1978 BDO World Darts Championship

Post by **The Cat** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:22 pm

The very first World Championship was unique in a number of ways. Firstly, this was the one and only time the competition was played under matchplay leg format as opposed to setplay. This was also the only time it was played at the Heart of the Midlands Club in Nottingham.

The event was covered from its inception by the BBC with Sid Waddell providing commentary up until the acrimonious split with 1993 being the last time he commentated on it. Some of Sid’s most legendary turns of phrase were broadcast during his tenure at the event.

The initial sponsorship came from Imperial Tobacco in an agreement which lasted 25 years up until the ban on tobacco sponsorship, hence the competition becoming known as “The Embassy”.

Eric Bristow was the top seed but lost in the first round 6-3 to American Conrad Daniels.

Seeded 3 for the championship, Leighton Rees of Wales having overcome fellow Welshman Alan Evans 6-3 in the quarter finals and another American Nicky Virachkul narrowly 8-7 in the semi final, beat second seeded John Lowe of England in the final by 11 legs to 7 to become the very first World Champion claiming a prize of £3000.

Results:

1st round

1) Eric Bristow 3 – 6 Conrad Daniels

7) Nicky Virachkul 6 – 0 Hillyard Rossiter

5) Alan Evans 6 – 4 Alan Glazier

3) Leighton Rees 6 – 0 Barry Atkinson

4) Rab Smith 6 – 0 Patrick Clifford

6) Stefan Lord 6 – 3 Kenth Ohlsson

8) Tony Brown 3 – 6 Tim Brown

2) John Lowe 6 – 1 Bobby Semple

Quarter Finals

Conrad Daniels 4 – 6 Nicky Virachkul

Alan Evans 3 – 6 Leighton Ress

Rab Smith 3 – 6 Stefan Lord

Tim Brown 1 – 6 John Lowe

Semi Finals

Nicky Virachkul 7 – 8 Leighton Rees

Stefan Lord 4 – 8 John Lowe

3rd place playoff

Nicky Virachkul 5 – 4 Stefan Lord

Final

Leighton Rees 11 – 7 John Lowe

Prize money
Total Prize fund was £10,500

Champion £3,000
Runner-up £1,700
Third Place £1,000
Fourth Place £800
Quarter finalists £500
1st round losers £250

Post by **The Cat** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:26 pm

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Post by **slymaster** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:02 pm

Already got some clues how to research but maybe some1 over here knows it already.

The first world ranking came out in June 1978. How did they BDO nominate the seeds/players for the first World Championship in February 1978?

14 Players
+2 qualifiers (Glazier/Brown)
= 16 players
8 seeds

Post by **EKJamie** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:37 pm

I seem to remember John Lowe briefly mentioning something about this in his Old Stoneface autobiography but don't don't remember the specific details, I don't think the process was very scientific and more to do with ensuring that a number of players from around the world were involved rather than necessarily just the best players.

I also remember Bobby George dismissing the first World Championship because it was invite only and he obviously didn't get one. In fact he claims he was the real world champion in 1979 because he won the News of the World tournament.

Post by **slymaster** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:42 pm

(1) Eric Bristow vs Conrad Daniels
(7) Nicky Virachkul vs Hillyard Rossiter
(5) Alan Evans vs Alan Glazier
(3) Leighton Rees vs Barry Atkinson

(4) Rab Smith vs Patrick Clifford
(6) Stefan Lord vs Kenth Ohlsson
(8) Tony Brown vs Tim Brown
(2) John Lowe vs Bobby Semple

1978 qualifiers
Alan Glazier 11 Bill Lennard 9 (from 7-9 behind)
Tony Brown 11 Cliff Lazarenko 7

Tony Brown was seeded 8th but had to qualify...looks like there was some sort of ranking.

Post by **EKJamie** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:00 pm

If you're interested the next time I'm in Glasgow I'll visit the reference library there and see if I can find out which matches were televised and what like the TV coverage was as well as maybe seeing how the local papers reported on the competition.

Post by **slymaster** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:07 pm

EKJamie wrote:If you're interested the next time I'm in Glasgow I'll visit the reference library there and see if I can find out which matches were televised and what like the TV coverage was as well as maybe seeing how the local papers reported on the competition.

Please do so!

Always interested in the history of our game.

Post by **EKJamie** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:14 pm

Will see what I can do

Post by **rabsmith2** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:16 pm

I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now

Post by **nikkiboy** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:22 pm

rabsmith2 wrote:I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now

With the thinner wires, smaller darts and all round improved conditions people like Evans, Glazier and Rees would be right up there

Post by **The Cat** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:08 am

I agree with that. Imagine what Senna could do with todays F1 cars.

Post by **TROUBLEAGAIN** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:00 am

nikkiboy wrote:
rabsmith2 wrote:I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now
With the thinner wires, smaller darts and all round improved conditions people like Evans, Glazier and Rees would be right up there

They might also be able to see the board now theres no smoke swirling around--Ah the glory days !!!!

Post by **Basgooner** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:20 am

Yeah someone said to me the other day that I could have won a world champs back in the early eighties etc, lol

Kindly pointed out that the wires on an old board made scoring very different from today

Forgot the fact you had to see through a smoke cloud

I reckon the old pro's would do just fine today as they were class players and would adapt very easy

Loved as a kid watching Lowe, Bristow, Hickling, Deller, Wilson, Massey, Johnstone, Rab Smith, Wilson, Dave Lee, Terry O'Dea, Paul Lim, Alan Glazier, Dave Whitcombe, Cliff Lazeranko, Gene Raymond, Stefan Lord, Ceri Morgan, Peter Locke, Leighton Rees, Alan Evans and Per Skau to name a few

Oh and one of my favourite's Bill Lennard

Post by **TROUBLEAGAIN** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:33 am

Basgooner wrote:Yeah someone said to me the other day that I could have won a world champs back in the early eighties etc, lol

Kindly pointed out that the wires on an old board made scoring very different from today

Forgot the fact you had to see through a smoke cloud

I reckon the old pro's would do just fine today as they were class players and would adapt very easy

Loved as a kid watching Lowe, Bristow, Hickling, Deller, Wilson, Massey, Johnstone, Rab Smith, Wilson, Dave Lee, Terry O'Dea, Paul Lim, Alan Glazier, Dave Whitcombe, Cliff Lazeranko, Gene Raymond, Stefan Lord, Ceri Morgan, Peter Locke, Leighton Rees, Alan Evans and Per Skau to name a few

Oh and one of my favourite's Bill Lennard

Some great names- Dave Lee was a top player, how Ceri Morgan hit the board was always a mystery i remember him getting a 170 check out at the Worlds (i think) and Sid going into overload big time..Missed out Tony Brown.

Post by **Basgooner** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:47 am

Yeah How can I have missed Tony Brown, a cracking player, oh and of course Mike Gregory

Ceri Morgan had the funniest throw on TV, Good player mind and took a few scalps

Brian Cairns is another, sure he played in slippers

Post by **Al Capone** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:59 am

Was it Ceri Morgan who was known as "Dap" for playing in plimsoles? or was that someone else.

Post by **rabsmith2** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:22 am

He hit 170 against Steve Brennan in '83 unipart

Stephan Lord Beat Rab Smith in the next round
Rab lost to Leighton Rees, the next year again in the quarters

Post by **Lee Taylor** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:26 am

Al Capone wrote:Was it Ceri Morgan who was known as "Dap" for playing in plimsoles? or was that someone else.

That was Brian Cairns (sadly, no longer with us.)

Post by **Dicie** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:28 am

How do you think alan evans wud have got on with the DRA, and the red zone for tv darts????

Post by **rabsmith2** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:44 am

Dicie wrote:How do you think alan evans wud have got on with the DRA, and the red zone for tv darts????

Hi Dicie did you know Evans darts were 3 different weights 21, 21 1/2 , & 22 grams i think!!