Eric Bristow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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)
BDO majors – 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
Updated on 19 March 2008.

Eric John Bristow, also known as "The Crafty Cockney", was a very famous English darts player. He was born on April 25, 1957, and passed away on April 5, 2018.

Eric Bristow was ranked the number one darts player in the world five times. This was a record! He won the World Championship five times and the World Masters five times. He also won many other big tournaments. In total, he won 82 titles in his career. In the 1980s, Eric's amazing skill and strong personality made darts a popular sport around the world.

In 1993, Eric Bristow and 15 other top players decided to create their own darts group. This group became known as the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He stopped playing darts professionally in 2007. After that, he worked as a commentator and expert for Sky Sports, sharing his knowledge of the game.

Eric Bristow's Early Career

Eric Bristow was born in Hackney, London. His father was a plasterer, and his mother worked as a telephone operator. Eric left school when he was 14 years old.

He won his first world championship in 1980. He beat another London player, Bobby George, in a match that many say changed darts forever. This win started nearly a decade where Eric was the best player. He won the World Championship again in 1981, 1984, 1985, and 1986. He also reached the final five other times.

Eric got his famous nickname, Crafty Cockney, in 1976. He was visiting a pub with that name in Santa Monica, California. When he played in tournaments, Eric often wore a shirt from that pub. It showed a British policeman, the Union Flag, and the words Crafty Cockney.

Eric Bristow's Amazing Achievements

Eric Bristow was the most successful darts player in the 1980s. He was ranked number one in the world for most of that time. He was lucky because television started showing more interest in darts in the late 1970s. This helped him become very well-known.

Eric had incredible talent and a very confident personality. He was known for his strong self-belief. Sometimes, he would try to get into his opponents' heads before and during matches. Crowds would often boo him, especially in Scotland, but he seemed to enjoy it.

In 1982, during a match in Scotland, the crowd booed Eric a lot. When he hit a good shot, he would turn to the crowd. They would boo even louder! But Eric just grinned, showing he didn't mind.

Besides his World Championship wins, Eric also won the Winmau World Masters five times. He won it in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1984. He also won the World Cup Singles four times (1983, 1985, 1987, and 1989). He won the News of the World Darts Championship twice, in 1983 and 1984. He was only the second player in 57 years to win that title two years in a row. He also won many other big tournaments, like the British Open and Swedish Open three times each.

Dealing with Dartitis

In November 1986, Eric Bristow faced a challenge called dartitis. This is a psychological condition, a bit like the yips in golf. It made it hard for him to let go of his darts properly. After this, he was never quite the same player.

He did briefly get back to the number-one ranking in late 1989 and early 1990. His last big moment in professional darts was in 1997. He reached the semi-finals of the 1997 WDC World Darts Championship and had a very close match, losing 4–5 to Phil Taylor.

Mentoring Phil Taylor

In the 1980s, Eric Bristow met a young darts player named Phil Taylor. Phil was very talented but needed help to develop his skills. Eric helped Phil by giving him about £10,000 to support his darts career. This money was meant to be paid back later. Phil Taylor went on to become an even greater darts player than Eric, often beating his former mentor.

Later Career and Retirement

Eric Bristow's playing form started to decline in the early 1990s. He became a founding member of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) when darts split into two main organizations. He continued to play in some big events, but his last appearance at a World Championship was in 2000. After that, he stopped playing professionally.

From 1993 until 2016, Eric worked for Sky Sports. He was a spotter, an expert, and sometimes a commentator for televised PDC tournaments. He also continued to travel and play in exhibition matches. In 2008, he played in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, winning his first match against Bobby George. However, he didn't win any more matches in that tournament.

Personal Life

Bristow in 2009

Eric Bristow went to Hackney Downs Grammar School from 1968 to 1971. He left school when he was 14.

In 1989, he married Jane Higginbotham. They had two children, a daughter and a son. They later divorced in 2005.

In 1979, a film called “Arrows” was made about Eric Bristow. He also played himself in the 2002 movie Heartlands.

Eric Bristow was given the MBE award in 1989. This award recognized his important contributions to sports.

In 2012, Eric Bristow took part in the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! He finished in fourth place out of 12 celebrities.

Eric's father, George, was a big fan of the football club Arsenal. They often went to Arsenal games together. However, Eric himself became a supporter of Chelsea from the late 1960s. He also shared his father's dislike for their rival team, Tottenham Hotspur.

Eric Bristow's Death

Eric Bristow passed away on April 5, 2018, from a heart attack. He was at a Premier League Darts event in Liverpool. He had just finished playing some darts with VIP guests and was walking to his car when he collapsed. His death was announced during a match at the event, and the crowd paid tribute to him. His friend, Bobby George, said that Eric had visited him earlier that day, had a drink, and then left, only to pass away a few hours later.

World Championship Results

BDO World Championship

• 1978: 1st Round (lost to Conrad Daniels 3–6 legs)
• 1979: Quarter Finals (lost to Alan Evans 1–3 sets)
• 1980: Winner (beat Bobby George 5–3)
• 1981: Winner (beat John Lowe 5–3)
• 1982: 1st Round (lost to Steve Brennan 0–2)
• 1983: Runner Up (lost to Keith Deller 5–6)
• 1984: Winner (beat Dave Whitcombe 7–1)
• 1985: Winner (beat John Lowe 6–2)
• 1986: Winner (beat Dave Whitcombe 6–0)
• 1987: Runner Up (lost to John Lowe 4–6)
• 1988: Semi Finals (lost to John Lowe 2–5)
• 1989: Runner Up (lost to Jocky Wilson 4–6)
• 1990: Runner Up (lost to Phil Taylor 1–6)
• 1991: Runner Up (lost to Dennis Priestley 0–6)
• 1992: 2nd Round (lost to Martin Phillips 2–3)
• 1993: 2nd Round (lost to Bob Anderson 0–3)

PDC World Championship

• 1994: Group Stage (lost to Rod Harrington 1–3 & beat Sean Downs 3–2)
• 1995: Group Stage (lost to Rod Harrington 0–3 & lost to Shayne Burgess 0–3)
• 1996: Group Stage (lost to Dennis Priestley 0–3 & beat Richie Gardner 3–2)
• 1997: Semi Finals (lost to Phil Taylor 4–5 & lost 3rd Place Match to Peter Evison 2–4)
• 1998: Group Stage (lost to Dennis Priestley 0–3 & lost to Steve Raw 0–3)
• 1999: 1st Round (lost to Peter Manley 0–3)
• 2000: 1st Round (lost to Steve Brown 2–3)

Career Finals

BDO and WDF Major Finals: 31 (22 wins, 9 runners-up)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
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)

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)

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)

Images for kids

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  Bristow in 1985

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  Bristow in 2009