Bob Anderson (darts player)

Darts player infobox
playername = Bob Anderson


fullname = Robert Charles Anderson [ [http://www.bobanderson180.co.uk/images/invitation.jpgAnderson's full name/wedding certificate] ]
nickname = The Limestone Cowboy
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1947|11|07
cityofbirth = Winchester, Hampshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
hometown = Clevedon, Somerset
homecountry = England
date=1973
darts = 18grm Unicorn Signature.
BDO = 1973 to 1993
PDC = 1993 - 2008
music = Rhinestone Cowboy (Glen Campbell)
currentrank = N/A -- Retired from the PDC ranks in March 2008.
BDO World = Winner 1988
World Masters = Winner 1986, 1987, 1988
World Darts Trophy = Last 56, 2007
Int. Darts League =
PDC World = Semi Final 2004, 2005
Matchplay = SF 1996
Grand Prix = QF 2006
UK Open = Last 16, 2006
Vegas = Last 32, 2004, 2006
Premier League =
tournament = BDO World Matchplay
World Pairs
British Matchplay
British Gold Cup
British Open
WDC Samson Classic
World Champions Champion
Canadian Open
Denmark Open
Swedish Open
League of Legends
resultyears = 1987Fact|date=January 2008
1986 (BDO), 1995 (PDC)
1987, 1988
1983, 1986
1987
1993
1990
1990, 1992
1986
1986
2008
achievement =
updated = January 7, 2008

Robert Charles "Bob" Anderson (born November 7 1947, Winchester, Hampshire, England) 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 (180) at the age of just five. [ [http://www.bobanderson180.co.uk/misc/full_cv.pdf Anderson's full cv] ] However, he was renowned as a champion athlete during his teenage years. He was picked as a javelin thrower in the British Olympic team of 1968, but tragically broke his arm before the team left for Mexico, an injury which brought an end to his javelin-throwing career. He then turned his attention to football - playing to a moderately high standard for Lincoln United, Guildford, Woking and Farnborough Town. During this time, he had continued to play darts socially and decided to take up the game more seriously when his injury jinx struck again - this time a broken leg in 1970 ended his football career.

Darts Success

Anderson has had a long and successful darts career winning the World Professional Championship in 1988 and the Winmau World Masters in 1986, 1987 and 1988 - the only man to win the Masters in three successive years.

He also had tremendous success during the 1980s - considered darts` most glorious televised era. Tournaments were regularly broadcast on BBC and ITV and Anderson was successful in several televised events.

However, just two years after his World title success, he underwent surgery to fix a back problem which threatened his darts career. He returned to the game professionally, but never managed to eclipse the success he enjoyed during the 1980s.

Anderson was amongst the players who formed the Professional Darts Corporation - an organisation (originally known as the WDC - World Darts Council) which separated from the existing governing body, the British Darts Organisation in 1992/93. Anderson reached the final of the first ever WDC event, the Lada UK Classic - losing to Mike Gregory.

His world ranking stayed sufficiently high to earn automatic qualification for most major PDC tournaments, and he went on to reach the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship in 2004 and 2005. Anderson himself said that he was then probably a better player than when he first won the title. Fact|date=March 2007

Anderson was also the driving force behind the Bob Anderson Classic, a major darts tournament held every October. The tournament started in 2002 and ran until 2005.

In 2008, Anderson decided take part in the League of Legends which is shown live on Setanta Sports and play along with the likes of Eric Bristow, Keith Deller, John Lowe and Dave Whitcombe. However in doing so, he was forced to resign from the PDC to take part in the league. He does, however, remain a lifetime member of the PDPA, granted to him because he was a founder member of the WDC (now PDC). Anderson went on the capture the League of Legends title, beating Keith Deller in the final.

Outside Darts

Bob married Sally Attwater on April 8, 2004 - he chose darts legend Eric Bristow as his best man. Anderson has two children, Jennie and David. He lists his hobbies as golf - with a handicap of seven, and trout fishing. Anderson's sporting hero is golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

References

External links

* [http://www.bobanderson180.co.uk Bob Anderson's Official Website]
* [http://www.unicorn-darts.com/team/bob.asp Team Unicorn biography page]
* [http://www.teessidesoftware.no-ip.com/DartsDatabase/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=28&organPd=All&tourns=All&plStat=1&pg=4#PlayerResults Anderson's darts database]