216:, PDC), but Croft and his organisation proceeded to ban the rebel players from playing County Darts. Croft - who was a salaried BDO official and lived rent-free in a BDO-owned property - was quoted as saying, "I don't owe any dart players a kidney stone". The acrimony ended up in court in an expensive proceeding that neither side could really afford - either financially or for the good of the game. The two sides eventually came to an agreement in 1997 via a
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The
British Darts Organisation was formed at its inaugural meeting at Croft's home in Creighton Avenue, Muswell Hill in North London on 7 January 1973. Twelve others attended that meeting including his wife Lorna, Sam Hawkins, Jim Sweeney and James Rogers. They agreed to start an inter-county league
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tiler Oliver Croft and his wife May Gladys (nÊe
Robinson), who later died while giving birth to his younger brother. His father remarried and his son was rebellious towards his stepmother. She beat Croft and locked him in the home cupboard under the stairs in response. The children were subsequently
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Passionate debate often raged amongst darts fans as to the relative merits of the BDO and PDC, and Croft's role in the split in the game. He pioneered a system of county darts which still produces top players and in many respects built the game's foundation in the 1970s and 1980s. But criticism for
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Croft asserted that his
British Darts Organisation set-up is for the good of all players and not just a select few. Many of the players that made their way through the county system, joined the PDC as their tournaments offer higher prize money and more chance of making a full-time living from the
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Prior to the formation of the BDO, the major organisation for county darts had been the
National Darts Association of Great Britain (the NDAGB, commonly referred to as NDA) which had been formed in London on 25 September 1954. Croft began playing darts himself in 1961 for the Harringay Arms in
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After the
British Darts Organisation separated from the NDA in 1973, he said, "We have 61 counties, our links with television and the big sponsors. Our ultimate aim? I think it is a headquarters where we can hold big finals... But I can't see that in our lifetime."
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ending 38 years as the main figurehead of the
Organisation. It also brought to an end his role as tournament director for the BDO as Wayne Williams succeeded him. Despite losing power over the BDO in 2011, Croft continued to be the Chief Technical Advisor at the
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show. But as the mid-to-late eighties approached and World of Sport was cancelled, the image of the game collapsed. Some top players became frustrated at lack of opportunities, and Croft would become a central character in a devastating
96:(BDO). He was one of the most influential protagonists in darts for almost four decades, having set up and run the BDO from its inception in 1973 until he was voted off the board in August 2011.
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241:, the sports promoter who created the Embassy World Professional Championship (and arranged the TV and sponsorship deals), was one of Croft's biggest critics.
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329:"Olly Croft; Controversial and colourful founder of the British Darts Organisation who brought the game from the pub into the sitting room"
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There are now 66 counties providing competitive darts for men, women and youth, backed up with internal county Super
Leagues.
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Olly Croft died on 23 November 2019, shortly after his 90th birthday. Olly's wife, Lorna, had died in June 2003, aged 72.
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361:"Olly Croft, darts supremo who popularised the sport but presided over a period of turmoil and acrimony â obituary"
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In 1993 the top players left the
British Darts Organisation and formed the World Darts Council (which is now the
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in 1978, darts began to become increasingly popular, appearing on BBC television and ITV usually on their
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the fact that there are now two
Organisations and thus no unified World Championship is equally rife.
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Croft also affiliated the
British Darts Organisation as a founder member of the
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311:"The darts world reacts to BDO founder Olly Croft passing away at 90-years-old"
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that autumn and instead of working within the NDA decided to go it alone.
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On 7 August 2011, Croft was voted off the BDO board at their
88:(17 November 1929 â 23 November 2019) was a British
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186:World Professional Darts Championship
92:administrator and the founder of the
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346:– via Gale Academic OneFile.
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389:"Olly Croft voted off BDO board"
279:"Queen's Birthday Honours 2004"
121:broke out. After Croft did his
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214:Professional Darts Corporation
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125:as an electrician for the
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444:Interview with Olly Croft
180:With the creation of the
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162:World Darts Federation
73:Lorna Croft (deceased)
182:Winmau World Masters
366:The Daily Telegraph
313:. 24 November 2019.
176:Darts boom and bust
117:evacuated when the
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35:Oliver Albert Croft
421:on 20 October 2011
369:. 29 November 2019
291:on 3 November 2006
197:split in the game.
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202:Acrimonious split
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286:the original
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219:Tomlin Order
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131:Muswell Hill
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55:(2019-11-23)
25:Oliver Croft
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474:2019 deaths
469:1929 births
102:Crouch Hill
453:Categories
373:18 January
342:18 January
265:References
170:Europe Cup
108:Early life
41:1929-11-17
425:30 August
335:The Times
166:World Cup
65:1973â2011
399:7 August
295:19 July
231:game.
70:Spouse
289:(PDF)
282:(PDF)
90:darts
427:2011
401:2011
375:2020
344:2020
297:2008
168:and
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50:Died
31:Born
256:WDF
251:AGM
85:OBE
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