Darts Gold: Re-watch Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow's barnstorming 1997 semi-final

Phil Taylor and Eric Bristow created a piece of darts history at the oche in 1997 and now you can relive that iconic match on Sky Sports.

Darts Gold

The World Darts Championship kicks off on Thursday at Ally Pally but we’re taking a stroll down memory lane and revisiting one of the greatest matches ever played.

Bristow had discovered Taylor on the local Staffordshire darts scene, immediately recognising the potential that has turned him into a 16-time world champion. Taylor would eventually go on to overtake Bristow’s legacy in the sport.

By the early 1990s, the ‘Crafty Cockney’ had developed dartitis and his previous prowess was quickly deteriorating. At the same time, ‘The Power’ was establishing himself as a player to keep an eye on.

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By the time of their meeting in the ’97 semi-final, Bristow was largely past his prime and Taylor was only just approaching his. The old master against a new generation that he helped to bring through threatened to be a one-sided victory for the younger player.

But Bristow, at the Circus Tavern in Essex, had one last performance in him. He rekindled the kind of arrow throwing that many darts fans thought was now beyond one and his match with Taylor turned into a tungsten tussle for the ages.

The two legends of the game have veered all the way from mentor and protégé to heated adversaries but their defining moment was this 1997 semi-final.

Tune into Sky Sports 1 on Wednesday at 10pm to watch Darts Gold: Taylor v Bristow.