The Bobby Dazzler who came to Franklands in 1983

After all, the King of Darts, as he was known, used to head to the stage, decked out in jewellery, a cloak round his shoulders and a crown perched on his head while We Are The Champions, by Queen, was belted out of the sound system.

With tournament wins to his name, including the North American Open, in 1978, the News Of The World Darts Championship, in 1979, and the World Darts Federation’s Europe Cup Singles in 1982, it must have been a pleasant surprise to the darts players of Franklands Village when he popped along for a few games in 1983.

Bobby brought with him a computerised scoreboard and long-serving darts referee Fred Williams.

A report in the Mid Sussex Times stated: “Bobby, rated number four in the world, played 11 games against selected opponents from host club Franklands Village, United Services and Lindfield.

“Bobby didn’t lose a game and impressed the audience with his amazing consistency.”

He was pictured, second from the left, with three of his opponents – Graham Lucas, of United Services, Len Beard, of Lindfield, and Dave Short, of Franklands Village.

Well, if you’re going to lose a darts match, there’s no shame in losing against one of the best.

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