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Don Morley/EMPICS Sport

Jocky Wilson, two-time world darts champion, passes away

The Scot had been suffering with a lung disorder in his home town of Kirkcaldy.

JOCKY WILSON, THE two-time former world darts champions, has died at the age of 62.

One of the most famous names in British sport in the 1980s, Wilson vied with Eric Bristow and John Lowe for the game’s major honours until his retirement in 1995.

A police spokeswoman in his home town of Kirkcaldy, Fife told the BBC: “The death is non-suspicious and due to a medical matter.” Wilson had recently been suffering with the lung disorder chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.

Wilson’s first victory in the World Championship came in 1982 when he beat Lowe, and then he repeated the feat seven years later in a famous clash with Bristow.

Wilson had found himself 5-0 up before the ‘Crafty Cockney’ fought back to 5-4. The match was tied at 2-2 in the tenth set before Wilson regrouped and took the trophy.

Tommy Cox, who managed Jocky Wilson from 1988-1996, said: “It’s a very sad day because Jocky was loved by so many people for the great character he was.

“Jocky transcended the whole spectrum of life in the UK. In the 1980s there wasn’t a person in the country who didn’t know who Jocky Wilson was.”

For more information on this story, check out the BBC website >

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    Mute Now or Never
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    Aug 8th 2016, 5:50 PM

    Courageous effort, surely his struggles to make weight could have been rectified well before today? Should he even be competing in that weight division if so, anyway well done regardless

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    Mute stevenocarroll
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:26 PM

    Anyone who knows anything about having to keep on struggling just to survive and not quit when you have nothing left in the tank, knows what a brilliant effort Paddy made in that fight. The fact he nearly won it, and there is a strong argument that he may have, while running on empty, is something only the ignorant overlook. For me, knowing about that sheer exhaustion, when you have put so much in that you reach a point where even your neck cannot support the weight of your head, that physical and mental effort is where the real story is. It was a Spartans 300 effort. He lost but by jesus what a Herculean effort to not only stay on his feet, but somehow have the energy, which was down to pure will and determination, to not only defend but to take the fight and attack to the opponent right until the very end. Excellent. To do that for 2& 1/2 rounds with empty tanks, that was blo***dy brilliant.

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    Mute Apu Mohammed
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    Aug 8th 2016, 5:43 PM

    It’s just bantz though Paddy isnt it ?

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    Mute Adrian
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:55 PM

    Even though I’m no fan of golf or Rory McIlroy I lost a bit of respect for Paddy with those comments he made, he just didn’t know when to stop. He can hardly be surprised when there’s a bit of backlash from the Irish public who don’t necessarily get why he had to taunt a fellow Irish sportsman in that way

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    Mute Sean Healy
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:27 PM

    What ‘taunt’ are you talking about exactly? It was slagging from one sports person to another. Mcilroy took it in better heart than a lot of the idiots that are now having a pop at Barnes. There are some twits on Twitter. Barnes has been and still is a credit to the country.

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    Mute Iarla O'Domhnall
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:01 PM

    Sean, the “slagging” was completely uncalled for. I suspect Rory’s PR team took “it in better heart than a lot of idiots”, i suspect privately he’s happy that Paddy got beaten. It will teach Paddy a lesson to focus on his own sport rather than troll Rory for a third time. I’m happy he lost to be honest, he got involved in twitter row with Rory cos he thought he was a big shot…a first round loss says otherwise.

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    Mute Sean Healy
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:04 PM

    Iarla, that is as small minded a view that I have ever read. You’ve actually said that you’re happy an Irishman was beaten by another

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    Mute Sean Healy
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:05 PM

    ‘Beater by another national. Disgraceful.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:17 PM

    Check his tweets again, most recent being the selfie with Wozniacki and tagging of Rory. Possibly embarrassing for her too. In my book that’s a taunt, you may disagree, fine. A bit of banter is fine, he just got too personal and annoying. Still an Irish sporting hero, but that doesn’t make him immune from a bit of criticism.

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    Mute Iarla O'Domhnall
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    Aug 8th 2016, 9:20 PM

    Sorry, its a personal opinion but I’m not a big fan of sledging, goading trolling etc in sport, its part and parcel of most sports these days so you have to accept seeing it on the playing field. The Wozniaki tweet was crass and an embarrassment. A broken engagement no matter how public is a private matter, PB overstepped the mark. PB went down in my estimation and yes I’m glad he was taught a lesson in humility today.

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:03 PM

    What was the Michael O’reilly tweet?

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    Mute gerard sheehan
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:16 PM

    Mcilroy is probably having a good ol chuckle at mini mighty mouse right about now. Time for Barnes to tweet…..I tweet better than I win gold medals

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    Mute Shane Kavanagh
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    Aug 8th 2016, 9:41 PM

    What medals did you win at your last two olympics? I think Rory should be concentrating on improving his poor form rather than having a chuckle at a man who has given everything to his sport and representing his country for the last 12+ years. You gobsh*te!

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    Mute emily davison
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:11 PM

    Let’s not give the idiots any attention, Paddy is a hero in my book

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    Mute Apu Mohammed
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:11 PM

    Are you an author ?

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    Mute Richie Kennedy
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    Aug 8th 2016, 7:07 PM

    He wins a medal in 2 Olympics running but some people can’t wait to kick him when he finally fails. Pretty sure those same people wouldn’t know the first thing about preparing for high level sport. The heroic Irish keyboard warriors will be lining up for our World and Olympic champions next.

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    Mute Owen Flynn
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    Aug 8th 2016, 6:15 PM

    Sure he was always going to get a backlash when lost cause of all his tweeting, which had nothing to do with him loosing.

    I baffled why he is fight in the weight division. He was always going to struggle dropping the weight. I blame the management team for not realising that he would struggle at the weight in a hot/humid country like Brazil.

    Still an amazing boxer

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    Mute Robert O Farrell
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    Aug 8th 2016, 8:39 PM

    It’s a bit strong from Conlon. The general consensus is that Paddy Barnes has been brilliant- there’s always going to be a few idiots on twitter with nothing good to say. Although it would make you think why neither Conlon or Barnes have received many offers in terms of endorsements despite their brilliant achievements.

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