Andy Fordham

Andy 'The Viking' Fordham was darts in its purest, most charismatic form. Hailing from southeast London, he was a pub landlord before he was a world champion, a man whose 31-stone frame and flowing blond hair made him an unmistakable figure on the oche. His game was one of raw power and nerve, a thrilling spectacle that contrasted with the more methodical styles of his rivals. The pinnacle came in 2004 at the Lakeside Country Club, where he defeated multiple-time champion Raymond van Barneveld in a final of high drama, claiming the BDO World Championship amid emotional scenes. Fordham’s victory was a story of the everyman made good, a publican who could throw arrows with the best. His later years were marked by a public and difficult battle with his health, including a dramatic collapse during a televised match in 2007 that required emergency hospitalization. Despite these struggles, he remained a cherished figure, a symbol of the game's working-class roots and its capacity for grand, theatrical moments.