Dave Whitcombe
Encyclopedia
Dave Whitcombe is an English
professional
darts
player who won several major tournaments and reached two World Championship Finals. He had a long professional career between 1980 and 1992.
(1982 and 1985) and lost to Eric Bristow
in the World Championship finals of 1984 and 1986. He also won the News of the World Darts Championship
in 1989, the British Matchplay, the Swedish Open 3 times, the Finland Open, the Marlboro Masters and Dunlop Masters tournaments. He was also a prolific county and holiday camp open winner.
His overall World Championship record also included three quarter-final appearances in 1983, 1989, 1991 and the semi-finals in 1985. Bristow must be considered as Whitcombe's nemesis at the World Championship. In his 13 appearances at the championships, Whitcombe met Bristow 6 times and lost every time.
Whitcombe helped form the players' association WPDPA (World Professional Dart Players` Association) with John Lowe
, Cliff Lazarenko
, and Tony Brown
. The association was set up with the intention of promoting more televised tournaments. Eventually this led to the formation of the World Darts Council
and would split the game into two organisations.
Whitcombe never actually joined the PDC darts circuit at its outset - choosing instead to virtually retire from the sport. He made a comeback in 2004 - rejoining the PDPA and the PDC circuit. He managed to qualify for the 2006 PDC World Championship
, losing to Roland Scholten
in the first round. After that he failed to qualify for the 2007 World Championship and only competed at one PDC Pro Tour event during 2007 - the UK Open Southern Regional in March.
In May 2008 Whitcombe once again graced the big stage in a televised tournament, taking part in the BetFred League of Legends which was shown live on Setanta Sports
, playing along with Bristow, Lowe, Lazarenko, Bobby George
, Peter Evison
, Keith Deller
, and the eventual winner Bob Anderson
. Whitcombe led the league to a number of weeks but ultimately failed to reach the semi-finals.
Whitcombe failed to qualify for the 2010 Lakeside World Darts Championship and the 2009 Winmau World Masters.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player who won several major tournaments and reached two World Championship Finals. He had a long professional career between 1980 and 1992.
Biography
Whitcombe was twice a winner of the Winmau World MastersWinmau World Masters
The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running and most prestigious professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship...
(1982 and 1985) and lost to Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
in the World Championship finals of 1984 and 1986. He also won the News of the World Darts Championship
News of the World Darts Championship
The News of the World Individual Darts Championship was one of the first major organised darts competitions, which began in 1927. It became England's first national darts competition from 1947 until its demise in 1990...
in 1989, the British Matchplay, the Swedish Open 3 times, the Finland Open, the Marlboro Masters and Dunlop Masters tournaments. He was also a prolific county and holiday camp open winner.
His overall World Championship record also included three quarter-final appearances in 1983, 1989, 1991 and the semi-finals in 1985. Bristow must be considered as Whitcombe's nemesis at the World Championship. In his 13 appearances at the championships, Whitcombe met Bristow 6 times and lost every time.
Whitcombe helped form the players' association WPDPA (World Professional Dart Players` Association) with John Lowe
John Lowe
John Lowe is an English darts player who was one of the best-known men in darts during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the United Kingdom. Lowe is one of only five players to have won the World Championship 3 times.-Biography:Lowe won the World Championship title in three different decades -...
, Cliff Lazarenko
Cliff Lazarenko
Cliff Lazarenko is an English professional darts player who competed for the British Darts Organisation and the Professional Darts Corporation...
, and Tony Brown
Tony Brown (darts player)
Tony Brown is a former English professional darts player. He reached the World Professional Darts Championships semi-finals four times, losing twice to Eric Bristow and twice to John Lowe....
. The association was set up with the intention of promoting more televised tournaments. Eventually this led to the formation of the World Darts Council
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
and would split the game into two organisations.
Whitcombe never actually joined the PDC darts circuit at its outset - choosing instead to virtually retire from the sport. He made a comeback in 2004 - rejoining the PDPA and the PDC circuit. He managed to qualify for the 2006 PDC World Championship
2006 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2006 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was held from 19 December 2005 to 2 January 2006 at the Circus Tavern. It was the 13th staging of the Professional Darts Corporation's version of the World Championship....
, losing to Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...
in the first round. After that he failed to qualify for the 2007 World Championship and only competed at one PDC Pro Tour event during 2007 - the UK Open Southern Regional in March.
In May 2008 Whitcombe once again graced the big stage in a televised tournament, taking part in the BetFred League of Legends which was shown live on Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
, playing along with Bristow, Lowe, Lazarenko, Bobby George
Bobby George
Robert Francis George is an English darts player and presenter. 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...
, Peter Evison
Peter Evison
Peter Evison is a darts player who has enjoyed a long career in the game. His greatest achievements were to win the 1989 Winmau World Masters and the 1996 World Matchplay. He has also come close to winning the World Championship on a number of occasions.Before appearing in a major tournament...
, Keith Deller
Keith Deller
Keith Deller is an English darts player, who won the Embassy World Professional Darts Championship in 1983. He was the first qualifier ever to win the championship and remains one of the youngest champions in history...
, and the eventual winner Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson (darts player)
Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson is a former world darts champion. He was ranked as world number one for over three years in the late 1980s. Nicknamed The Limestone Cowboy, he lives in Clevedon in Somerset.-Before Darts:Anderson threw his first darts maximum at the age of just five...
. Whitcombe led the league to a number of weeks but ultimately failed to reach the semi-finals.
Whitcombe failed to qualify for the 2010 Lakeside World Darts Championship and the 2009 Winmau World Masters.
BDO
- 1980: Second Round (lost to Bobby GeorgeBobby GeorgeRobert Francis George is an English darts player and presenter. 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...
0-2) - 1981: Second Round (lost to Eric BristowEric BristowEric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
0-2) - 1982: Second Round (lost to Steve BrennanSteve BrennanSteve Brennan is a former darts player who competed in the 1980s. He was a civil engineer from Leiston and began playing county darts for Suffolk in 1979-80...
0-2) - 1983: Quarter Final (lost to Eric Bristow 3-4)
- 1984: Final (lost to Eric Bristow 1-7)
- 1985: Semi Final (lost to Eric Bristow 2-5)
- 1986: Final (lost to Eric Bristow 0-6)
- 1987: First Round (lost to Bob SinnaeveBob SinnaeveRobert "Bob" Sinnaeve is a Canadian darts player who won his national title five times.-Early career:Sinnaeve took up darts in 1973 as an alternative to bowling, as he felt the darts circuit would give him more time to spend with his wife, Judy...
2-3) - 1988: First round (lost to Peter EvisonPeter EvisonPeter Evison is a darts player who has enjoyed a long career in the game. His greatest achievements were to win the 1989 Winmau World Masters and the 1996 World Matchplay. He has also come close to winning the World Championship on a number of occasions.Before appearing in a major tournament...
1-3) - 1989: Quarter Final (lost to Bob AndersonBob Anderson (darts player)Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson is a former world darts champion. He was ranked as world number one for over three years in the late 1980s. Nicknamed The Limestone Cowboy, he lives in Clevedon in Somerset.-Before Darts:Anderson threw his first darts maximum at the age of just five...
3-4) - 1990: First Round (lost to Chris Whiting 2-3)
- 1991: Quarter Finals (lost to Eric Bristow 3-4)
- 1992: First Round (lost to Per SkauPer SkauPer Skau is a Danish darts player, known for his slow, deliberate throwing action.At the 1992 BDO World Darts Championship he defeated Dave Whitcombe in the first round 3–1 only to be knocked out by eventual champion Phil Taylor 3–1 in the second. He repeated this performance in 1996, beating Eric...
1-3)
External links
- Superstars of Darts Interview with Whitcombe
- Whitcombe Profile darts database