| Eric Bristow, MBE | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Personal information | ||
| Nickname | The Crafty Cockney | |
| Date of birth | April 25, 1957 | |
| Place of birth | Hackney,  |
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| Home town | Leek, Staffordshire, |
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| Organisation (see split in darts) | ||
| BDO | 1979 to 1993 | |
| PDC | founder member (1993) | |
| Current World Ranking | 217 | |
| BDO Grand Slam Events - Best Performances | ||
| World Ch'ship | Winner 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986 | |
| World Masters | Winner 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984 | |
| PDC Majors - Best Performances | ||
| World Ch'ship | SF 1997 | |
| World Matchplay | 1st Rd (6 times, 94-99) | |
| Other Televised PDC events - Best Performances | ||
| Other Tournament Wins | ||
| Tournament | Years | |
| News of the World WDF World Cup Singles |
1983, 1984 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989 |
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| Other Achievements | ||
| 1989 Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE[1] 2005 Inducted (with John Lowe) as first members of PDC Hall of Fame |
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Infobox last updated on: 19 November, 2006. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land |
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Eric Bristow MBE ("The Crafty Cockney") (born Hackney, London, 25 April 1957 [2]is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations }The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Darts refers to a variety of related games in which darts are thrown at a circular target (dartboard hung on a wall The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989.
Contents |
Early career
Bristow won his first world championship 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. A world championship(s is the top achievement for any sport or Contest. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Bobby George (born December 16, 1945) is an English Darts player and pundit who is known as one of the leading characters in the game for Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) 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. Snooker is a Cue sport that is played on a large Baize -covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long Steve Davis, OBE, (born Steven Davis August 22, 1957, Plumstead, London) is an English professional Snooker Keith Deller (born December 24, 1959 in Ipswich) is an English Darts player who won the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) He finished as runner-up on four other occasions up to 1991. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.
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. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It became a nomenclature which stuck throughout his career. 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. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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 finger 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. A finger is a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the Hands of Humans and other Primates Normally humans have five digits Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market Is a concept in Sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a Social hierarchy. 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 rankings from 1 January 1980 until 1987. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. 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 New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) 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. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) 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. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Cocky and arrogant, he invariably wound opponents up before and during matches with his gamesmanship. Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal methods to win a Game, such as Golf or Snooker. Crowds would boo Bristow when he was on stage, no less so than in Scotland, an atmosphere in which he revelled. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. An atmosphere (from Greek ατμός - atmos, " Vapor " + σφαίρα - sphaira, " Sphere " 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, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1984). The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running professional darts tournaments which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) He was a winner of the World Cup Singles on four occasions (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) and won the News of the World tournament in 1983 and 1984 together with countless other major tournaments including the British Open and Swedish Open three times each and the North American Open on four occasions. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The News of the World Individual Darts Championship was one of the first major organised darts competitions which began in 1927
Dartitis and Mentoring
During the Swedish Open in the summer of 1987, he found himself unable to let go of his darts properly - a psychological condition known as dartitis, a bit like the yips in golf. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Dartitis (pronounced dart-eye-tis is a condition which can affect dart players and severely damage their performance and results Yips, or The yips is an expression describing an apparently baseless sudden loss of ability in one of a number of different sports 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 the April of '87 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. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)
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. Stoke-on-Trent ( often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city in Staffordshire, England which forms a linear Conurbation almost 12 miles (19 The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. 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. Philip Douglas Taylor (born August 13 1960 is a 13 time world champion English darts player whose nickname is The Power. MENTOR / The National Mentoring Partnership is an advocate and resource for Mentoring in the United States.
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 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Merseyside is a Metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1365900 Kevin Kenny (born 1961 is a former professional Darts player who played for England and Merseyside, and was also a two time semi-finalist at the BDO 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. The Stan James World Matchplay is a darts tournament, played in a legs format, and is run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC His swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship which he lost, ironically, to his protégé Phil Taylor. The 1997 Red Band World Darts Championship was held between 29 December, 1996 and 5 January, 1997 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet 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. A pundit is someone who offers to mass-media his/her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis, the Social sciences British Sky Broadcasting ( BSkyB — Sky Television and BSB) is a company that operates Sky Digital, a subscription television service in the Eric still plays a lot of competitive and exhibition darts and he and John Lowe are currently doing exhibitions through out the country with the Legends Tour. John Lowe (born in New Tupton, Derbyshire on 21 July 1945) was one of the main competitors who made Darts such a huge spectator The BetFred League of Legends is a darts tournament featuring some of the legends of the game of darts which commenced in May 2008
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 Gubba, a seasoned TV presenter that ". . . No-one in the world can beat me, Kid. . . you ask'em all. . " He was still 25. His reaction to a defeat by Steve Brennan in the 1986 MFI World Matchplay tournament was ". Steve Brennan (born 2 February 1951) is a former Darts player who competed in the 1980s . . 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. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is a Personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and Attention -seeking including an
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. Raymond van Barneveld (born April 20 1967 in The Hague, Netherlands) nickname Barney and The Man, is a professional The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short is a Darts Organisation. Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October, 1984) is the youngest darts player ever to win the World Darts 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". However, Klaasen got the last laugh. Although his form has failed to stay consistent with his world title win, he proved Eric wrong by defeating Taylor in the International Darts League, an even sweeter accomplishment as the tournament was held in Klaasen's home country of the Netherlands. Philip Douglas Taylor (born August 13 1960 is a 13 time world champion English darts player whose nickname is The Power. The Topic International Darts League was a Darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands
Personal life
Bristow was awarded the MBE for his services to darts in 1989. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V.
Bristow is a polydactyl, having six toes on his right foot, which some say gave him an advantage in balance over other players. Polydactyly or polydactylism (from Ancient Greek πολύς (polus "many" + δάκτυλος (daktulos
Bristow was accused of assaulting his wife, Jane (b. 1962) in 2005. They had been married since c. 1989. North Staffordshire magistrates ordered him to stay away from the family home in Millington Way, Leek, Staffordshire and he was remanded on conditional bail. [3] Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on April 29, 2005. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [4]. He was eventually cleared of the charges. [5] 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. [6] 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.
References
External links
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