Ritchie Gardner


Richard Gardner is an English former professional darts player who had some success during the 1980s, and was one of the 16 top players who formed a breakaway organisation during an acrimonious split in the game during 1992–94.

Career

Gardner showed some promise during early days of televised darts – although the only title he won was the Belgium Open in 1984, which was a non-televised event. He reached the last 16 of the Winmau World Masters in 1985 and then qualified for the World Professional Darts Championship for the first time in 1986 where he lost in the first round to Terry O'Dea. It was the first year the tournament was staged at the Lakeside Country Club.
He failed to progress beyond the second round in his visits to Lakeside, but did come up against some legends of the game including Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and Mike Gregory. He managed to reach the quarter finals of the World Masters in 1990 – but by this time, that tournament was no longer televised. Only the World Championship remained on the screens during that era, which was one of the reasons that many top players became unhappy with their lack of television exposure.
Gardner was amongst the group of 16 players who "defected" from the British Darts Organisation between 1992 and 1994 as one of the founder members of the World Darts Council, and he received more television exposure between 1994 and 1999 at their World Championship, but never managed to progress beyond the group stages.
He also competed in the WDC/PDC's World Matchplay tournament in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998, but never won a single match. After the 1999 World Championship, he faded from the scene and no longer competes on the darts circuit; although he did compete at a couple of PDC Open events in Eastbourne in 2005 and 2006 but never progressed beyond the very early rounds.

World Championship performances

BDO

  • 1986 1st round
  • 1987 2nd round
  • 1988 2nd round
  • 1991 1st round

PDC

  • 1994 Last 24 group,
  • 1995 Last 24 group
  • 1996 Last 24 group
  • 1997 Last 24 group
  • 1999 1st round

Television appearances

''Bullseye''

In 1988, Gardner appeared on Bullseye scoring an impressive 325 in the Bronze Bully charity round. The £650 raised was donated to the body scanner appeal at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham. He also won the MFI World Pairs with Jocky Wilson in 1988.