John Lowe: A man for the ages

Deller, given little hope, triumphed in perhaps the most exciting final in Embassy Darts history when he beat Bristow 6-5 in 1983. It would turn out to be his finest hour.

By the turn of the decade, Bristow was finding it increasingly difficult to win the tournament he had made his own. He lost three consecutive finals, one to his great friend Phil Taylor in 1990.

Taylor won two world titles during the 90s before going on to dominate the PDC version of the world title.

Dutchman Raymond Barneveld was to match Taylor's record of two Embassy championship wins.

By the end of the 20th century, darts - which had been divided by the introduction of a rival body - had become a much more competitive arena, with plenty of potential winners among the starters.

Ted Hankey's 6-0 thrashing of two-time loser Ronnie Baxter in 2000 was a hugely one-sided affair and organisers will be hoping for a much more competitive showpiece match in 2001.