1981 BDO World Darts Championship

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The 1981 Embassy World Darts Championship was the fourth year that the British Darts Organisation had staged a world championship. The field was expanded from 24 to 32 players, the format which would remain for many years. For the third successive year the tournament was staged at Jollees Cabaret Club in Stoke-on-Trent.

Eric Bristow was back to defend his title and would face John Lowe the champion of two years previously in the final. The final was the best of nine sets, but there was a break scheduled after three sets where the third-fourth place play-off match would be held.

Lowe ran away with the first two sets without dropping a leg and took the first leg in the third set before Bristow finally got onto the scoreboard. The "Crafty Cockney" held on to take that third set to go into the break just one set behind. As in the previous year's final, Bristow edged ahead to lead 4-3 in sets and Lowe (as Bobby George did in 1980) had darts to take the match into a final set. However Lowe missed three attempts at double ten and Bristow took out double four to win the title for the second year running.

[edit] The Results

	First Round				Second Round				Quarter-Finals				Semi-Finals
	Best of 3 sets				Best of 3 sets				Best of 7 sets				Best of 7 sets
	Eric Bristow	2
	Terry O'Dea	0
					Eric Bristow	2
					Dave Whitcombe	0
	Dave Whitcombe	2
	Charlie Ellix	0
									Eric Bristow	4
									Nicky Virachkul	0
	Nicky Virachkul	2
	Tony Sontag	1
					Nicky Virachkul	2
					Rab Smith	0
	Rab Smith	2
	Wayne Lock	1
													Eric Bristow	4
													Cliff Lazarenko	1
	Cliff Lazarenko	2
	Alan Hudson	0
					Cliff Lazarenko	2
					Jerry Umberger	0
	Jerry Umberger	2
	Len Heard	0
									Cliff Lazarenko	4
									Bobby George	0
	Bobby George	2
	Alistair Forrester	0
					Bobby George	2
					Tony Clark	0
	Tony Clark	2
	Bill Lennard	1
	John Lowe	2
	Angus Ross	0
					John Lowe	2
					Allan Hogg	1
	Allan Hogg	2
	Les Capewell	0
									John Lowe	4
									Ceri Morgan	3
	Ceri Morgan	2
	Doug McCarthy	1
					Ceri Morgan	2
					Leighton Rees	1
	Leighton Rees	2
	Tim Brown	0
													John Lowe	4
													Tony Brown	1
	Jocky Wilson	2
	Gordon Allpress	0
					Jocky Wilson	2
					Kevin White	1
	Kevin White	2
	Stefan Lord	1
									Tony Brown	4
									Jocky Wilson	2
	Luc Marreel	2
	Jan Larsen	1
					Tony Brown	2
					Luc Marreel	0
	Tony Brown	2
	Paul Gosling	1

Final (Best of 9 sets) Jollees Cabaret Club, Stoke-on-Trent, 17 January 1981).
Eric Bristow	5-3	John Lowe
Set scores (Bristow first)	0-3 0-3 3-2 3-0 3-0 3-2 2-3 3-2
Eric Bristow wins the 1981 Embassy World Darts Championship

THIRD PLACE MATCH (Best of 3 sets)

Cliff Lazarenko beat Tony Brown 2-1

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