BOBBY GEORGE has opened up on the passing of his great rival Eric Bristow – and admits he warned the darts great to slow down.
Bristow died suddenly of a heart attack in 2018 aged just 60.
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George, 79, and The Crafty Cockney faced off on the oche throughout the 1980s.
Bristow was the face of darts in that era, winning five BDO World Championship titles.
He was also known for his hell-raising antics away from the sport – and was rarely seen without a pint in his hand.
George, who met Bristow as a teenager, remembers: “He could be a pain in the a***,
“We had some right ding-dongs over the years.
“But for most of the time, he was my mate and we had some great times together.”
Bristow memorably beat George in the 1980 World Championship final.
It was Bristow’s first crown, with the Hackney-born star going on to repeat the trick in 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1986.
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King of Bling was somewhat in Bristow’s shadow, winning two major BDO titles during his career.
And he was left stunned by Bristow’s untimely passing seven years ago.
He wrote in his autobiography: “Eric Bristow’s death hit me hard.
“He was only 60 for f***’s sake. That’s no age these days, is it?
“I had known him since he was a teenager – and he never changed.”
George admits Bristow wasn’t one to follow health advice – despite trying to give it to him.
He continued: “Anyone who knew him was aware that he didn’t exactly lead a healthy lifestyle.
When I go, I’ll go like that. Bang.
Eric Bristow
“For as long as I’d known him, he was a heavy smoker, always rolling his own.
“And he would think nothing of getting through 15 or 16 pints of Guinness in a day, rounding it all off with a curry.
“Nobody’s body can handle that day in, day out.
“I’d say, ‘You smoke and you drink too much.’
“He said, ‘I know all about that, Bob. But put it this way – no one is going to be pushing me around in a wheelchair. When I go, I’ll go like that. Bang.’
“And he f***ing did as well. Bang.”
