world titles, Bristow also finished as runner-up on five occasions, the last in 1991.

The nickname 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.

Achievements

Bristow emerged as the most successful and consistent darts player of the 1980s, reigning as number one in the world rankings during most of the period from 1980 until 1987. 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 was vastly talented with an imposing personality and uncontained self belief, enabled him to make a very successful living. Cocky and arrogant, he invariably irritated opponents before and during matches with his gamesmanship. Crowds would often 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 only to be greeted with boos; his next dart was a treble 20, after which he turned to the crowd who met him with even more boos and jeers; lastly, his third dart was only a single 20, but the crowd applauded and Bristow merely grinned.

As well as his world championship exploits, Bristow also lifted the prestigious Winmau World Masters crown 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 1989, losing to Peter Evison.

Bristow 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 (becoming only the second man in 57 years to successfully defend that title) 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

During the Swedish Open in November 1986, Bristow found himself unable to let go of his darts properly – a psychological condition known as dartitis,^[5] similar to the yips in golf. He was never quite the same player again, but did regain the number-one ranking briefly in late 1989 and early 1990 before losing his form again. He reached the semi-finals of the 1997 WDC World Darts Championship at the Circus Tavern, where he narrowly lost to Phil Taylor 4–5 in sets.

Mentoring Phil Taylor

In the 1980s, Bristow came across Phil Taylor, then a raw young darts talent in Stoke-on-Trent. He sponsored him with about £10,000 to fund his development in the game,^[5] on the understanding that the money would be repaid. Taylor went on to usurp his mentor as the greatest darts player ever, with Bristow often on the receiving end of his brilliance.

Later career and retirement

Bristow's form deteriorated in the early 1990s and he was dropped from the Merseyside team in 1992. Bristow had joined Merseyside, his third county, in 1988, after previously playing for London from 1976 to 1980 and for Staffordshire from 1980 to 1988. With Merseyside, Bristow played with his international teammate Kevin Kenny, and after being dropped by Merseyside, he was dropped from the England national side later the same year. The split within darts saw Bristow become a founding member of the Professional Darts Corporation.

At the World Matchplay event in Blackpool, Bristow made six appearances without winning a match. His swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship, which he lost to his protégé, Phil Taylor. Bristow's last appearance came at the World Championships in 2000, ending his 23-year run of playing in a world championship. He stopped playing professionally after the event.

From late December 1993,^[6] until November 2016, when he was dismissed,^[7] he worked mainly as a spotter, a pundit and an occasional commentator for Sky Sports^[5] during televised PDC tournaments, while continuing to travel and play on the exhibition circuit. Bristow returned to TV screens as a player in 2008 on Setanta Sports to compete in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, beating Bobby George 7–5 in the opening match. Bristow failed to maintain his form, however, and did not win another match in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals and finishing bottom of the League of Legends table. In 2004, Bristow played John Lowe, with Bristow showing glimpses of his old form in winning the match 6 legs to 1.

On 29 November 2016, Bristow was sacked by Sky Sports following a series of tweets in which he responded to the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal centred around the football coach and convicted child sex offender, Barry Bennell. Bristow suggested the victims should have "sorted out" the perpetrators when they were older.^[7][8][9] According to him, "Dart players tough guys footballers wimps". Bristow was condemned by some social media users, including alleged victims of Bennell, for his comments.^[10] Bristow apologised for his comments the following day. In a statement, he compared himself to a "bull in a China shop" and "appreciated my wording was wrong and offended many people".^[11][6]

Personal life

Bristow in 2009

Bristow was educated at Hackney Downs Grammar School from 1968 to 1971, having passed his eleven-plus exam. He left grammar school at the age of 14.

From 1978 to 1987, Bristow was in a relationship with former darts player Maureen Flowers. In 1989, he married Jane Higginbotham (born 1962). They had two children, a daughter and a son. They divorced in 2005 after 16 years of marriage, and he was later in a relationship with Rebecca Gadd until his death.

In 1979, Bristow was the subject of a film directed by Scottish filmmaker John Samson entitled “Arrows.” The 30-minute short got its cinema release as the supporting feature for the 1980 British gangster film The Long Good Friday.

Bristow was awarded the MBE in 1989 for his services to sport.^[12]

In 2005, Bristow was accused of assaulting his wife. North Staffordshire magistrates ordered him to stay away from the family home in Milltown Way, Leek, Staffordshire and he was remanded on conditional bail.^[13] Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on 29 April 2005.^[14] He was subsequently cleared of the charges.^[15]

In 2012, Bristow participated in the reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!^[16] He was voted out on 29 November 2012, finishing fourth out of 12 celebrities.^[17]

Bristow's father, George, was an Arsenal supporter. George and Eric would go together to Arsenal games in the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. Despite Eric going to many Arsenal games with his father, Eric became a supporter of Chelsea from the late 1960s until the end of his life.

Death

Bristow died on 5 April 2018, after a heart attack while attending a Premier League Darts event at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Bristow had finished playing some VIPs at a promotional event and was walking back to his car, when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. Bristow's death was announced during the match between Peter Wright and Daryl Gurney. The crowd paid tribute to Bristow. Speaking to BBC Radio Two, Bobby George said: "In the afternoon, I was doing a show at a pub opposite the Premier League (darts) building, and he just came in, said 'hello' and had a pint, then said 'see ya', I said 'see ya' because I was working... he went across the road, and two-and-a-half hours later, he was gone.^[18][19]

World Championship results

Career finals

BDO and WDF major finals: 31 (22 wins, 9 runners-up)

Legend

World Championship (5–5)

World Masters (5–1)

British Professional (2–0)

World Matchplay (2–0)

Grand Masters (5–1)

British Matchplay (3–2)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score[Note 1]
Runner-up	1.	1977	British Matchplay (1)	Rab Smith	Unknown
Winner	1.	1977	Winmau World Masters (1)	Paul Reynolds	3–1 (s)
Runner-up	2.	1977	Butlins Grand Masters (1)	John Lowe	4–5 (s)
Winner	2.	1979	Winmau World Masters (1)	Allan Hogg	2–0 (s)
Winner	3.	1980	World Darts Championship (1)	Bobby George	5–3 (s)
Winner	4.	1981	World Darts Championship (2)	John Lowe	5–3 (s)
Winner	5.	1981	Butlins Grand Masters (1)	John Lowe	Unknown
Winner	6.	1981	Winmau World Masters (3)	John Lowe	2–1 (s)
Winner	7.	1982	British Matchplay (1)	Dave Whitcombe	2–0 (s)
Winner	8.	1982	Butlins Grand Masters (2)	Cliff Lazarenko	Unknown
Winner	9.	1982	British Professional Championship (1)	John Lowe	7–3 (s)
Runner-up	3.	1983	World Darts Championship (1)	Keith Deller	5–6 (s)
Winner	10.	1983	British Matchplay (2)	Keith Deller	3–2 (s)
Winner	11.	1983	Butlins Grand Masters (3)	Jocky Wilson	5–1 (s)
Winner	12.	1983	Winmau World Masters (4)	Mike Gregory	2–1 (s)
Winner	13.	1984	World Darts Championship (3)	Dave Whitcombe	7–1 (s)
Winner	14.	1984	Winmau World Masters (5)	Keith Deller	3–1 (s)
Winner	15.	1985	World Darts Championship (4)	John Lowe	6–2 (s)
Winner	16.	1985	Butlins Grand Masters (4)	Terry O'Dea	5–3 (s)
Winner	17.	1985	MFI World Matchplay (1)	Bob Anderson	5–4 (s)
Winner	18.	1985	British Professional Championship (2)	John Lowe	7–4 (s)
Winner	19.	1986	World Darts Championship (5)	Dave Whitcombe	6–0 (s)
Winner	20.	1986	British Matchplay (3)	Dave Whitcombe	3–1 (s)
Winner	21.	1986	Butlins Grand Masters (5)	Bob Sinnaeve	Unknown
Runner-up	4.	1987	World Darts Championship (2)	John Lowe	4–6 (s)
Runner-up	5.	1987	British Matchplay (2)	Dave Whitcombe	0–3 (s)
Winner	22.	1988	MFI World Matchplay (2)	Bob Sinnaeve	5–1 (s)
Runner-up	6.	1989	World Darts Championship (3)	Jocky Wilson	4–6 (s)
Runner-up	7.	1989	Winmau World Masters (1)	Peter Evison	2–3 (s)
Runner-up	8.	1990	World Darts Championship (4)	Phil Taylor	1–6 (s)
Runner-up	9.	1991	World Darts Championship (5)	Dennis Priestley	0–6 (s)

WDF major finals: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-up)

Legend

World Cup (4–0)

Europe Cup (0–2)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1980	Europe Cup Singles (1)	Tony Brown	?–?
Runner-up	2.	1982	Europe Cup Singles (2)	Bobby George	0–4
Winner	1.	1983	World Cup Singles (1)	Jocky Wilson	4–2 (l)
Winner	2.	1985	World Cup Singles (2)	Tony Payne	4–2 (l)
Winner	3.	1987	World Cup Singles (3)	Bob Sinnaeve	?–? (l)
Winner	4.	1989	World Cup Singles (4)	Jack McKenna	?–? (l)

Independent major finals: 2 (2 titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	1983	News of the World Championship (1)	Ralph Flatt	2–0 (l)
Winner	2.	1984	News of the World Championship (2)	Ian Robertson	2–0 (l)

Note

1. ↑ (l) = score in legs, (s) = score in sets.

Performance timeline

High averages

Eric Bristow televised high averages

Average	Date	Opponent	Tournament	Stage	Score	Ref.
105.30	17 September 1983	Alan Glazier	British Professional Championship	Last 32	3–0 (S)
103.24	22 October 1983	Jocky Wilson	World Cup	Final	4–2 (L)
101.16	8 December 1984	Keith Deller	Winmau World Masters	Final	3–1 (S)
99.66	11 January 1985	Dave Whitcombe	World Darts Championship	Semi-finals	5–2 (S)

References

External links

• Eric Bristow's profile and stats on Darts Database
• Arrows – A John Samson documentary about Eric Bristow (1979)
• Eric Bristow at the British Film Institute