Eric Bristow was an English professional darts player who was nicknamed The Crafty Cockney.
He was born on April 25, 1957, in Hackney, London, England, and died on April 5, 2018, in Liverpool, England, at the age of 60.
Bristow was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985.
He won five World Championships and was a dominant force in the sport in the 1980s.
Bristow also played a key role in mentoring 16-time world champion Phil Taylor and moved into broadcasting with Sky Sports after retiring from the sport in 2000.
He was sacked by Sky Sports in 2016 after making insensitive comments on Twitter about soccer players who had been sexually abused as children, but he later apologized.
Bristow was also an actor, known for Heartlands (2002), Never the Twain (1981) and PDC World Championship Darts (2006).
Eric Bristow early life
Bristow was born in the Hackney borough of London.
His father, George, was a plasterer, and his mother, Pamela, was a telephone operator.
Bristow grew up in Stoke Newington and was attracted to the area’s more roguish elements.
He was educated at Hackney Downs Grammar School from 1968 to 1971, having passed his eleven-plus exam.
Eric Bristow cause of death
The five-time world darts champion, died on April 5, 2018, at the age of 60, after suffering a heart attack outside the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Bristow was working as a hospitality host at a tournament when he collapsed.
He had finished playing some VIPs at a promotional event and was walking back to his car when the heart attack occurred.
Bristow was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Eric Bristow career
Bristow was an English professional darts player nicknamed ‘The Crafty Cockney’ and was a dominant force in the sport during the 1980s.
He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983-1985.
Bristow won five World Championships, all as part of the British Darts Organisation (BDO), between 1980 and 1986.
In addition to his World Championship titles, Bristow also won five World Masters titles and had 70 career titles.
Bristow’s skill and personality played a significant role in turning darts into a worldwide spectator sport during the 1980s.
In 1993, he was one of sixteen top players who broke away from the BDO to form their own organization, which became the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
Bristow retired from competitive darts in 2007 and later worked as a commentator and pundit on Sky Sports’ darts coverage.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1989.
