Thursday 2 May 2019 20:00, UK
Three-time world champion John Lowe received his MBE for services to darts and to charity at Buckingham Palace today.
The 73-year-old remains the only man to have won the World Championship in three different decades and his achievements were recognised in the New Year's Honours list.
Lowe - who received his award alongside former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein - featured in a golden generation for darts as he pitted his wits against the likes of Eric Bristow MBE, Bob Anderson, Jocky Wilson, Keith Deller, Cliff Lazarenko and Bobby George.
The first of his three world crowns came in 1979 when he beat Leighton Rees, before battling past his late rival Bristow in a thriller in 1987. His final World Championship triumph saw him defeat Alan Warriner-Little in 1993.
The man nicknamed 'Old Stoneface' was also twice a World Masters champion and a former News of the World winner, although he was arguably best known for becoming the first player to land a televised nine-darter.
"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."
He produced the perfect leg in the 1984 MFI World Matchplay against Keith Deller, before going on to win the tournament.
Lowe was one of the founder PDC players following darts' split and he reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix before retiring from the professional circuit in 2007.
He has also raised significant sums for a number of charities, with the John Lowe Classic Charity Golf Day bringing in around £250,000 for AMATE (Tenerife's Breast Cancer Association) since it began 14 years ago.
Speaking in December after the New Year's Honours list was revealed, Lowe said: "I was away in Cyprus on holiday when the letter arrived and my son passed on the message. I couldn't believe it to be quite honest.
"It took a while to sink in. It's such an honour for me and a wonderful thing to receive."
Recalling his battles with Bristow, Lowe - who was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2005 - added: "We had a great rivalry and it's the foundation of what we've got today.
"We didn't do it purposely, it was just us being who we were. That's the tinge of sadness, that Eric is not here. We would have had the biggest party.
"Mike Watterson, who set up the World Championship originally with the BDO and also helped set up the World Snooker Championship, had proposed me but I know that Eric had supported that nomination, which means a lot.
"We played together all over the world, and are the most successful pair ever in darts - we won six World Cups, six European Cups, the British Open three times in a row without losing.
"It would have been fitting if he was here to celebrate, but sadly he's left us."
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