Leighton Thomas Rees was a Welsh professional darts player. He was the first BDO World Professional Darts Champion, having won the inaugural 1978 BDO World Darts Championship, and was a former World No. 1 player. He was one of the sport's most successful players throughout the 1970s, and retired from the game in 1991.
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. Between 1980 and 1991, Bristow featured in ten BDO World Darts Championship finals in twelve years, winning the title five times, in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1986. He was also 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. He hosted the first two episodes of the darts-themed ITV game show Bullseye and regularly featured on 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.
John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson was a Scottish professional darts player. After turning pro in 1979, he quickly rose to the top of the game, winning the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, then again in 1989. Wilson competed in all major darts tournaments of the era and won the British Professional Championship a record four times between 1981 and 1988.
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".
The BDO World Darts Championship was a professional darts tournament organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and held annually from 1978 to 2020.
The Darts World Rankings are systems designed to determine a list of the best darts players in the world based on their performances in past tournaments.
Alan James Glazier was an English professional darts player. He used the nickname "The Ton Machine" and was noted for his all-black outfits.
Terence O'Dea was an Australian professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
Stefan Lord is a Swedish former professional darts player who competed in events of the British Darts Organisation (BDO) in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and is one of the country's most successful players.
Nicky Virachkul was an American professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
David Alan Evans was a Welsh professional darts player and former World No. 1 who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
The 1979 Embassy World Darts Championship was the second World Professional Championships. Having been held the previous year at the Heart of the Midlands Club in Nottingham, the event moved to Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent where it was to remain until 1985.
The 1978 Embassy World Darts Championship was the first BDO World Darts Championship. The tournament was organised by the British Darts Organisation who had already set up the WDF World Cup and Winmau World Masters in its five years since formation. This was the only year that the tournament was played in a matchplay format of legs, rather than sets which came into operation from 1979 onwards. BBC Television covered the event and began a long broadcasting partnership with the BDO. Sid Waddell was the lead commentator on the tournament which he would cover for the BBC until 1994.
Angus Ross was a Scottish professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
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.
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.
Tony Sontag was an English professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.
Allan Hogg was an English-born Canadian professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s. He was nicknamed Big Al.
Jim Williams is a Welsh professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the 2019 BDO World Trophy, was the runner-up at the 2020 BDO World Darts Championship and won his maiden PDC title in 2022.
