Eric Bristow
Encyclopedia
Eric Bristow MBE
("The Crafty Cockney") (born 25 April 1957) is a British
darts
player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.
in 1980, defeating fellow Londoner Bobby George
, and so began a decade's worth of domination, in which he would retain his title in 1981 and win it again in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Like his snooker
contemporary Steve Davis
, however, he had to cope also with a shock defeat during this period, when young unknown Keith Deller
beat him in the 1983 final, not to mention Steve Brennan in the previous year's 1st Round. He finished as runner-up on four other occasions up to 1991.
The nickname of the Crafty Cockney was given to Bristow when he visited an English pub of that name in 1976 during a visit to Santa Monica, California
. Bristow wore a shirt (which he received from the same pub) depicting a uniformed British policeman, a Union Flag
and the title Crafty Cockney whenever he took part in a tournament.
in a similar manner to the drinking of tea
, often but falsely attributed to the English upper class
- "me perked up right pinkie" he called it. Yet when he pulled the dart back from aiming position, he circled it with all of his fingers, therefore leading to speculation that the routine with the little finger was worthless to his throw. When asked about it, Bristow admitted the style was "just for show".
from 1980 until 1987. He was fortunate to have been around at the right time as television
began showing increased interest in the sport in the late 1970s, with the first world championship occurring in 1978. This, allied to the fact that a governing body had been formed in January 1973 and that Bristow had not only supreme talent for one so young but an imposing personality and uncontained belief, enabled him to make a very successful living. Cocky and arrogant, he invariably wound opponents up before and during matches with his gamesmanship
. Crowds would boo Bristow when he was on stage, no less so than in Scotland
, an atmosphere
in which he revelled. During the 1982 Arrows Chemicals British International Championship match in Scotland, Bristow was subject to what Darts World Magazine called "the most sustained barrage of jeering witnessed at a Darts match" - he played to the crowd during his game with Harry Patterson - following a Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (more booing..) next dart, Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (even more booing, shouting..) third dart was single 20 but he smiled and the crowd applauded - Bristow at his incomparable best.
As well as his world championship exploits, Bristow also lifted the prestigious Winmau World Masters
crown no fewer than five times (1977 beating Paul Reynolds, 1979 beating Canadian Allan Hogg, 1981 beating defending champion John Lowe
, 1983 beating Mike Gregory and 1984 beating Keith Deller). He also reached the final in 1982 losing to Jocky Wilson
and in 1989, losing to Peter Evison. He was a winner of the World Cup Singles on four occasions (1983 beating Jocky Wilson, 1985 beating Tony Payne, 1987 beating Bob Sinnaeve and 1989 beating Jack McKenna) and won the News of the World Darts Championship
in 1983 beating Ralph Flatt and 1984 beating Ian Robertson together with countless other major tournaments including the British Open and Swedish Open three times each and the North American Open on four occasions.
condition known as dartitis
, a bit like the yips
in golf
. It seems, looking back at footage of his career, that it was gradually building up - the fluent throwing action had slowed in the previous year and he certainly struggled in April 1987 in the Nations Cup where he was particularly ragged for England. He was never the same player again but did, incredibly, regain the number one ranking briefly in 1990.
Bristow had come across a raw darts talent in Stoke-on-Trent
in the late 1980s and offered him £10,000 to fund his development in the game, on the understanding that the cash would be repaid. The player was Phil Taylor who would go on to usurp his mentor
as the greatest darts player ever, with Bristow often on the receiving end of his brilliance.
Bristow's form deteriorated alarmingly in the early 1990s and he was dropped from the Merseyside
team (his third county) where he played with his international team mate Kevin Kenny
and then the national side. The split within darts (another governing body was formed) coincided with, effectively, the end of his career. At the World Matchplay event in Blackpool, Bristow made six appearances and never managed to win a single match. His swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship
which he lost, ironically, to his protégé Taylor. Bristow's last appearance came at the World Championships in 2000 - ending his 23 years run of playing in the event and he ceased playing the sport professionally. He now works mainly as a pundit
and occasional commentator for Sky Sports
during PDC tournaments, whilst continuing to travel and play on the "exhibitions" circuit. Eric still plays a lot of competitive and exhibition darts, and he and John Lowe
are currently doing exhibitions throughout the country with the Legends Tour (darts). Eric returned to the darting TV screens in 2008 on Setanta Sports
to compete in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, beating Bobby George
in the opening match 7-5. Unfortunately, Eric, no longer the great darts player he was, failed to maintain his form, and he never won another match in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals, and finishing bottom of the League of Legends table.
The success of the League of Legends on Setanta was immediate, Eric, John Lowe and Bobby George joined with comedian Duncan "Chase me" Norvelle
, who hosted and presented a 2009 Theatre tour of the UK and Ireland.
, a seasoned TV presenter that "...No-one in the world can beat me, Kid...you ask'em all.." He was still 25.
The 1985 tournament, again won by Bristow with victory over Lowe, saw him make the comment, whilst holding the winner's trophy in the post match BBC interview "....I've got millions of these....'e ain't.." His reaction to a defeat by Steve Brennan
in the 1986 MFI World Matchplay tournament was "...I keep losing to wallies." Never short of a word before or after a match, he was pure box-office with plenty of histrionics during games.
Following an invitation by Raymond van Barneveld
to witness the 2006 BDO
darts final, Bristow caused heated controversy by labelling the British Darts Organisation (rival to the PDC) as 'amateur darts' following Jelle Klaasen
's 7-5 triumph (Klaasen's win also saw him take Bristow's record of youngest player to ever win the championship). One of Eric's comments was that "If (Jelle Klaasen) were to face the real world champion (Phil Taylor), Phil would absolutely destroy him". Klaasen would play Taylor later that year in a Dutch WDF tournament, with Klaasen winning.
for his services to sport in 1989.
In 1979 Bristow was the subject of an intimate film portrait directed by Scottish filmmaker John Samson. Entitled Arrows
, the 30 minute film was released as a theatrical trailer to the classic British gangster film The Long Good Friday
.
Bristow was accused of assaulting his wife, Jane (born 1962) in 2005. They had been married since around 1989. North Staffordshire magistrates ordered him to stay away from the family home in Milltown Way, Leek, Staffordshire and he was remanded on conditional bail. Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on 29 April 2005. He was eventually cleared of the charges. After the case was concluded Bristow said that his wife had just got a new boyfriend and wanted a divorce and he was now living with his children at his mother's house in Leek. Bristow was also involved in a public disturbance in Gateshead, which was by chance recorded by police reality show Street Crime UK, and then broadcast as part of an episode of the show.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
("The Crafty Cockney") (born 25 April 1957) is a 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...
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, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.
Early career
Bristow won his first world championshipWorld championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
in 1980, defeating fellow Londoner Bobby George
Bobby George
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...
, and so began a decade's worth of domination, in which he would retain his title in 1981 and win it again in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Like his snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
contemporary Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
, however, he had to cope also with a shock defeat during this period, when young unknown Keith Deller
Keith Deller
Keith Deller is an English darts player, who won the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship in 1983. He was the first qualifier ever to win the championship and remains one of the youngest champions in history...
beat him in the 1983 final, not to mention Steve Brennan in the previous year's 1st Round. He finished as runner-up on four other occasions up to 1991.
The nickname of the Crafty Cockney was given to Bristow when he visited an English pub of that name in 1976 during a visit to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Bristow wore a shirt (which he received from the same pub) depicting a uniformed British policeman, a Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
and the title Crafty Cockney whenever he took part in a tournament.
Technique
The way players hold a dart when playing the game has no rules nor recommended technique - players grasp a dart simply in the manner with which they feel comfortable. Bristow became known more than other players, however, for his style, which involved the extension of his little fingerFinger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
in a similar manner to the drinking of tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, often but falsely attributed to the English upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
- "me perked up right pinkie" he called it. Yet when he pulled the dart back from aiming position, he circled it with all of his fingers, therefore leading to speculation that the routine with the little finger was worthless to his throw. When asked about it, Bristow admitted the style was "just for show".
Achievements
Bristow emerged as the most successful and consistent darts player of the 1980s, reigning as number one in the world rankingsDarts world rankings
Darts world rankings are a system which should determine a list of the best dart players in the world based on their performances in tournaments...
from 1980 until 1987. He was fortunate to have been around at the right time as television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
began showing increased interest in the sport in the late 1970s, with the first world championship occurring in 1978. This, allied to the fact that a governing body had been formed in January 1973 and that Bristow had not only supreme talent for one so young but an imposing personality and uncontained belief, enabled him to make a very successful living. Cocky and arrogant, he invariably wound opponents up before and during matches with his gamesmanship
Gamesmanship
Gamesmanship is the use of dubious methods to win a game. It has been described as "Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end"...
. Crowds would boo Bristow when he was on stage, no less so than in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, an atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
in which he revelled. During the 1982 Arrows Chemicals British International Championship match in Scotland, Bristow was subject to what Darts World Magazine called "the most sustained barrage of jeering witnessed at a Darts match" - he played to the crowd during his game with Harry Patterson - following a Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (more booing..) next dart, Treble 20, he turned to the crowd (even more booing, shouting..) third dart was single 20 but he smiled and the crowd applauded - Bristow at his incomparable best.
As well as his world championship exploits, Bristow also lifted the prestigious Winmau World Masters
Winmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
crown no fewer than five times (1977 beating Paul Reynolds, 1979 beating Canadian Allan Hogg, 1981 beating defending champion 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 -...
, 1983 beating Mike Gregory and 1984 beating Keith Deller). He also reached the final in 1982 losing to 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...
and in 1989, losing to Peter Evison. He was a winner of the World Cup Singles on four occasions (1983 beating Jocky Wilson, 1985 beating Tony Payne, 1987 beating Bob Sinnaeve and 1989 beating Jack McKenna) and won the News of the World Darts Championship
News 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 1983 beating Ralph Flatt and 1984 beating Ian Robertson together with countless other major tournaments including the British Open and Swedish Open three times each and the North American Open on four occasions.
Dartitis and mentoring
During the Swedish Open in the summer of 1987, he found himself unable to let go of his darts properly - a psychologicalPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
condition known as dartitis
Dartitis
Dartitis is a condition which can affect dart players, and severely damage their performance and results. It can be compared to the 'yips', an expression used to describe apparent loss of fine motor skills without any explanation...
, a bit like the yips
Yips
Yips or the yips is an expression used to describe the apparent loss of certain fine motor skills seemingly without explanation in one of a number of different sports....
in golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. It seems, looking back at footage of his career, that it was gradually building up - the fluent throwing action had slowed in the previous year and he certainly struggled in April 1987 in the Nations Cup where he was particularly ragged for England. He was never the same player again but did, incredibly, regain the number one ranking briefly in 1990.
Bristow had come across a raw darts talent in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
in the late 1980s and offered him £10,000 to fund his development in the game, on the understanding that the cash would be repaid. The player was Phil Taylor who would go on to usurp his mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
as the greatest darts player ever, with Bristow often on the receiving end of his brilliance.
Bristow's form deteriorated alarmingly in the early 1990s and he was dropped from the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
team (his third county) where he played with his international team mate Kevin Kenny
Kevin Kenny
Kevin Kenny is a former darts player who played for England and Merseyside. Kenny received 12 caps for England, winning 11 times, and 116 caps for Merseyside, winning 92. He was also a two time semi-finalist at the BDO World Darts Championships and a semi-finalist at the News of the World Darts...
and then the national side. The split within darts (another governing body was formed) coincided with, effectively, the end of his career. At the World Matchplay event in Blackpool, Bristow made six appearances and never managed to win a single match. His swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship
1997 PDC World Darts Championship
-Third Place Match:Peter Evison beat Eric Bristow 4 - 2...
which he lost, ironically, to his protégé Taylor. Bristow's last appearance came at the World Championships in 2000 - ending his 23 years run of playing in the event and he ceased playing the sport professionally. He now works mainly as a pundit
Pundit (politics)
A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable. The term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities...
and occasional commentator for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
during PDC tournaments, whilst continuing to travel and play on the "exhibitions" circuit. Eric still plays a lot of competitive and exhibition darts, and he 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 -...
are currently doing exhibitions throughout the country with the Legends Tour (darts). Eric returned to the darting TV screens in 2008 on Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
to compete in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, beating Bobby George
Bobby George
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...
in the opening match 7-5. Unfortunately, Eric, no longer the great darts player he was, failed to maintain his form, and he never won another match in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals, and finishing bottom of the League of Legends table.
The success of the League of Legends on Setanta was immediate, Eric, John Lowe and Bobby George joined with comedian Duncan "Chase me" 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...
, who hosted and presented a 2009 Theatre tour of the UK and Ireland.
Darting controversy
Bristow can always be relied upon for quotes and sometimes controversy. Following his win over John Lowe in the 1982 Unipart British Professional, he told Tony GubbaTony Gubba
Tony Gubba is a British journalist and sports commentator. He was educated at Blackpool Grammar School in Blackpool, a coastal town in England's North West...
, a seasoned TV presenter that "...No-one in the world can beat me, Kid...you ask'em all.." He was still 25.
The 1985 tournament, again won by Bristow with victory over Lowe, saw him make the comment, whilst holding the winner's trophy in the post match BBC interview "....I've got millions of these....'e ain't.." His reaction to a defeat by Steve Brennan
Steve Brennan
Steve Brennan is a former darts player who competed in the 1980s. He was a civil engineer from Leiston and began playing county darts for Suffolk in 1979-80...
in the 1986 MFI World Matchplay tournament was "...I keep losing to wallies." Never short of a word before or after a match, he was pure box-office with plenty of histrionics during games.
Following an invitation by 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...
to witness the 2006 BDO
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
darts final, Bristow caused heated controversy by labelling the British Darts Organisation (rival to the PDC) as 'amateur darts' following Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
's 7-5 triumph (Klaasen's win also saw him take Bristow's record of youngest player to ever win the championship). One of Eric's comments was that "If (Jelle Klaasen) were to face the real world champion (Phil Taylor), Phil would absolutely destroy him". Klaasen would play Taylor later that year in a Dutch WDF tournament, with Klaasen winning.
Personal life
Bristow was awarded the MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his services to sport in 1989.
In 1979 Bristow was the subject of an intimate film portrait directed by Scottish filmmaker John Samson. Entitled Arrows
Arrows
Arrows Grand Prix International was a British Formula One team active from to . For a period of time, it was also known as Footwork.-Origins :...
, the 30 minute film was released as a theatrical trailer to the classic British gangster film The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979 but, because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film...
.
Bristow was accused of assaulting his wife, Jane (born 1962) in 2005. They had been married since around 1989. North Staffordshire magistrates ordered him to stay away from the family home in Milltown Way, Leek, Staffordshire and he was remanded on conditional bail. Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on 29 April 2005. He was eventually cleared of the charges. After the case was concluded Bristow said that his wife had just got a new boyfriend and wanted a divorce and he was now living with his children at his mother's house in Leek. Bristow was also involved in a public disturbance in Gateshead, which was by chance recorded by police reality show Street Crime UK, and then broadcast as part of an episode of the show.