1978 BDO World Darts Championship
1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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
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
1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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
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
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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.
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.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
(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.
(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.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
Please do so!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.
Always interested in the history of our game.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
Will see what I can do
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
With the thinner wires, smaller darts and all round improved conditions people like Evans, Glazier and Rees would be right up thererabsmith2 wrote:I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now
21st April 2016 7:01amGinge wrote:the cancer has been cut from the BDO
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
I agree with that. Imagine what Senna could do with todays F1 cars.
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Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
nikkiboy wrote:With the thinner wires, smaller darts and all round improved conditions people like Evans, Glazier and Rees would be right up thererabsmith2 wrote:I wonder how these players would do against the "youngsters now
They might also be able to see the board now theres no smoke swirling around--Ah the glory days !!!!
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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
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
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Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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
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
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Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
Was it Ceri Morgan who was known as "Dap" for playing in plimsoles? or was that someone else.
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Keep the change ya filthy animal!!
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Keep the change ya filthy animal!!
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Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
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
Stephan Lord Beat Rab Smith in the next round
Rab lost to Leighton Rees, the next year again in the quarters
Last edited by rabsmith2 on Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
That was Brian Cairns (sadly, no longer with us.)Al Capone wrote:Was it Ceri Morgan who was known as "Dap" for playing in plimsoles? or was that someone else.
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
How do you think alan evans wud have got on with the DRA, and the red zone for tv darts????
Re: 1978 BDO World Darts Championship
Hi Dicie did you know Evans darts were 3 different weights 21, 21 1/2 , & 22 grams i think!!Dicie wrote:How do you think alan evans wud have got on with the DRA, and the red zone for tv darts????