Meet the world's slowest ever darts player who 'makes Justin Pipe look like Ricky Evans'

Desperately slow players don’t go down well in darts these days. Fans and media want to see quick players who pepper the board at regular intervals, not slow coaches who give punters time to nip to the bar between throws.

Players of that ilk are few and far between these days but that wasn’t always the case. Back in the 1980s, when TV coverage was limited and social media hadn’t even been thought off, snail-like players could slip under the radar.

Not even commentators knew what to expect from every player at a tournament. Take the 1985 edition of the Blackthorn Masters, a BDO tournament held between 1978 and 1989.

It was the last 16 and Scottish legend Jocky Wilson was up against little-known qualifier Terry Down, a 25-year-old abattoir worker from Devon. To say it was a clash of styles would be a huge understatement.

While Wilson would complete a visit in barely 10 seconds, Down was capable of taking minutes to throw three darts with his high and laboured throwing action. Footage of the match, available on YouTube, shows Wilson getting increasingly exasperated with his opponent’s approach while also puffing on a cigarette.

The commentator also couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “This guy really does take his time, it’s almost in slow motion,” he said early in the match. The broadcaster then referenced Wilson’s notorious drinking habit.

“Jocky’s back on the wagon these days, on doctor’s orders, and he’s looking better for it,” he said. “Maybe it’s as well Jocky is on the wagon because, at this rate, he might have to leave the stage. It really is putting him off his stroke. Quite incredible. It’s not gamesmanship, it’s just the way this fella throws.”

As painful as it was to watch, it got the job done as Down won the match 2-0. At the end, Wilson shared the briefest of handshakes with Down before storming off.

According to darts legend John Lowe in his autobiography, ‘Old Stoneface’, via Darts Incidents and Moments, Wilson actually asked someone in the audience for a chair so he could sit down during Down’s visit.

Lowe wrote that Wilson “stormed off the stage to the players’ room, where he threw abuse at anyone in sight for the next 20 minutes”.

Lowe added: “Then, in walked Terry. He went straight up to Jocky and apologised for his slow play. Then he planted a big kiss on Jocky’s cheek.

“‘What the f*** are you doing?’, demanded Jocky.’”

A clip of the match, titled the ‘World’s Slowest Ever Darts Player’, was shared on Instagram by Darts Passion on the eve of the current World Championship, and said: “Makes Justin Pipe [a notoriously slow players] look like Ricky Evans [probably the fastest player in the game today].”