The British Open is one of the longest-running darts events, having started just a few months after the first ever Winmau World Masters. The tournament used to be televised by the BBC from its inception, but it ceased to cover the event after 1983. It was often held between Christmas and New Year - the 1975 Championship was actually played in late 1974. The tradition was maintained until near the millennium, when the organisers moved the tournament back to September/October.

Year	Champion (average in final)	Score	Runner-Up (average in final)	Total Prize Money	Champion	Runner-Up
1975	Alan Evans Alan Evans (darts player) David "Alan" Evans was a Welsh professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.Evans was one of the early faces of television darts and had some tournament success in the 1970s...	?-?	Alan Glazier Alan Glazier Alan Glazier is a retired English darts player. He used the nickname "The Ton Machine" and was noted for his all-black outfits....	£1,440	£750	£300
1976	Jack North	?-?	Brian Vaux	£2,080	£1,000	£400
1977	John Lowe John Lowe John Lowe is an English darts player who was one of the best-known men in darts during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the United Kingdom. Lowe is one of only five players to have won the World Championship 3 times.-Biography:Lowe won the World Championship title in three different decades -...	?-?	Cliff Lazarenko Cliff Lazarenko Cliff Lazarenko is an English professional darts player who competed for the British Darts Organisation and the Professional Darts Corporation...	£2,940	£,1000	£500
1978	Eric Bristow Eric Bristow Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...	3-2	John Lowe	£2,810	£1,000	£500
1979	Tony Brown Tony Brown (darts player) Tony Brown is a former English professional darts player. He reached the World Professional Darts Championships semi-finals four times, losing twice to Eric Bristow and twice to John Lowe....	?-?	Brian Langworth	£3,810	£2,000	£500
1980	Cliff Lazarenko	?-?	Ray Cornibert	£3,810	£2,000	£500
1981	Eric Bristow	?-?	Leighton Rees Leighton Rees Leighton Thomas Rees was the first ever World Professional Darts Champion.-Early life:Rees was born in the village of Ynysybwl, where he was to spend most of his life...	£5,310	£3,000	£750
1982	Jocky Wilson Jocky Wilson John Thomas Wilson known as "Jocky" Wilson, is a former Scottish darts champion. He retired from the game in 1995.Wilson was twice World professional Darts Champion in 1982 and 1989...	2-1	Eric Bristow	£6,140	£3,000	£1,000
1983	Eric Bristow	2-0	Mike Gregory	£6,140	£3,000	£1,000
1984	Cliff Lazarenko	2-1	Barry Noble	£6,140	£3,000	£1,000
1985	John Cosnett John Cosnett John Cosnett is a retired English professional darts player who competed in the 1980s.He has one daughter from his first marriage & a son & daughter off his second to Cherry who he is still married to....	?-?	Peter Locke Peter Locke Peter Locke is a retired Welsh professional darts player.Locke made his World Championship debut in the 1983 BDO World Darts Championship, losing in the first round to Terry O'Dea...	£8,420	£4,000	£1,500
1986	Eric Bristow	2-1	John Lowe	£10,580	£5,000	£2,500
1987	Bob Anderson Bob Anderson (darts player) Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson is a former world darts champion. He was ranked as world number one for over three years in the late 1980s. Nicknamed The Limestone Cowboy, he lives in Clevedon in Somerset.-Before Darts:Anderson threw his first darts maximum at the age of just five...	2-0	Steve Cusick	£11,160	£5,000	£2,000
1988	John Lowe	?-?	Bob Anderson	£11,160	£5,000	£2,000
1989	Brian Cairns Brian Cairns Brian Cairns was a Welsh darts player.Cairns played in the BDO World Darts Championship twice. In 1987, he beat 1983 World Champion Keith Deller in the first round but lost in the second round to Sweden's Lars Erik Karlsson...	2-0	Martin Hurley	£11,800	£5,000	£2,000
1990	Alan Warriner-Little Alan Warriner-Little Alan Warriner-Little is an English professional darts player. He currently lives in Crosby, Cumbria and plays with the nickname The Iceman...	2-1	Wayne Jones Wayne Jones (darts player) Wayne Alan Jones is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He uses the nickname The Wanderer for his matches....	£9,520	£4,000	£2,000
1991	Mike Gregory	2-1	John Lowe	£9,520	£4,000	£2,000
1992	Phil Gilman Phil Gilman Phil Gilman is an English darts player.Gilman rose to prominence by winning the prestigious British Open in 1992, beating Dennis Priestley in the final. He made his television debut on the hit game show Bullseye, competing in the charity bronze bully round, scoring 200 points...	3-1	Dennis Priestley Dennis Priestley Dennis Priestley is an English professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively...	£7,820	£3,000	£1,500
1993	Dennis Priestley	?-?	Dave Askew Dave Askew Dave Askew is an English darts player who competes in the Professional Darts Corporation. Askew is a twice semi-finalist in the PDC World Championship, both in 2001 and 2002 and on both occasions losing to eventual winner Phil Taylor.- Overview :Askew began competing in major tournaments in the...	£7,820	£3,000	£1,500
1994	Martin Adams Martin Adams Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...	?-?	Stefan Nagy Stefan Nagy Stefan Nagy is a Swedish darts player who competed in British Darts Organisation events.At the 1992 BDO World Darts Championship he was defeated 3-0 by Rod Harrington in the first round. 2002 saw Nagy's return to Lakeside, where he beat Gary Anderson in the first round but lost in the last 16 to...	£6,720	£3,000	£1,000
1995	Al Hedman	?-?	Andy Fordham Andy Fordham Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...	£6,720	£3,000	£1,000
1996	Roland Scholten Roland Scholten Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...	?-?	Bob Taylor Bob Taylor (darts player) Bob Taylor is a Scottish darts player who played in the British Darts Organisation.Taylor made eleven appearances in the BDO World Darts Championship, losing in the first round in seven of his first eight showings with his one win coming in 1994 against American Tony Payne before losing in the...	£6,560	£3,000	£1,000
1997	Kevin Painter Kevin Painter Kevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...	?-?	Andy Smith Andy Smith (darts player) Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...	?	?	?
1998	Colin Monk Colin Monk Colin Monk is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is turning full time professional in January 2010....	?-?	Ritchie Davies Ritchie Davies Ritchie Davies is a Welsh former professional darts player from Aberdare. Davies is most well known for his run at the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship, where he reached the final.-Darts career:...	?	?	?
1999	Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...	?-?	Peter Manley Peter Manley Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...	?	?	?
2000	Mervyn King	?-?	Wayne Mardle Wayne Mardle Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...	?	?	?
2001	John Walton John Walton (darts player) John Michael Walton is an English darts player who is a former World Champion. He has adopted the nickname The Boy and uses the song Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex as his walk-on theme.-Darts career:...	?-?	Steve Beaton Steve Beaton Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...	?	?	?
2002	Tony Eccles Tony Eccles Tony Eccles is a Winmau sponsored darts player currently residing in Hartlepool. He uses the nickname The Viper.-BDO career:...	?-?	Tony David Tony David Tony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State...	£4,980	£2,500	£1,000
2003	Darryl Fitton Darryl Fitton Darryl Fitton is an English professional darts player currently playing in BDO events. He is nicknamed The Dazzler and comes to the stage dancing to the Madness song "One Step Beyond" wearing sunglasses. It is one of the most popular walk-ons with the audience...	?-?	Mervyn King	?	?	?
2004	Martin Adams (102.81)	2-1	Mervyn King (101.07)	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000
2005	Brian Sorensen Brian Sorensen Brian Sorensen is a Danish darts player who competes for the British Darts Organisation.Sorensen reached the quarter finals of the 2000 WDF Europe Cup, beating Martin Phillips and Kevin Painter along the way before losing to Northern Ireland's Mitchell Crooks, the eventual winner...  (94.41)	2-0	Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player, nicknamed Mighty Mike. He is the youngest player in history to win a major televised tournament in either the BDO or the PDC, winning the 2006 Winmau World Masters at the age of 17...  (82.77)	?	?	?
2006	Mick Reed	2-0	Mark Barilli Mark Barilli Mark Barilli is a Scottish darts player who plays in British Darts Organisation events. He is well known for his throwing style where he changes the speed of his throw from fast to slow alternatively, and also for attempting outrageous outshots including one occasion where he attempted to check...	?	?	?
2007	Gary Anderson Gary Anderson (darts player) Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. His nickname is The Flying Scotsman...	2-0	John Henderson John Henderson (darts player) John Henderson is a Scottish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Henderson briefly played in the Professional Darts Corporation, playing one tournament in Scotland and then the 2003 UK Open where he lost in the first round having won his Preliminary match...	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000
2008	John Henderson (95.49)	4-2	Gary Anderson (96.48)	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000
2009	Dave Chisnall Dave Chisnall Dave Chisnall is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.- Personal Life :In September 2011 his girlfriend Michaela gave birth to his first daughter...	2-0	Martin Atkins Martin Atkins (darts player) Martin Atkins is an English darts player. His nickname is "The Assassin". His most notable achievement is beating former BDO World Champion Jelle Klaasen to win the Finnish Open on 11 March 2006...	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000
2010	Ted Hankey Ted Hankey Edward "Ted" Hankey is an English darts player who is a two-time BDO World Professional Darts Champion. His nickname is The Count and his walk on music is Be On Your Way by DJ Zany. Hankey built up a large following due to his obsession with and resemblance to Dracula...	3-0	Andrew Gilding	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000
2011	Scott Waites Scott Waites Scott Waites is an English professional darts player who plays in tournaments organised by the British Darts Organisation.-Darts career:... (97.49)	3-1	Willy Van Der Wiel(93.12)	£6,040	£3,000	£1,000