The Crafty Cockney is brown bread.

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Eric Bristow has died. Often controversial but undoubtedly a legend in the game of darts. I remember many a weekend with my old man (who was well into darts) watching him play on telly.

[Robbie]

Yes & he was only sixty! Sad.

[floo]

According to the news that guy was a very heavy drinker and smoker so it is no wonder he had an early death.

[Owlswing]

At the time when Eric Bristow was World Champion I was a player in my local pub's darts team and he and Jockie Wilson came to play some of the locals.

They, the pros, were handicapped by only being allowed to score on doubles, trebles, 25 and bull but, needless to say, neither of them lost a single game.

I was still on 184 when Eric checked out and the closest anyone got to beating either of the pros was 47, but it was an evening of great fun and Eric was really great to watch and both guys were down-to-earth and without a trace of 'I'm a star'.   

[jeremyp]

At the time when Eric Bristow was World Champion I was a player in my local pub's darts team and he and Jockie Wilson came to play some of the locals.

They, the pros, were handicapped by only being allowed to score on doubles, trebles, 25 and bull but, needless to say, neither of them lost a single game.

I was still on 184 when Eric checked out and the closest anyone got to beating either of the pros was 47, but it was an evening of great fun and Eric was really great to watch and both guys were down-to-earth and without a trace of 'I'm a star'.

I don't play darts at all but I once had a conversation with a man who was an enthusiast and player in his local pub darts team. He had played in an exhibition match against John Lowe at his local and got completely hammered (in the sense of losing). His said that, under those conditions, any top darts player can put the darts anywhere on the board at will. Apparently John Lowe had demonstrated as much.

What made Eric Bristow champion so many times was his ability to do it under extreme pressure.  He probably would have beaten you if he had been restricted to 1 and the bullseye.