The News of the World was one of the first ‘major’ organised darts championships, beginning in 1927.
The NoTW became England’s first national darts competition from 1947, as the years went by it gradually became international essentially becoming the first world darts Championship. It was the possibly hardest darts tournament to win, owing to the cut-throat, best of three throughout, format, until its demise in 1990.
The event was also the first to receive national television coverage. In 1979, Bobby George (who won again in 1986) became the first player to win the championship without losing a leg, the final winner of the original run, Paul Cook, is claimed to have matched this. Sweden’s Stefan Lord, another two-time winner was the only player from outside the United Kingdom to win the event.
There was also a brief revival of the event with SKY TV in 1996/97, but it is now discontinued. It was originally organised by the National Darts Association of Great Britain (NDAGB).
Few players managed more than one victory in the event and even less managed them back to back. Tom Barrett in the 1960s was the first to win two in a row.
See if you can spot the legends of the game as they appear in finals or claim the title:
Year – Champion – From – Score (legs) – Runner-up – From
1947-48 England Harry Leadbetter Windle Labour Club, St Helens 2-1 England Tommy Small Sth Durham Steel & Iron SC, West Hartlepool
1948-49 England Jackie Boyce New Southgate SC 2–1 England Stan Outten Dr Johnson, Barkingside
1949-50 England Dixie Newberry Albert, Hitchin 2-0 England Ronnie Ridley King Edward Hotel, Newcastle-u-Tyne
1950-51 England Harry Perryman Home Office SC, Greenford 2-0 England Laurie Runchman Feathers, Felixstowe
1951-52 England Tommy Gibbons Ivanhoe WMC, Conisbrough 2-0 England Jack Wallace Low Seaton BL, Workington
1952-53 England Jimmy Carr Red Lion, Dipton 2-0 England Ernest Greatbatch Horse Vaults Hotel, Pontefract
1953-54 Wales Oliver James Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Onllwyn 2-0 England Johnny Bell The Sun, Waltham Abbey
1954-55 England Tom Reddington New Inn, Stonebroom 2-0 England Johnny Bell Sun, Waltham Abbey
1955-56 England Trevor Peachey Black Fox, Thurston 2-0 England Les Campbell Boot, Dinas
1956-57 England Alwyn Mullins Traveller’s Rest, Tickhill 2-0 Wales Len Baker Corporation Hotel, Cardiff
1957-58 England Tommy Gibbons Ivanhoe WMC, Conisbrough 2-0 England Eric Moss Railway Tavern, Harleston
1958-59 England Albert Welsh Horden Hotel, Seaham 2-1 England Frank Whitehead White Rose Hotel, Rossington
1959-60 England Tom Reddington George Hotel, Alfreton 2-1 Wales Dai Jones Cambrian Hotel, Aberystwyth
1960-61 England Alec Adamson Prince of Wales, Hetton-le-Hole 2-1 England Eddie Brown Magpie, Stonham
1961-62 England Eddie Brown Magpie, Stonham 2-0 England Dennis Follett Cadeleigh Arms, Cadeleigh
1962-63 England Robbie Rumney Waterloo Hotel, Darlington 2-0 England Bill Harding Globe Hotel, Aberdare
1963-64 England Tom Barrett Odco SC, London 2-0 England Ray Hatton Flower of the Valley Hotel, Rochdale
1964-65 England Tom Barrett Odco SC, London 2-1 England Norman Fielding Station Inn, Swannington
1965-66 England Wilf Ellis Brookside WMC, Upton 2-1 England Ron Langley Arlington SC, Harlow
1966-67 England Wally Seaton Swan Inn, Parson Drove 2-0 England Brian Quarterman Ivy Inn, North Littleton
1967-68 England Bill Duddy Rose & Thistle, Frimley Green 2-0 England Gerry Feeney Unicorn Club, Workington
1968-69 England Barry Twomlow Red Lion, Chesterfield 2-0 England Paul Gosling William IV, Truro
1969-70 England Henry Barney The Pointer Inn, Newchurch 2-0 England Alan Cooper Plough, Filton
1970-71 England Dennis Filkins Barrow, Hepburn & Gale SC, Bermondsey 2-0 England Derek White The Ship Inn, Weymouth
1971-72 England Brian Netherton Welcome Home Inn, Par 2-0 Wales Alan Evans Ferndale Hotel, Rhondda
1972-73 England Ivor Hodgkinson Great Northern, Langley Mill 2-1 England Ron Church Royal Alfred, Shoreditch
1973-74 England Peter Chapman Bird in Hand, Henley-on-Thames 2-1 England Paul Gosling Portscatho Club, Truro
1974-75 England Derek White Belvedere Inn, Weymouth 2-1 England Bill Duddy Frimley Green Working Mens Club, Camberley
1975-76 England Bill Lennard Cotton Tree Inn, Manchester 2-0 Wales Leighton Rees Ynysybwl USC, Pontypridd
1976-77 England Mick Norris King of Denmark, Ramsgate 2-0 England Bob Crosland Blackamoor Head, Pontefract
1977-78 Sweden Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 England John Coward White Hart BL, Sedbergh
1978-79 England Bobby George King George V, Ilford 2-0 England Alan Glazier George & Dragon, Wetherby
1979-80 Sweden Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 England Dave Whitcombe Naval Club, Chatham
1980-81 England John Lowe Willow Tree, Pilsley 2-0 England Mick Norris Earl St Vincent, Ramsgate
1981-82 England Roy Morgan Wheel o’ Worfield, Worfield 2-1 Wales Jim Hughes Parcwern Country Club, Ammanford
1982-83 England Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 England Ralph Flatt Old Red House, Carlton Colville
1983-84 England Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 England Ian Robertson Bell, Marston Moretaine
1984-85 England Dave Lee Ivor Arms, Pontllanfraith 2-0 England Billy Dunbar Woolwich Infant, London
1985-86 England Bobby George Old Maypole, Hainault 2-0 United States Rick Ney US Darting Association
1986-87 England Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-0 England Peter Evison Halcyon/Spikes, Peterborough
1987-88 England Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-1 England Kevin Spiolek Cambridge Squash Club
1988-89 England Dave Whitcombe Evenhill, Littlebourne Canterbury 2-1 England Dennis Priestley Horseshoe, Rotherham
1989-90 England Paul Cook Gorse Hill WMC, Swindon 2-0 England Steve Hudson Oakworth SC, Keighley
1996-97 England Phil Taylor Cricketer’s Arms, Newcastle-under-Lyme 2-0 England Ian White Dockside Inn, Runcorn
—–ENDS—-
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