Andy Fordham (born February 2, 1962 in London) is an English darts player, also known by his nickname, The Viking. He won the 2004 World Professional Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final. He is also a four-time semi-finalist at the Lakeside, and the 1999 Winmau World Masters champion. is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Darts is a game in which darts are thrown at a target hung on a wall. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The World Professional Darts Championship is the traditional highlight of the darts calendar. ... Mervyn The King King (born March 15, 1966) is a professional darts player. ... The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship. ...

Darts career

Fordham made his first appearance on the stage at Lakeside in 1995 and made it to the semi-finals before losing to Richie Burnett. Another semi-final defeat followed in 1996, this time to Steve Beaton. On both occasions, his victor went on to claim the title. The Lakeside Country Club is a hotel, entertainment and leisure complex in Frimley Green near Camberley in Surrey. ... Richie Burnett (born February 7, 1967 in Cwymparc, Rhondda) is a former World Champion, Welsh darts player. ... Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964 in Coventry, England) is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). ...

Second round defeats followed in 1997 (to Marshall James) and 1998 (to Raymond van Barneveld) before he made it a hat-trick of semi-final defeats in 1999, this time to Ronnie Baxter. Raymond van Barneveld (born April 20, 1967 in The Hague, Netherlands), nickname Barney and The Man, is a professional darts player. ... Ronnie Baxter (born 1961) is an English darts player. ...

His 2000 campaign ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of Chris Mason and his fourth semi-final loss in 2001 was to Ted Hankey. In 2002 and 2003 he went out in the first and second rounds respectively, before he finally managed to end his jinx in the 2004 World Championship. Chris Mason (born 17 December 1967) is an English darts player from Bristol. ... Edward Ted Hankey (born February 20, 1968) is an English darts player who won the BDO World Championship in 2000. ...

His run in the 2004 World Championship saw him win his first match 3-1 against unknown Brian Derbyshire. He then beat former Masters champion Tony West 3-0, and teased a 9-dart leg in the third set. He defeated Darryl Fitton in the quarter-finals 5-4, and then stunned Raymond van Barneveld, the defending champion, by recovering from 3-0 and 4-2 down to win 5-4 in what is considered one of the most dramatic matches in BDO history. Darryl Fitton (born 5 May 1962 in Stockport, England) is an English professional darts player currently playing for the BDO. Darryl debuted in the World Championship in 2004, hitting a 180 score with his very first turn. ... Raymond van Barneveld (born April 20, 1967 in The Hague, Netherlands), nickname Barney and The Man, is a professional darts player. ...

Fordham defeated Mervyn King in the final, hitting a 139 checkout to take the eighth set 3-2 when Mervyn had reached a double-18, and then recovering from 2-0 down in the next set to take it 3-2 with double-8, and win the match by 6 sets to 3. Mervyn The King King (born March 15, 1966) is a professional darts player. ...

He has failed to win a single match at Lakeside in the three years since his title victory. The BDO World Champion receives an exemption from qualifying for a three-year period but that has now expired. His world ranking has slipped dramatically and major concerns about his health have meant that the chance of him returning to the heights of that 2004 success have receded.

BDO World Championship Results

• 1995: Semi-Finals (lost to Richie Burnett 2-5)
• 1996: Semi-Finals (lost to Steve Beaton 3-5)
• 1997: Second Round (lost to Marshall James 2-3)
• 1998: Second Round (lost to Raymond van Barneveld 2-3)
• 1999: Semi-Finals (lost to Ronnie Baxter 1-5)
• 2000: Quarter-Finals (lost to Chris Mason 3-5)
• 2001: Semi-Finals (lost to Ted Hankey 2-5)
• 2002: First Round (lost to John Walton 0-3)
• 2003: Second Round (lost to Gary Anderson 1-3)
• 2004: Won (beat Mervyn King 6-3)
• 2005: 1st round (lost to Vincent van der Voort 2-3)
• 2006: 1st round (lost to Simon Whitlock 0-3)
• 2007: Withdrew from competition due to ill health

Richie Burnett (born February 7, 1967 in Cwymparc, Rhondda) is a former World Champion, Welsh darts player. ... Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964 in Coventry, England) is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). ... Marshall James is a professional darts player from Wales, whose only high-profile success in the game so far was being runner-up in the 1997 BDO World Championship, in his debut year at the championships. ... Raymond van Barneveld (born April 20, 1967 in The Hague, Netherlands), nickname Barney and The Man, is a professional darts player. ... Ronnie Baxter (born 1961) is an English darts player. ... Chris Mason (born 17 December 1967) is an English darts player from Bristol. ... Edward Ted Hankey (born February 20, 1968) is an English darts player who won the BDO World Championship in 2000. ... John Walton (born November 10, 1961 in Bradford, Yorkshire) is a darts player who is a former World Champion. ... Gary Anderson (born December 22, 1970) is a Scottish darts player. ... Mervyn The King King (born March 15, 1966) is a professional darts player. ... Vincent van der Voort (born December 18, 1975 in Purmerend) is a darts player from The Netherlands. ... Simon Whitlock (born March 3, 1969 in Brisbane, Australia) is an Australian darts player who plays in British Darts Organisation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the Professional Darts Corporation. ...

Health concerns

In 2004, he was forced to withdraw from a best-of-13-sets match at Purfleet's Circus Tavern which pitted the two world darts champions of that time (Fordham representing the BDO and Phil Taylor representing the PDC) due to heat intensity. England's Phil Taylor was subsequently declared the victor having been leading the contest by 5 sets to 2. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other persons named Phil Taylor, see Phil Taylor (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Phil Taylor, see Phil Taylor (disambiguation). ...

Fordham's health has long been a concern. At one point he weighed 31 stone (197 kilograms) and was in the habit of consuming 25 bottles of lager before going on stage to play. The scare during the head-to-head game led Fordham to seek help via the television programme Celebrity Fit Club, where he became friends with the journalist and TV presenter Paul Ross. While getting a regime underway to try to lose some weight, he was defeated in the first round of the 2005 Lakeside World championship by Dutchman Vincent van der Voort. Fordham made another Lakeside appearance in 2006 but again suffered a first round exit, this time losing to Australia's Simon Whitlock. The stone is a unit of mass in the Imperial system of weights and measures used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most Commonwealth countries. ... Kg redirects here. ... Lager is a well attenuated beer brewed in cool conditions using a slow-acting brewers yeast, known as a bottom-fermenting yeast, and then stored (or lagered) for a period in cool conditions to clear away particles and certain flavour compounds to produce a clean taste. ... It has been suggested that Celebrity Fit Club (British) be merged into this article or section. ... Paul John Ross (born John Ross on December 31, 1956 in Leytonstone, London) is an English journalist, television editor, and media personality. ... Vincent van der Voort (born December 18, 1975 in Purmerend) is a darts player from The Netherlands. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Fordham was due to face Whitlock again in the first round of the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship, but was once again hospitalised after complaining of chest pains and breathing difficulties. He was forced to pull out of the tournament as a result and Whitlock received a walkover and went through to the second round without throwing a single dart. Trina Gulliver and Martin Adams with their 2007 BDO World Championship trophies The 2007 Lakeside World Darts Championship was the 29th Championship and was held between January 6, 2007 and January 14, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey. ...

Weeks after pulling out of the BDO World Championship, Fordham suffered what was initially thought to be a stroke, which turned out to be severe breathing difficulties caused by massive fluid build-up in his lungs. The incident was described as "minor" by his agent, and he is expected to make a full recovery.^[1] In 2008, Fordham applied for a liver transplant.^[2] For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ...

Return to darts

In September 2007, after a nine month layoff due to serious health problems, Fordham made an unobtrusive return to the oche at the Turunc Open in Turkey. Fordham reached the semi-final of the singles event, losing to the eventual winner Martin Phillips from Wales. During the lay-off Fordham lost 10 stone.^[3]

He won one match in an attempt to qualify for the 2008 Lakeside World Championship, but went out in the last 128 and also lost in his opening match at the last 136 stage of the Winmau World Masters. He then received an invitation to play at the Zuiderduin Masters in December 2007 - but lost both matches 0-5, to Mark Barilli (averaging 53.43) and to Co Stompe (averaging 76.20). ^[4] The 2008 Lakeside World Darts Championship will be the 31st World Championship staged by the British Darts Organisation and will be held between January 5, 208 and January 13, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey. ... The Winmau World Masters is one of the longest running professional darts tournaments, which began in 1974 - even before the current World Professional Championship. ... The Zuiderduin Dutch Grand Masters is a darts tournament held in the Netherlands until 2005. ... Co Stompé (born 10 September 1962 in Amsterdam), is a Dutch darts player. ...

Outside darts

Fordham is the eldest of four children and has a brother and two sisters. He grew up in Charlton, south-east London and attended Charlton Manor Primary School and Eaglesfield Secondary School. He was a keen track-and-field athlete in his younger days and was nicknamed 'The Whippet' at school. Charlton is an area in south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, located between Greenwich and Woolwich. ...

Fordham is a huge fan of Scottish football club Rangers, and even paraded his World Darts trophy before a game at Ibrox Stadium in 2004. A keen footballer himself, Fordham played for the Angerstein Hotel in east Greenwich after leaving school and this was where his love of darts was sparked. The Angerstein Hotel football team made up most of the resident darts team and after a training night the lads were a man short and asked 'The Whippet' to join them. This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). ... Ibrox Stadium, originally Ibrox Park, is the stadium of Rangers F.C. It is located on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox district of Glasgow, Scotland. ... John Julius Angerstein (1735-1822), London merchant, Lloyds under-writer, and patron of the fine arts, was born in St Petersburg, Russia (it has - wrongly - been suggested that he was an illegitimate son of Catherine the Great!) and settled in London about 1749. ... This article is about Greenwich in England. ...

Fordham is married to long-term partner Jenny and they have two children, Raymond and Emily. Fordham and Jenny run the "The Cutty Sark" in Thamesmead having previously run The Queen's Arms in Woolwich and The Rose public house in Dartford Kent. , Woolwich town hall dates from when this was a borough in its own right. ... , Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ...

References

External links

• Andy Fordham's web site
• Fordham's first radio interview since falling ill BBC Sportsweek with Garry Richardson