1. Between 1980 and 1991, Bristow featured in ten BDO World Darts Championship finals, winning the title five times, in 1980,1981,1984,1985 and 1986.
31 Facts About Eric Bristow
1. 2.
Eric Bristow was a five-time World Masters Champion, a four-time World Cup singles champion and twice winner of the News of the World Darts Championship.
3.
Eric Bristow won 22 WDF and BDO Major titles, 65 individual career titles and 15 titles in team events, a total of 80 overall.
4.
Eric Bristow hosted the first two episodes of the darts-themed ITV game show Bullseye and regularly featured on the show.
5.
In late 1986, Eric Bristow began experiencing symptoms of dartitis, which affected his career thereafter.
6.
In 1957, Eric Bristow was born in the London Borough of Hackney, but brought up at 97 Milton Grove, Stoke Newington, when Stoke Newington was a borough in its own right, where his father was a plasterer and his mother worked as a telephone operator.
7.
Eric Bristow won his first world championship in 1980, defeating fellow Londoner Bobby George.
8.
Eric Bristow retained his title in 1981 and won it again in 1984,1985 and 1986.
9.
Eric Bristow suffered a shock defeat in a final during the 1980s, when the relatively unknown Keith Deller beat him in the 1983 final; he had lost to Steve Brennan in the previous year's first round.
10.
Eric Bristow wore a shirt depicting a uniformed British policeman, a Union Flag and the title Crafty Cockney whenever he took part in a tournament.
11.
Eric Bristow emerged as the most successful and consistent darts player of the 1980s, reigning as number one in the world rankings during most of the period from 1980 until 1987.
12.
Eric Bristow reached the final in 1989, losing to Peter Evison.
13.
Eric Bristow was never quite the same player again, but did regain the number-one ranking briefly in late 1989 and early 1990 before losing his form again.
14.
Eric Bristow's form deteriorated in the early 1990s and he was dropped from the Merseyside team in 1992.
15.
Eric Bristow had joined Merseyside, his third county, in 1988, after previously playing for London from 1976 to 1980 and for Staffordshire from 1980 to 1988.
16.
The split within darts saw Eric Bristow become a founding member of the Professional Darts Corporation.
17.
At the World Matchplay event in Blackpool, Eric Bristow made six appearances without winning a match.
18.
Eric Bristow's swansong came in a classic semi-final at the 1997 PDC World Championship, which he lost to his protege, Phil Taylor.
19.
Eric Bristow failed to maintain his form and did not win another match in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals and finishing bottom of the League of Legends table.
20.
In 2004, Eric Bristow played John Lowe, with Eric Bristow showing glimpses of his old form in winning the match 6 legs to 1.
21.
Eric Bristow was educated at Newington Green JM School before leaving for Hackney Downs Grammar School from 1968 to 1971, having passed his eleven-plus exam.
22.
From 1978 to 1987, Eric Bristow was in a relationship with former darts player Maureen Flowers.
23.
Eric Bristow was awarded the MBE in 1989 for his services to sport.
24.
Eric Bristow was alleged to have punched her in the face during a drunken row in their bedroom on 29 April 2005.
25.
In 2012, Eric Bristow participated in the reality show I'm a Celebrity.
26.
Eric Bristow suggested the victims should have "sorted out" the perpetrators when they were older.
27.
Eric Bristow was condemned by some social media users, including alleged victims of Bennell, for his comments.
28.
Eric Bristow died on 5 April 2018 after a heart attack while attending a Premier League Darts event at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
29.
Eric Bristow had finished playing some VIPs at a promotional event and was walking back to his car when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.
30.
Eric Bristow appeared in BDO and WDF major finals 31 times with a record of 22 wins and 9 runners-up.
31.
Eric Bristow appeared in independent major finals 2 times and won 2 titles.