John Lowe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Lowe MBE
Lowe in 2009
Personal information
Nickname	"Old Stoneface"
Born	(1945-07-21) 21 July 1945 (age 79) New Tupton, Derbyshire, England
Home town	Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
Darts information
Playing darts since	1966
Darts	21g Unicorn World Champion Golden John Lowe
Laterality	Right-handed
Walk-on music	"Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" by Boney M.
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	1976–1993
PDC	1993–2007 (founding member)
BDO majors – best performances
World Ch'ship	Winner (3) 1979, 1987, 1993
World Masters	Winner (2) 1976, 1980
PDC premier events – best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi-Final: 1995, 1996
World Matchplay	Semi-Final: 1995, 2002
World Grand Prix	Semi-Final: 2001
UK Open	Last 16: 2005
Other tournament wins
News of the World 1981 Butlins Grand Masters 1977 MFI World Matchplay 1984 British Matchplay 1978, 1985 Australian Grand Masters]] 1985 Autumn Gold Cider Masters 1987 BDO British Classic 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987 BDO Gold Cup 1978, 1979, 1982 British Open 1977, 1988 British Pentathlon 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 Canadian Open 1986, 1987, 1989 Denmark Open 1978, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1987 Dry Blackthorn Cider Masters 1983, 1986 Finnish Open 1992 French Open 1986 MFI World Pairs 1986 North American Open 1985, 1987 Welsh Open 1982
Other achievements
1984 – First televised nine-dart finish 1986 to 1993 – WDF England Captain (unbeaten)
Medal record Men's Darts Representing  England WDF World Cup Gold 1977 London Men's pairs Gold 1979 Las Vegas Men's pairs Gold 1979 Las Vegas Men's team Gold 1979 Las Vegas Men's overall Gold 1981 Nelson Men's singles Gold 1981 Nelson Men's team Gold 1981 Nelson Men's overall Gold 1983 Edinburgh Men's pairs Gold 1983 Edinburgh Men's team Gold 1983 Edinburgh Men's overall Gold 1985 Brisbane Men's pairs Gold 1985 Brisbane Men's overall Gold 1987 Copenhagen Men's pairs Gold 1987 Copenhagen Men's team Gold 1987 Copenhagen Men's overall Gold 1989 Toronto Men's pairs Gold 1989 Toronto Men's overall Gold 1991 Zandvoort Men's singles Gold 1991 Zandvoort Men's team Gold 1991 Zandvoort Men's overall Silver 1977 London Men's team Silver 1977 London Men's overall Bronze 1983 Edinburgh Men's singles Bronze 1985 Brisbane Men's team Bronze 1989 Toronto Men's team WDF Europe Cup Gold 1978 Copenhagen Men's singles Gold 1978 Copenhagen Men's pairs Gold 1978 Copenhagen Men's overall Gold 1980 Ebbw Vale Men's team Gold 1980 Ebbw Vale Men's overall Gold 1984 The Hague Men's singles Gold 1984 The Hague Men's team Gold 1984 The Hague Men's overall Gold 1986 Turku Men's singles Gold 1986 Turku Men's pairs Gold 1986 Turku Men's team Gold 1986 Turku Men's overall Gold 1988 Yarmouth Men's overall Gold 1990 Paola Men's team Gold 1990 Paola Men's overall Gold 1992 Helsinki Men's team Gold 1992 Helsinki Men's overall Silver 1990 Paola Men's pairs Silver 1992 Helsinki Men's singles Bronze 1978 Copenhagen Men's team Bronze 1980 Ebbw Vale Men's pairs Bronze 1988 Yarmouth Men's team Bronze 1992 Helsinki Men's pairs
Updated on 19 October 2022.

John Lowe (born 21 July 1945) is a famous English former professional darts player. He was one of the top players in the 1980s, alongside other legends like Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson. John Lowe won the World Championship three times: in 1979, 1987, and 1993. He also won the Winmau World Masters twice and was a two-time World Cup singles champion. He won 15 major tournaments in total. In 1984, he made history by being the first player to achieve a televised nine-dart finish.

John Lowe is one of only six players to win the World Championship three or more times. He was also the first to win it in three different decades. In 1993, he was one of 16 players who left the British Darts Organisation (BDO). They started their own group, the World Darts Council, which is now called the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

John Lowe's Darts Career

John Lowe won the World Championship title in three different decades. These wins were in 1979, 1987, and 1993. He often played against his rival, Eric Bristow, in big matches. It took him four tries to finally beat Bristow in a World Championship final, which he did in 1987.

The First Televised Nine-Dart Finish

On October 13, 1984, John Lowe made darts history. He achieved the first ever televised nine-dart finish during the World Matchplay tournament. A nine-dart finish is like a perfect game in darts. It means a player scores 501 points in just nine throws. This is the fewest throws possible to win a leg of darts.

Lowe's amazing finish was shown on ITV. He hit a rare combination of treble 17, treble 18, and double 18 on his last three darts. For this incredible achievement, he won £102,000. He even went on to win that tournament!

Other Major Wins and Achievements

Besides his three world titles, John Lowe won many other important tournaments. He won the Winmau World Masters twice. He also won two British Open titles and two British Matchplay championships. He was a two-time World Cup Singles champion. He also won three European Cup Singles Titles.

John Lowe played for England over 100 times. He was the captain of the England team for seven years. During this time, his team was never beaten!

Sportsmanship and Nickname

John Lowe was known for his good manners and fair play during games. This was sometimes different from other players like Eric Bristow. Lowe also took good care of his health, which was not always common for darts players.

Many darts players have nicknames. John Lowe's nickname was "Old Stoneface." This name came from his calm and steady way of playing. He didn't show much emotion during matches. "Old Stoneface" is also the title of his book, which came out in 2005.

Long Career in Darts

John Lowe played in the televised World Championship for a record 28 years in a row. His first appearance was in the very first championship in 1978. His last appearance was in 2005. In that final game, he lost to John Verwey from Canada.

In 1980, Lowe played at the Alexandra Palace in front of 7,000 fans. This was during the News of the World Championship.

Lowe was also the secretary of the World Professional Dart Players Association. This group later became the Professional Dart Players Association (PDPA). In 2005, he celebrated 30 years as a professional player. He tried to qualify for the World Championship every year until 2008.

Life After Professional Darts

After his main darts career, John Lowe wrote a book called The Art of Darts in May 2009. In this book, he shares his tips and ideas about the game. It's for both amateur players and those who want to become professional. In 2013, The Art of Darts was also made into an app for iPhones and iPads.

In 2014, John Lowe appeared on a new game show on ITV called Amazing Greys. On this show, regular people compete against famous British sports and entertainment stars.

John Lowe's Personal Life

John Lowe was born in New Tupton, Derbyshire, England. He is married to Karen, and they live in Chesterfield. They both support the Sunderland football club.

World Championship Results

John Lowe played in many World Championships. Here are his results:

BDO World Championship Results

• 1978: Runner-up (lost to Leighton Rees 7–11 legs)
• 1979: Winner (beat Leighton Rees 5–0 sets)
• 1980: 2nd round (lost to Cliff Lazarenko 0–2)
• 1981: Runner-up (lost to Eric Bristow 3–5)
• 1982: Runner-up (lost to Jocky Wilson 3–5)
• 1983: Quarter-finals (lost to Keith Deller 3–4)
• 1984: Semi-finals (lost to Eric Bristow 0–6)
• 1985: Runner-up (lost to Eric Bristow 2–6)
• 1986: Quarter-finals (lost to Bob Anderson 3–4)
• 1987: Winner (beat Eric Bristow 6–4)
• 1988: Runner-up (lost to Bob Anderson 4–6)
• 1989: Semi-finals (lost to Eric Bristow 1–5)
• 1990: 2nd round (lost to Ronnie Sharp 2–3)
• 1991: 1st round (lost to Peter Evison 2–3)
• 1992: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 4–5)
• 1993: Winner (beat Alan Warriner 6–3)

PDC World Championship Results

• 1994: Group Stage (beat Tom Kirby 3–2 and lost to Larry Butler 2–3)
• 1995: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 4–5)
• 1996: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 1–5)
• 1997: Last 24 group (lost to Jamie Harvey 2–3 and beat Paul Lim 3–1)
• 1998: Last 24 group (lost to Peter Manley 0–3 and lost to Gary Mawson 0–3)
• 1999: 2nd round (lost to Phil Taylor 1–3)
• 2000: Quarter-finals (lost to Dennis Smith 3–5)
• 2001: 2nd round (lost to Jamie Harvey 0–3)
• 2002: 2nd round (lost to Peter Manley 5–6)
• 2003: 2nd round (lost to Les Fitton 1–4)
• 2004: 3rd round (lost to Alan Warriner 3–4)
• 2005: 2nd round (lost to John Verwey 2–3)

WSDT World Championship Results

• 2022: 2nd round (lost to Dave Prins 0-3)

Career Finals: Major Wins

John Lowe played in many important finals throughout his career. Here are some of his biggest wins:

• BDO Major Titles (9 wins)
  • World Championship: 1979, 1987, 1993
  • World Masters: 1976, 1980
  • Butlins Grand Masters: 1977
  • British Matchplay: 1978, 1985
  • MFI World Matchplay: 1984

• WDF Major Titles (5 wins)
  • Europe Cup Singles: 1978, 1984, 1986
  • World Cup Singles: 1981, 1991

• Independent Major Titles (1 win)
  • News of the World Championship: 1981

Nine-Dart Finishes

John Lowe is famous for hitting the first ever televised nine-dart finish. This means he scored 501 points in just nine darts.

John Lowe's Televised Nine-Dart Finishes

Date	Opponent	Tournament	How he did it	Prize
13 October 1984	Keith Deller	World Matchplay	3 x Triple 20; 3 x Triple 20; Triple 17, Triple 18, Double 18	£102,000