Friday 28 December 2018 17:00, UK
Three-time world darts champion John Lowe has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours for services to darts and to charity.
The 73-year-old, nicknamed 'Old Stoneface' remains the only man to win the World Championship in three separate decades.
Lowe was at his lethal best during the first golden era for darts, battling for glory along the greats of the oche, including Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson, Keith Deller, Cliff Lazarenko and Bobby George.
His three World crowns came in 1979 when he beat Leighton Rees, before battling past the late great Bristow in a thriller in 1987 and he claimed a unique hat-trick in 1993, overcoming Alan Warriner.
Lowe was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame alongside great rival Eric Bristow MBE in 2005 and had enjoyed a 30-year professional career.
"I was away in Cyprus on holiday when the letter arrived and my son passed on the message, and I couldn't believe it to be quite honest," said Lowe. "It took a while to sink in and I think it will only become real when I go to the Palace and collect the award.
"It's such an honour for me and a wonderful thing to receive."
Lowe was arguably most famous for becoming the first darts player to hit the magical nine-dart finish on television. He pocketed £102,000 for his magical feat in 1984 at the MFI World Matchplay.
The nine-darter remains one of darts' most famous moments, and Lowe added: "It's still something people talk to be about and it's tremendous.
People stop me in the supermarket and tell me that they saw me on Bullseye the previous evening, and things like that are lovely.
"You hear that millions of people have seen it on YouTube, and although I've not been on TV for over a decade it keeps you remembered because fathers show it to their kids.
"I don't think it's every going to be forgotten anyway because it was the first TV nine-darter and you always remember the first more than anything.
"It's still mentioned now and another programme which keeps us players remembered is Bullseye, which is still being shown.
"People stop me in the supermarket and tell me that they saw me on Bullseye the previous evening, and things like that are lovely."
You can follow every dart from every session of the World Darts Championships on Sky Sports Darts, check out the full schedule here. You can also stay up to date with all the action behind the scenes by following us @SkySportsDarts and get all the latest news, previews and interviews by heading to www.skysports.com/darts
