John Joe O'Shea | |
---|---|
Personal information | |
Born | 28 November 1951 Bantry, Ireland |
Home town | Bantry, County Cork, Ireland |
Darts information | |
Playing darts since | 1971 |
Darts | 24g Datadart |
Laterality | Right-handed |
Walk-on music | "Make Me an Island" by Joe Dolan |
Organisation (see split in darts) | |
BDO | 1982–1996 |
WDF major events – best performances | |
World Ch'ship | Last 16: 1984 |
World Masters | Last 16: 1982 |
Other tournament wins | |
Tournament | Years |
Irish National Singles | 1985 |
Updated on 1 September 2021. |
John Joe O'Shea (born 28 November 1951) is an Irish former professional darts player. From Bantry in West Cork, he is one of the most successful Irish players in history, having won the Irish National Darts Organisation National Singles title on six occasions as well as having made numerous appearances for his country.
O'Shea is a two-time winner of the Éire division of the News of the World Darts Championship, winning in 1983 and 1987. [1] He represented Ireland in numerous WDF Europe Cup and WDF World Cup tournaments, most recently in 1996. He reached the last 16 of the singles at the 1982 WDF Europe Cup, losing to Cliff Lazarenko and the Quarter-Finals of the 1992 WDF Europe Cup singles, losing to eventual winner Phil Taylor.
O'Shea first qualified for the World Professional Darts Championship in 1984, beating Alex MacKinnon in the first round before losing to John Lowe in the last 16.
O'Shea competed in the Winmau World Masters on ten occasions, making his debut in 1982, beating English, Swedish and American opposition before losing to Eric Bristow in the last 16. Following a last 16 placing in the WDF World Cup singles in Edinburgh, he returned to the World Masters in 1983 as the number 16 seed, winning his first round game before losing to Wales's Kenneth Crook. [2] He reached the last 32 in 1984 and 1991. He also qualified in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1995.
He won the Irish National Darts Organisation National Singles title in 1985 and each year from 1991 to 1995. [3]
Eric John Bristow, nicknamed "The Crafty Cockney", was an English professional darts player and one of the most recognisable and successful players of the 1980s. He was ranked World No. 1 by the World Darts Federation a record five times, in 1980, 1981 and 1983–1985. He was a five-time World Champion, a five-time World Masters Champion a four-time World Cup singles champion and twice winner of the News of the World Darts Championship. He won 22 WDF and BDO Major titles, 65 individual career titles and 15 titles in team events, a total of 80 overall. In the first two episodes of Bullseye, Eric Bristow hosted the show.
John Lowe is an English former professional darts player. Along with Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson, he was known for dominating darts during the 1980s. Lowe was world champion on three occasions, in 1979, 1987 and 1993. He was also a two-time winner of the Winmau World Masters and a two-time World Cup singles champion. In total, Lowe won 15 BDO and WDF majors. He held the World No. 1 ranking on four occasions. In October 1984, he became the first player to hit a televised nine-dart finish.
Robert Francis George is an English television presenter and former professional darts player. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King of Darts" makes his way to the stage bedecked in jewellery, wearing a crown and cloak and holding a candelabra to the Queen song "We Are the Champions".
Anastasia Petrovna Dobromyslova-Martin is a professional darts player. She is a three-time Women's World Professional Darts Champion of the British Darts Organisation (BDO).
Ceri Rhys Morgan was a Welsh professional darts player who competed in British Darts Organisation (BDO) events in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Anthony Brown was an English professional darts player. He came close to winning the world championship on a number of occasions, reaching the World Professional Darts Championships semi-finals four times, losing twice to Eric Bristow and twice to John Lowe.
Michael Seward Gregory was an English professional darts player, best remembered as the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 1992 Embassy World Darts Championship final, which went to a tiebreak final leg and is regarded as one of the greatest matches in darts history.
Gary James Grant Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player who plays Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently the World No. 14, having reached a peak of PDC World No. 2 from 2015 to 2016. Nicknamed "The Flying Scotsman", after the famous steam train, he is a former BDO and WDF world number one, and a two-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2015 and 2016. He is regarded as one of the best darts players of all time.
Larry Thomas Butler, nicknamed The Bald Eagle, is an American professional darts player who was the winner of the 1994 PDC World Matchplay Darts Championship. This success made him the first and so far only player from the United States of America to have won a PDC Major darts tournament in Europe.
Martin Phillips is a Welsh former professional darts player who competed in the British Darts Organisation (BDO). He won the 2014 World Masters championship.
Ross Montgomery, nicknamed The Boss, is a former Scottish professional darts player who played in both the World Darts Federation (WDF) and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Montgomery also played American football in his native Scotland, having spent eleven years with Glasgow Diamonds. He was forced to retire through injury and took up the game of darts instead.
RobertSmith is a Scottish former professional darts player. He won numerous tournaments in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he was also twice a World Championship quarter-finalist. After a particularly successful 1977, his highest world ranking was No. 4 in early 1978. Smith retired from professional darts at a relatively young age in 1983 to spend more time with his children.
Warren "Wazza" Parry is a New Zealand professional darts player who played in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. He is widely considered the greatest New Zealand player of all time.
Robert Hughes is a Welsh former professional darts player. He used the nickname "Elvis", after his favourite singer, Elvis Presley.
Mark Barilli is a Scottish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is well known for his throwing style where he changes the speed of his throw from fast to slow alternatively, and also for attempting outrageous outshots including one occasion where he attempted to check out 120 with 3 double 20s in a competitive match. Along with Co Stompé, he is also notable for playing competitive darts in a long-sleeved shirt.
David Michael Prins is an English professional darts player.
Justin Jeremy van Tergouw is a Dutch darts player. He won the 2017 BDO World Youth Darts Championship and 2018 BDO World Youth Darts Championship.
Chris Landman is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was the 2023 WDF World Darts Championship runner-up.
Andreas Harrysson is a Swedish professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events.
Bernd Hebecker is a German former professional darts player who has played members in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events of the 1980s & 1990s. He is the first player from Germany who qualified for the World Darts Championship and took medal at the WDF Europe Cup.