Bobby George
Encyclopedia
Robert Francis George is an English
darts
player and presenter. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King of Darts" makes his way to the stage bedecked in jewellery, wearing a crown and cloak and holding a candelabra to the sound of Queen's
"We Are the Champions
".
George won several leading darts tournaments, appeared in two World Championship
finals and was the first full time exhibition player. Since 1998, he has also worked for the BBC as a co-presenter and promoter of the sport during their coverage of various darts tournaments.
in 1979 and 1986, the Butlins
Grand Masters in 1979 and 1980, and the Nations Cup in 1980, as part of an England
triples team with Tony Brown and John Lowe
. George's News of the World victory in 1979 came without dropping a single leg, the only player to do so.
George has reached the final of the World Professional Darts Championship
twice. In his first final in 1980 he lost to Eric Bristow
. Suffering with a broken back, George reached his second world final in 1994. In the semi-final he came from behind to beat Sweden
's Magnus Caris
5-4 having trailed 4-1. Competing against doctor's advice he went on to lose the final against John Part
6-0.
Since 1998 George has been a co-presenter and pundit on the BBC
darts coverage, primarily of the BDO World Championship
. He has also made several other television appearances, not all relating to darts. In 2004 he starred in the British
comedy film One Man and His Dog and later he followed in the footsteps of fellow professional darts player Andy Fordham
by taking part in the ITV
programme Celebrity Fit Club. In 2006, he appeared in a regular segment of Brainiac: Science Abuse
series 4, in which he played darts in order to explode caravans
. He was also a team captain in Showbiz Darts
again alongside Fordham. In 2010 Bobby performed Run DMC's 'walk this way' on Lets Dance for Sport Relief with Tony O'Shea
, Willie Thorne
, and Dennis Taylor
.
His colourful character has enabled George to also be successful on the darts exhibition circuit. He became the games first full time exhibition player when he stopped playing regular tournaments in 1986. In 2009 he teamed up with Bristow and John Lowe
to tour theatres around the UK and Ireland, appearing in a show named Legends of the Oche which was presented and hosted by comedian Duncan Norvelle
. He also appeared in a 2009 episode of BBC's Cash in the Attic
, London
. After leaving school, he had various jobs including as a nightclub bouncer
and floor layer before taking up darts.
George lives with his wife and manager Marie and their sons Robert and Richard at George Hall, an 18-bedroom self-built mansion he jokingly refers to as "the house that Bobby built". The Hall is located on 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of land once owned by William the Conqueror in Ardleigh
near Colchester
on the borders of Essex
and Suffolk
. The layout of the rooms have been designed to look like a dartboard. George is a keen fisherman, and within the George Hall grounds are well-stocked fishing lakes.
George has worked as an ambassador for basic arithmetic, touring schools teaching children how darts can help with counting skills.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player and presenter. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King of Darts" makes his way to the stage bedecked in jewellery, wearing a crown and cloak and holding a candelabra to the sound of Queen's
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
"We Are the Champions
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems...
".
George won several leading darts tournaments, appeared in two World Championship
World Professional Darts Championship
The World Professional Darts Championship is one of the most important tournaments in the darts calendar. Originally held as an annual event between 1978 and 1993, players then broke off into two separate organisations after a controversial split in the game...
finals and was the first full time exhibition player. Since 1998, he has also worked for the BBC as a co-presenter and promoter of the sport during their coverage of various darts tournaments.
Career
George only took up darts at the age of 30, but quickly improved, winning the first tournament he entered, and then making his first appearance at the World Masters less than a year later. He has won several tournaments around the world, including the prestigious News of the World ChampionshipNews of the World Darts Championship
The News of the World Individual Darts Championship was one of the first major organised darts competitions, which began in 1927. It became England's first national darts competition from 1947 until its demise in 1990...
in 1979 and 1986, the Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
Grand Masters in 1979 and 1980, and the Nations Cup in 1980, as part of an England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
triples team with Tony Brown and 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 -...
. George's News of the World victory in 1979 came without dropping a single leg, the only player to do so.
George has reached the final of the World Professional Darts Championship
World Professional Darts Championship
The World Professional Darts Championship is one of the most important tournaments in the darts calendar. Originally held as an annual event between 1978 and 1993, players then broke off into two separate organisations after a controversial split in the game...
twice. In his first final in 1980 he lost to 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 :...
. Suffering with a broken back, George reached his second world final in 1994. In the semi-final he came from behind to beat Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Magnus Caris
Magnus Caris
Magnus Caris is a Swedish darts player.Caris made seven BDO World Darts Championship appearances, his first coming in 1988, losing in the first round to Rick Ney of the United States...
5-4 having trailed 4-1. Competing against doctor's advice he went on to lose the final against John Part
John Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
6-0.
Since 1998 George has been a co-presenter and pundit on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
darts coverage, primarily of the BDO World Championship
BDO World Darts Championship
The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
. He has also made several other television appearances, not all relating to darts. In 2004 he starred in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy film One Man and His Dog and later he followed in the footsteps of fellow professional darts player 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...
by taking part in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
programme Celebrity Fit Club. In 2006, he appeared in a regular segment of Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse
Brainiac: Science Abuse is a British entertainment TV show with a science motif. Numerous experiments are carried out in each show, often to verify whether common conceptions are true or simply to create impressive explosions...
series 4, in which he played darts in order to explode caravans
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
. He was also a team captain in Showbiz Darts
Showbiz Darts
Showbiz Darts was a British televised celebrity darts tournament which first aired in 2006 on the digital television channel Challenge. It was presented by Sarah Cawood, with famous darts stage host Martin Fitzmaurice, referee George Noble and commentator Tony Green.It was recorded in two sessions...
again alongside Fordham. In 2010 Bobby performed Run DMC's 'walk this way' on Lets Dance for Sport Relief with Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
, Willie Thorne
Willie Thorne
William Joseph "Willie" Thorne , is a former English professional snooker player and now a sports commentator.Thorne became national under-16 champion at both snooker and English billiards in 1970...
, and Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
.
His colourful character has enabled George to also be successful on the darts exhibition circuit. He became the games first full time exhibition player when he stopped playing regular tournaments in 1986. In 2009 he teamed up with Bristow and 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 -...
to tour theatres around the UK and Ireland, appearing in a show named Legends of the Oche which was presented and hosted by comedian Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle is a comedian in the variety tradition who appeared on television from the early and mid-1980s. He is probably most famous for his catch phrase "Chase Me!", leading to him often being referred to as Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle...
. He also appeared in a 2009 episode of BBC's Cash in the Attic
Tournament wins
- Essex Masters: 1976
- North American Open: 1978
- News of the World Darts ChampionshipNews of the World Darts ChampionshipThe News of the World Individual Darts Championship was one of the first major organised darts competitions, which began in 1927. It became England's first national darts competition from 1947 until its demise in 1990...
: 1979, 1986 - Butlins Grand Masters: 1979, 1980
- WDF Europe CupWDF Europe CupThe WDF Europe Cup is a darts tournament held biennially since 1978. The tournament consists of a team championship, a pairs championship and a singles championship. All events have a men's competition, and a women's competition . The next Europe Cup will be held in 2012, in Antalya,...
: 1982 (men's singles & team)
Personal life
George was born in Manor ParkManor Park, London
Manor Park is the name of an area in the London Borough of Newham, as well as of the local railway station and cemetery. There is another railway station - Woodgrange Park...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After leaving school, he had various jobs including as a nightclub bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
and floor layer before taking up darts.
George lives with his wife and manager Marie and their sons Robert and Richard at George Hall, an 18-bedroom self-built mansion he jokingly refers to as "the house that Bobby built". The Hall is located on 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of land once owned by William the Conqueror in Ardleigh
Ardleigh
Ardleigh is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located northeast of Colchester and is northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Tendring and the parliamentary constituency of North Essex. The village has its own Parish Council...
near Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
on the borders of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The layout of the rooms have been designed to look like a dartboard. George is a keen fisherman, and within the George Hall grounds are well-stocked fishing lakes.
George has worked as an ambassador for basic arithmetic, touring schools teaching children how darts can help with counting skills.
Quotes
- "Ton-eighties (or scores or trebles) for show and doubles for dough"
- "Throw where you're looking and look where you're throwing"
- "That's the way to do it, Luvverly jubberly."
- "May the darts be with you."