Keith Deller
Encyclopedia
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. Keith currently works for Sky Sports as a "spotter" along with Eric Bristow, Deller and Bristow both use their knowledge and experience to work out where players will be aiming for with their next dart for the camera crew. He also the manager of current PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis.
in the tournament by 6 sets to 5 was probably the biggest upset in the history of the championship. He also beat world number 3, John Lowe
in the quarter finals and defending champion and world number 2, Jocky Wilson
in the semi-final to become the only player in history to defeat the world's top three ranked players in the World Championship. The champion's prize money in 1983 was £8,000.
His checkout of 138 to clinch the trophy is amongst the most memorable in darting history.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/specials/world_darts_championship_2002/1706853.stm Bristow had left himself 50 to stay in the match, but decided to throw for single 18 to leave double 16 instead of a more difficult attempt at the bullseye. Deller then hit treble 20, treble 18, double 12 for the title and even to this day commentators often refer to 138 as the "Deller checkout" if a player is left with that score.
Despite a meteoric rise to World Champion, his career results failed to maintain that level. On the defence of his world title he lost in the first round to Nicky Virachkul
and he only won three further matches in the Embassy World Championship in subsequent years. He did win the British Professional Championship in 1987, but generally his world ranking continued to fall and he even failed to qualify for the World Championship between 1989 and 1993.
Deller was one of the players who broke away from the British Darts Organisation
in 1992 and joined the WDC, now the PDC
. This saw him gain some more television exposure and he did produce a few resurgent performances to reach the semi finals of the 1998 PDC World Championship and also the semi finals of the 1998 PDC World Matchplay. Deller dropped out of the top 32 of the PDC's World Rankings around 2005 and therefore has to attempt to qualify for their major tournaments - which he failed to do for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 PDC World Championships. He now competes much less on the circuit including around half-a-dozen UK Open Regional events during 2007, preferring to perform in more lucrative exhibition matches with fellow legend players such as Bristow and Lowe.
Deller's name has been in the record books on a couple of occasions. He held the Guinness World Record
for the fastest 3 legs of 301 in 97 seconds. On 13 October 1984 he was on the wrong end of a piece of darting history when Lowe hit the first-ever televised nine-dart finish
against him in the quarter-finals of the MFI World Matchplay. He became the first player in history to achieve a match average of 100 in the 1985 World Championship quarter-finals; he did, however, lose the game to Lowe.
Deller has for many years been part of the Sky Sports
broadcasting team acting as a "spotter" for the cameras. His knowledge of the players and scoring shots helps the director and cameramen anticipate where the next dart will be thrown.
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, who won the Embassy 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...
in 1983. He was the first qualifier ever to win the championship and remains one of the youngest champions in history. Keith currently works for Sky Sports as a "spotter" along with Eric Bristow, Deller and Bristow both use their knowledge and experience to work out where players will be aiming for with their next dart for the camera crew. He also the manager of current PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis.
Career
Deller's victory over Eric BristowEric 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 :...
in the tournament by 6 sets to 5 was probably the biggest upset in the history of the championship. He also beat world number 3, 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 -...
in the quarter finals and defending champion and world number 2, 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...
in the semi-final to become the only player in history to defeat the world's top three ranked players in the World Championship. The champion's prize money in 1983 was £8,000.
His checkout of 138 to clinch the trophy is amongst the most memorable in darting history.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/specials/world_darts_championship_2002/1706853.stm Bristow had left himself 50 to stay in the match, but decided to throw for single 18 to leave double 16 instead of a more difficult attempt at the bullseye. Deller then hit treble 20, treble 18, double 12 for the title and even to this day commentators often refer to 138 as the "Deller checkout" if a player is left with that score.
Despite a meteoric rise to World Champion, his career results failed to maintain that level. On the defence of his world title he lost in the first round to Nicky Virachkul
Nicky Virachkul
Nicky Virachkul was a professional darts player who competed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He competed in the third WDF World Cup darts tournament in 1979 and won the singles title...
and he only won three further matches in the Embassy World Championship in subsequent years. He did win the British Professional Championship in 1987, but generally his world ranking continued to fall and he even failed to qualify for the World Championship between 1989 and 1993.
Deller was one of the players who broke away from the British Darts Organisation
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....
in 1992 and joined the WDC, now the PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
. This saw him gain some more television exposure and he did produce a few resurgent performances to reach the semi finals of the 1998 PDC World Championship and also the semi finals of the 1998 PDC World Matchplay. Deller dropped out of the top 32 of the PDC's World Rankings around 2005 and therefore has to attempt to qualify for their major tournaments - which he failed to do for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 PDC World Championships. He now competes much less on the circuit including around half-a-dozen UK Open Regional events during 2007, preferring to perform in more lucrative exhibition matches with fellow legend players such as Bristow and Lowe.
Deller's name has been in the record books on a couple of occasions. He held the Guinness World Record
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for the fastest 3 legs of 301 in 97 seconds. On 13 October 1984 he was on the wrong end of a piece of darting history when Lowe hit the first-ever televised nine-dart finish
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
against him in the quarter-finals of the MFI World Matchplay. He became the first player in history to achieve a match average of 100 in the 1985 World Championship quarter-finals; he did, however, lose the game to Lowe.
Deller has for many years been part of the 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...
broadcasting team acting as a "spotter" for the cameras. His knowledge of the players and scoring shots helps the director and cameramen anticipate where the next dart will be thrown.
Unified
- 1983 Champion
- 1984 Last 32 lost to Nicky VirachkulNicky VirachkulNicky Virachkul was a professional darts player who competed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He competed in the third WDF World Cup darts tournament in 1979 and won the singles title...
1-2 - 1985 Quarter Final lost to John LoweJohn LoweJohn 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 -...
2-4 - 1986 Last 16 lost to Alan GlazierAlan GlazierAlan Glazier is a retired English darts player. He used the nickname "The Ton Machine" and was noted for his all-black outfits....
1-3 - 1987 Last 32 lost to Brian Cairns 0-3
- 1988 Last 32 lost to John Lowe 1-3
PDC
- 1994 Last 24 Group lost to Steve BrownSteve Brown (darts player)Steve Brown is an English-born American darts player who had the majority of his success during the 1990s when he finished third at the inaugural Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship in 1994 - after the majority of top players decided to separate from the British...
1-3 & Kevin SpiolekKevin SpiolekKevin Spiolek is an English darts player who played during the 1980s and 1990s. He made a brief return to form in 2006 when qualifying to play in the PDC World Darts Championship....
1-3 - 1995 Last 24 Group lost to Larry ButlerLarry Butler (darts player)Larry Butler is an American darts player, who was the winner of the 1994 PDC World Matchplay Darts Championship. This success made him the first, and so far only American player to have won a major darts tournament in Europe....
2-3 & Kevin Spiolek 1-3 - 1996 Quarter Final lost to Phil Taylor 0-4
- 1997 Quarter Final lost to Phil Taylor 1-5
- 1998 Semi Final lost to Dennis PriestleyDennis PriestleyDennis 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...
1-5 (lost 3rd place match to Rod HarringtonRod HarringtonRod Harrington is a former English darts player. He used the nickname The Prince of Style for his matches, often wearing a suit and waistcoast for his games...
1-4) - 1999 Last 32 lost to Bob AndersonBob 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...
2-3 - 2000 Last 16 lost to John Lowe 1-3
- 2001 Quarter Final lost to Phil Taylor 0-4
- 2002 Last 32 lost to Rod Harrington 3-4
- 2003 Last 32 lost to Richie BurnettRichie BurnettRichie Burnett is a Welsh darts player who was the 1995 Embassy World Darts Champion and currently plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. His nickname is The Prince of Wales.-BDO career:...
3-4 - 2004 Last 16 lost to Peter ManleyPeter ManleyPeter 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...
2-4 - 2005 Last 40 lost to Wayne JonesWayne 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....
1-3
External links
- Keith Deller's profile and stats on Darts Database
- Video Clip of John Lowe's 9 dart finish v Keith Deller