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Scottish Sun
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I was looking at Eric Bristow's flat when he died and his demise hit me hard, says ex-BBC darts host Bobby George
'MY MATE' I was looking at Eric Bristow's flat when he died and his demise hit me hard, says ex-BBC darts host Bobby George Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOBBY GEORGE says the sudden death of long-time drinking and darts pal Eric Bristow seven years ago 'hit me hard'. And his new book details the duo's many escapades. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Darts great Eric Bristow passed away seven years ago Credit: REX 4 The former world champion passed away aged 60 Credit: GETTY 4 Long-time pal Bobby George has opened up on the passing of the beloved Bristow Credit: GETTY They first met in the 1970s and became oche rivals — they contested the 1980 World Darts Championship final — but also 'very good friends'. According to George, the five-time world champion would be 'good as gold until about 10 or 10.30pm — then he'd become a complete a***hole once he had drunk too much'. The King of Bling, claimed Hackney-born Bristow would be 'rude, arrogant, leery and happy to pick a fight with anyone . . . I didn't like him when he was like that, no one did'. Yet the Crafty Cockney never wavered in his strong loyalty towards George, 11 years the senior man, whom he called Bo. Bristow — one of the sport's greatest throwers — died on April 5, 2018 from a heart attack before a Premier League event in Liverpool. He was 60. Writing in Still Here! The King of Bling, George, 79, said: 'Eric Bristow's death hit me hard. 'He was only 60 for f***'s sake. That's no age these days, is it? I had known him since he was a teenager — and he never changed. 'He could be a pain in the a*** and we had some right ding-dongs over the years. List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler 'But for most of the time, he was my mate and we had some great times together.' On the night Bristow died, George was on Merseyside, working at Shooters Bar and Diner. The pair had 'a little catch-up and I got him a Guinness'. 'One of the best things I've ever seen' - Frank Lampard stunned as Coventry star hits 180 with first-ever three darts That night, George stayed in a Stoke pub run by Barry Birch, Bristow's former driver. And he was even looking at 'Eric's flat' less than 200 yards away when he learned the tragic news. George said: 'I couldn't believe the suddenness of his passing. 'Nor could I take in the fact that I could see his flat — the same flat he'd have left just a few hours earlier — as I was trying to take in the tragic news. 'What were the odds of it? Me being with him, saying goodbye, going to Stoke and looking out of a window at his flat whilst stood alongside his former driver? 'We both needed a stiff drink that night. They reckon Eric's heart must have stopped before he hit the ground as there was no blood. 'In his diary, apparently, he'd written he had got bad chest pains. "Bloody hell, if that was the case, why didn't he go to the doctors or hospital and get it sorted? 'Knowing Eric, he probably thought, 'I'll put loads of Guinness down my neck, that'll get rid of the pain'. 'Anyone who knew him was aware that he didn't exactly lead a healthy lifestyle. I had known him since he was a teenager — and he never changed." Bobby George on Eric Bristow 'For as long as I'd known him, he was a heavy smoker, always rolling his own. 'And he would think nothing of getting through 15 or 16 pints of Guinness in a day, rounding it all off with a curry. Nobody's body can handle that day in, day out. 'Always on the go, working and travelling, meant he was always pushing it. "Although it wasn't work to him, just a chance to get on the p*** every day. 'I like a drink and a smoke but there are extremes and Eric pushed them to the limit. 'I'd say, 'You smoke and you drink too much'. He said, 'I know all about that, Bob. But put it this way, no one is going to be pushing me around in a wheelchair. When I go, I'll go like that. Bang'. And he f***ing did as well, bang.' George first encountered the 'mouthy so-and-so' while playing in a BDO event at Margate in Kent. 4 Bobby George knew the late Eric Bristow when he was a teenager Credit: GETTY He said: 'After that we became good mates and he would do anything for me, anything.' As they toured the country, they 'would share prize money', but there were times when George thought 'we're going to get our heads kicked in' due to Bristow's OTT antics. On a US tour in 1978, the first time George went on a plane, Bristow enraged locals by pretending 'to wipe his a***' with the American Stars and Stripes flag 'before chucking it on the floor'. George said: 'The atmosphere had turned really toxic and I was worried that someone was going to do something really stupid, like pull a gun out on him. ''Watch yourself, Eric,' I whispered in his ear. 'These guys aren't messing about and they have guns over here!' 'I'd like to say that was an isolated incident but it wasn't. 'That's how he was, always getting into trouble. But somehow always managing to get himself out of it.' Still Here! The King of Bling, published by Pitch Publishing, is out now, £25.
Scottish Sun
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Darts legend Bobby George who broke his back celebrating on live TV reveals he keeps amputated toe in a bottle of vodka
King of Bling faced agonising ordeal and says he was fortunate not to be paralysed THE TOE MUST GO ON THE TOE MUST GO ON Darts legend Bobby George who broke his back celebrating on live TV reveals he keeps amputated toe in a bottle of vodka BOBBY GEORGE has revealed he keeps one of his four amputated TOES in a bottle of vodka behind the bar of his 18-bedroom Essex mansion. Eccentric ex-darts star George — one of the sport's most recognisable figures — had four operations to remove four toes, two on each foot, due to a painful genetic deformity. Advertisement 6 Bobby George was one of sport's most flamboyant stars Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 The King of Bling faced extraordinary pain from his toes Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Three of them had to be discarded but he was allowed to keep the first one chopped off 26 years ago — and stores it at his self-built home George Hall. Writing in a new book — Still Here! The King of Bling — George, 79, declared: 'Nobody believes me, or at least they don't, until they see me without my socks on. 'Or if they come to my bar in George Hall and see the evidence for themselves. 'There's some sort of gene in my body that has caused the toes to pop out of their socket and cross over. Advertisement 'It got so bad that I couldn't get my shoes on. 'I couldn't walk without checking my balance each step. 'It was so painful on some days that if I'd had a sharp enough knife I would have chopped them off myself. 'There was nothing that the medical profession could do, so it became 'Operation Toot-Toot-Tootsie Bye-Bye'. Advertisement 6 Geroge's new book details an amazing journey in life and darts BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'The first one was cut off in 1999 and it was actually a great relief when it was all over. 'I knew the surgeon, a bloke called Phil, and he talked me through the procedure — something called a tulip operation. Advertisement Luke Littler narrowly avoids being hit by object thrown onto O2 stage during Premier League Darts finals 'It's done under local anaesthetic, so I was able to watch him cut it off. 'It didn't hurt and once the deed was done, Phil showed it to me and I asked him if I could keep it. 'Phil presented it to me in a little jar but said that he couldn't give me the proper stuff — formaldehyde, maybe? — as it was poisonous. 'But if I used vodka instead, that would preserve it beautifully. So I took it home and popped it in some vodka and now it has a permanent home behind the bar in George Hall. Advertisement 'Whenever anyone comes to the house for a drink, I whip it out and ask them if they want a cocktail or a cocktoe? 'It's also meant that, over the years, if I've been away from home for any length of time and my wife, Marie, is missing me, she can always suck my toe! 'Removing one tootsie wasn't enough, though, and eventually the procedure had to be repeated another three times, so I'm missing two toes on each foot. "Unfortunately, none of the other surgeons have been as obliging as Phil and they wouldn't let me take the sawn-off digits away with me. Advertisement 'Losing four toes hasn't been as bad as it may sound, although when I go barefoot I do look like an alien.' 6 He spent much of a £16k runners-up cheque on surgery Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Darts has few more colourful characters than George Credit: Times Media Ltd George — who lost in two BDO World Darts Championship finals, in 1980 and 1994 — says he pops '16 tablets a day for pain relief'. Advertisement That is because he has 'shocking arthritis in my hips' and BROKE his back on the famous Lakeside stage 31 years ago. During a 4-2 win over Kevin Kenny in the quarters at Frimley Green, George leapt in the air in celebration and 'felt a sharp pain in my back'. He was in 'constant excruciating pain for the remainder of the match', which was broadcast on TV. Following X-rays the next day, a doctor told him: 'You can't play darts. Advertisement 'You shouldn't even be able to walk. You've broken your back, Mr George.' The King of Bling — who used to come on to stage holding a candelabra to the Queen song 'We Are the Champions' — reached the final where he was thumped 6-0 by Canadian John Part. George said: 'I was fortunate not to have been paralysed but I still required immediate surgery, which my £16,000 runners-up cheque helped to finance. 'Eight titanium screws, each around two inches long, were inserted into the base of my spine to help me on the long road to recovery.' Advertisement STILL HERE! The King of Bling, published by Pitch Publishing, is out today.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
PSG's Doue, the teenager who is the talk of Europe
When Desire Doue walked off slowly and disconsolately after only 64 minutes at Arsenal in October, the teenager touted as French football's next golden boy looked alone and out of his forward six months - with a potential Champions League semi-final reunion a growing possibility - and Paris St-Germain's brilliant young forward has captured the imagination of someone whose name translates to 'desire gifted' in English, the 19-year-old has shown vast quantities of both since putting that false start behind him in spectacular day of disappointment came in a 2-0 loss at Emirates Stadium in the tournament's new league table then, he has matured into a central piece in the new PSG assembled by coach Luis Enrique, performing superbly when Manchester City were beaten 4-2 at Parc des Princes in January, then delivering a brilliant cameo as a substitute before scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout win at Anfield in the last in his most mesmerising display yet, he scored a stunning curling equaliser while running Aston Villa ragged in PSG's captivating 3-1 win in the quarter-final first eyes will be on Doue at Villa Park on Wednesday, one of the poster boys - along with young Georgian genius Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - for the new PSG model as they move away from the so-called 'Bling Bling' era of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi to a structured team has been a meteoric rise for Angers-born Doue, who was not even a guaranteed starter at Rennes last season before making a £43m move to PSG in the summer as they tried to fill Mbappe-sized holes in their attack. Doue comes from strong footballing stock, with his 22-year-old brother Guela playing right-back for Strasbourg after leaving Rennes, while cousin Yann Gboho is a talented attacking midfield player at is of French-Ivorian descent, making his full France debut in the 2-0 win against Croatia in the Uefa Nations League quarter-final in March, again scoring a penalty as they went through after a Guela has other international allegiances, winning international caps for Ivory brothers developed under the watchful guidance of father Maho, who worked with them every day - organising training sessions outside the work they were doing at Rennes, and still exerts a wise and steadying influence on their eyebrows were raised when PSG paid such a large fee for Doue in the summer, but Rennes are as good at driving a hard bargain as they are producing young have history, selling Doue's current team-mate Ousmane Dembele to Borussia Dortmund, Eduardo Camavinga to Real Madrid and Mathys Tel, now on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, to Bayern Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester United and Newcastle United all showed serious interest in Doue - but it came down to PSG or football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: "PSG probably would have liked to pay about £34m and tried to get it down, while Bayern were happy to pay more than £50m - but he wanted to go to PSG."It might have felt a little high, as it was when PSG paid £34m for Bradley Barcola after six good months as Lyon, but there is a premium, as there is in England, when you sell from French club to French club."The key was that Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos were both convinced they were getting a superstar in the making."Doue is so talented, strong mentally and physically. At PSG, they say he's got rugby players' legs because the bottom half of his body is so strong."They knew in Paris it would take time but they were ready. Luis Enrique was so happy to sign him. He was the player he wanted. They were aware he may need half-a-season, a season, but were happy to wait if needed." Despite these new burdens, PSG insiders have been hugely delighted with Doue's dedication and professionalism."The club have been very impressed with his fitness work, gym work," said was the same at Rennes, former coach Bruno Genesio saying: "Away from the pitch he's a dream: easy, calm, with a streak of leadership while still asking for advice. He's both care-free and conscientious in his work. He's already a pro in his head."Doue first hit the radar when France won the European Under-17 Championships in Israel in 2022, then he was on the bench for the Olympic final in Paris two years later, coming on after 77 minutes when France lost 5-3 to Spain after extra Olympics arguably contributed to his slow start at PSG, lacking a proper pre-season, but he has been the beneficiary of careful management by Luis Enrique - who has worked individually with Doue, encouraging him through his quiet has only made five starts in the Champions League this season, with seven appearances as a substitute, scoring three goals and adding two was at Anfield where he made his mark, coming on after 67 minutes to deliver a performance of remarkable maturity, capping it by being entrusted with the spot-kick that sent PSG has been kept out of the limelight by PSG, while the calming, grounded influence of his family is a huge explained: "The dad, Maho, is very influential in everything they do. Some families think their son is the next Cristiano Ronaldo, oblivious to everything going on on the pitch, but they were realistic."After the Arsenal game, where he did look out of his depth, they said he wasn't ready for the big step up another level. They understood he had to work a lot, he had to mature. They were very realistic about what he had to do. It was very impressive, very refreshing. They understood."Doue has also had to adjust to life in the Paris goldfish bowl, away from quieter lives in the fashionable Boulogne-Billancourt area and Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, based in Paris with influential sports paper L'Equipe, told BBC Sport: "Recently he was in a very popular shop. He was there just looking for a book when somebody spotted him."It was totally normal because he is so young, but maybe he did not understand it is going to be hard for him to be in crowded places in Paris."It is good that he thought he was not a star, but he probably hasn't been back. He's very into performance, wanting to be the best. If you tell him one of the next steps in his evolution is not to be seen so much in public, he will understand no problem." It took until December for Doue to score his first PSG goal, in the 3-0 win away to Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League, but since then it has been lift-off."He was born in 2005 and in France's football world, everybody said the big thing in France born in 2005 was Mathys Tel, now at Spurs," Minonzio said."For his generation Doue was not the one because he was less talented than Tel, but when you get older the psychological attributes make a lot of difference and Doue has shown incredible mental strength."Everybody thought for this generation of players Tel would be the main guy, but now the talk is Doue."And to crown his development, Doue was called up by France coach Didier Deschamps, overtaking two other players regarded as potential members of the new generation, Lyon forward Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche from said: "It all changed from a wider perspective after his debut for France. He was outstanding against Croatia. He was not scared, demanded the ball, scored a penalty. This guy had arrived."In France, the general view is that Doue's form left Deschamps with no says: "Deschamps is obsessed with the Champions League. He wants his players to show him their ability in high-level games. He is always a little hesitant to take players who are very good in French league games but don't play in Champions League."It was obvious in March that Deschamps had no choice other than to select him."Villa Park is the next step on his development. And while the sky seems the limit, there is still caution."A few months ago I would have told you the face of the new PSG would be Warren Zaire-Emery. Just 19, Parisian, lots of talent." says Minonzio."Everything he did was so impressive but you always have to wait to see how they react when there are problems."This is the fascination with Doue in France. We still don't know how good he will be but at the moment he is free, does not ask any questions and life is good. He has been incredible."
