Jocky Wilson facts for kids

John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson (born March 22, 1950 – died March 24, 2012) was a famous Scottish professional darts player. He became a professional in 1979 and quickly became one of the best players. Jocky won the World Professional Darts Championship twice, first in 1982 and then again in 1989.

He played in all the big darts tournaments of his time. He also won the British Professional Championship four times, which was a record. Jocky Wilson was a big rival to other top players like Eric Bristow and John Lowe. Even though he had a unique style, he was very skilled at darts. He stopped playing darts suddenly in 1995 due to health issues. After that, he stayed out of the public eye until he passed away in 2012.

Jocky Wilson's Early Life

Jocky Wilson spent some of his childhood in an orphanage. He started playing darts in a local pub in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. The owner of the pub helped him by giving him a used dartboard to practice on.

Before becoming a darts star, Jocky served in the British Army from 1966 to 1968. He also worked in different jobs, like delivering coal, processing fish, and working as a miner. It was during a time when he was unemployed that he found his path to becoming a great darts player.

In 1979, while he was unemployed, Jocky entered a darts competition at Butlins in Ayrshire. He won the competition and took home £500. This success made him decide to become a professional darts player.

Jocky Wilson's Darts Career

Becoming a Darts Champion

In 1981, Jocky Wilson and his Scotland teammates, Rab Smith and Angus Ross, won the BDO Nations Cup final. They beat England's top players, including the world number one, Eric Bristow, and Cliff Lazarenko.

Jocky's biggest wins were at the World Championships. In 1982, he won his first title by beating John Lowe 5-3 in the final. Seven years later, in 1989, he won again. This time, he beat his big rival, Eric Bristow, in an exciting match. Bristow had been losing 5-0 but came back to 5-4 before Jocky won 6-4. This was Jocky's last major tournament win, but he still reached some finals in the years that followed.

Jocky was very consistent at the World Championship. From his first appearance in 1979 until 1991, he always reached at least the quarter-finals. He made it to the quarter-finals eight times and the semi-finals three times, in addition to his two world titles.

Jocky also appeared on television shows, including the popular darts quiz show Bullseye.

Eric Bristow, another darts legend, once talked about Jocky's unique style. Bristow said that Jocky would sometimes jerk his shoulder when throwing his third dart. But this unusual move didn't stop Jocky from being very accurate. Bristow called him "a one off" because of his special way of playing.

The Darts World Changes

In 1993, Jocky Wilson joined other top professional players who left the British Darts Organisation (BDO). They formed a new group called the WDC, which is now known as the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

However, Jocky wasn't able to play as well as he had before. He only played in two PDC World Championships and didn't win any matches. He lost both his group games in 1994 and 1995.

One notable moment during his time in the WDC was reaching the final of the 1993 WDC Skol UK Matchplay. In this tournament, Jocky hit a score of 240 with three darts in the quadruple 20 during his semi-final match against John Lowe. He lost the final to Dennis Priestley.

Jocky reached the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Matchplay tournament. His last appearance in a televised tournament was at the 1995 World Matchplay. He won his first round match but lost in the second round. After this, Jocky Wilson no longer appeared in major televised darts events.

Life After Darts

Jocky Wilson never officially announced his retirement from darts. He simply stopped playing suddenly on December 23, 1995. It is believed he left the sport after being diagnosed with diabetes. This health condition meant he couldn't drink during games, which was a big change for him.

For ten years during his darts career, Jocky had a house in Wallsend to make traveling easier. But he later moved back to his hometown of Kirkcaldy. In 1996, he said that he was responsible for his own situation. He was declared bankrupt in 1998 and lived a quiet life on a disability allowance. He also suffered from arthritis in his hands.

Jocky stopped giving interviews to the press and television. In 2009, a new darts tournament called "The Jocky Wilson Cup" was announced. In this event, Scotland's best players competed against England's best. England won the first tournament in December 2009.

Jocky Wilson was a heavy smoker for 40 years. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a serious lung condition. He passed away on March 24, 2012, at his home in Kirkcaldy, at the age of 62. Many people, including his rival Eric Bristow, attended his funeral.

Jocky Wilson's Personal Life

In 1982, Jocky Wilson was temporarily banned from darts tournaments. This happened after an incident where he was said to have reacted strongly towards an official. This was during the time of the Falklands War, and Jocky was married to an Argentine woman named Malvina. He was soon allowed to play professionally again.

Jocky loved eating sweets and didn't brush his teeth often. He had lost all his teeth by the age of 28. After winning his first World title in 1982, he bought false teeth. However, he didn't like them because they made him burp when he drank.

World Championship Results

BDO World Championship

• 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 World Championship

• 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)

Performance Timeline