1993 BDO World Darts Championship

The 1993 Embassy World Darts Championship will have a notoriety within the history of World Darts. It was the 16th staging of the competition, but it turned out to be the last time that the sport had a unified World Championship.

For the previous 5 years, the Embassy was the only tournament which had received television coverage and a group of 16 players (including all previous World Champions) wanted to appoint a PR consultant to improve the image of the game. They created the World Darts Council (WDC), later the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) a few months before this tournament. The WDC had already held their own tournament, the 1992 Lada UK Classic (won by Mike Gregory). The tournament had been broadcast on Anglia television and the top players wanted to see their exposure to television coverage increase.

During these championships, the WDC players wore their new insginia on their sleeves. They were later told to remove them by the tournament organisers, the BDO[1]. The WDC players decided that if they were not going to be recognised by the BDO they would no longer play in the Embassy Championships.[2]

The second round saw several upset results including defeats of three former World Champions. Dennis Priestley lost to Steve Beaton. Eric Bristow also went out in the second round, losing to Bob Anderson. Kevin Spiolek eliminated Phil Taylor at the same stage.

John Lowe went on to beat Alan Warriner in the final and claim this last ever unified title - the third of his career. With his previous victories in 1979 and 1987, he became the first player to win the World title in three different decades.

Prize Money

Total Prize fund was £128,500 (plus a £51,000 bonus for a nine-dart finish - not won)

• Champion £30,000
• Runner-up £15,000
• Semi-finalists £7,500
• Quarter-finalists £3,750
• 2nd round losers £2,000
• 1st round losers £1,800
• Highest checkout £1,500
• Non-qualifiers £400

The Results

	First Round				Second Round				Quarter-Finals				Semi-Finals
	Best of 5 sets				Best of 5 sets				Best of 7 sets				Best of 9 sets
	Steve Beaton	3
	Dave Richardson-Page	1
					Steve Beaton	3
					Dennis Priestley	1
	Dennis Priestley	3
	Jocky Wilson	0
									Steve Beaton	4
									Bob Anderson	1
	Eric Bristow	3
	Per Skau	1
					Bob Anderson	3
					Eric Bristow	0
	Bob Anderson	3
	Scott Coleman	1
													Alan Warriner	5
													Steve Beaton	2
	Ronnie Sharp	3
	Peter Hunt	0
					Alan Warriner	3
					Ronnie Sharp	1
	Alan Warriner	3
	Mitchell Crooks	0
									Alan Warriner	4
									Wayne Weening	1
	Albert Anstey	3
	Sean Downs	0
					Wayne Weening	3
					Albert Anstey	0
	Wayne Weening	3
	Rod Harrington	0
	Jann Hoffmann	3
	Bernd Hebecker	0
					Mike Gregory	3
					Jann Hoffmann	1
	Mike Gregory	3
	Jamie Harvey	0
									Bobby George	4
									Mike Gregory	2
	Martin Phillips	3
	Dave Kelly	1
					Bobby George	3
					Martin Phillips	0
	Bobby George	3
	Keith Sullivan	1
													John Lowe	5
													Bobby George	3
	Raymond van Barneveld	3
	Graham Miller	2
					John Lowe	3
					Raymond Van Barneveld	2
	John Lowe	3
	Chris Johns	1
									John Lowe	4
									Kevin Spiolek	3
	Kevin Spiolek	3
	Kevin Kenny	1
					Kevin Spiolek	3
					Phil Taylor	1
	Phil Taylor	3
	John Joe O'Shea	1

Final (Best of 11 sets) Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey, 10 January 1993).
John Lowe	6-3	Alan Warriner
Scores to fill		Scores to fill
John Lowe wins the 1993 Embassy World Darts Championship

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