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Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional
darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed missiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard. Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the bo ...
player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999
Winmau World Masters The World Masters is one of the longest-running and most prestigious of the BDO/WDF tournaments, which began in 1974. The tournament is sponsored by darts board manufacturer, Winmau. The World Masters was unusual in darts in that its sets are th ...
.


Darts career

Fordham made his first appearance on the stage at Lakeside in the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship and reached the semi-finals before losing to
Richie Burnett Richard Mark "Richie" Burnett (born 7 February 1967), nicknamed Prince of Wales, is a Welsh professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is a former World No. 1 who won the 1995 Embassy World Darts C ...
. Another semi-final defeat followed in 1996, this time to
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1. Background Beaton was born in Co ...
. On both these occasions, his victor then went on to claim the title. Second round defeats followed in 1997 (to Marshall James) and 1998 (to
Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld (born 20 April 1967) is a Dutch professional darts player. Nicknamed Barney, although originally known as The Man, he is one of the most successful darts players in history. Van Barneveld is a five-time World Darts Cham ...
) before Fordham made it to the semi-final stage of the World Championship for third time in 1999, but was defeated by
Ronnie Baxter Ronnie Baxter (born 5 February 1961) is an English former professional darts player who competed in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He used the nickname "The Rocket" for his matches. Baxter was known for his fast robotic throwing a ...
. 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 Edward Hankey (born 20 February 1968) is an English former professional darts player and convicted sex offender. Nicknamed "The Count", he won the BDO World Darts Championship in 2000, was runner-up in 2001, and won the title for a second time ...
. In 2002 and 2003 he went out in the first and second rounds respectively. Fordham finally put an end to his "nearly man" reputation in the 2004 World Championship. His run saw him win his first match comfortably, 3–0 against qualifier 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 Van Barneveld, the defending world champion and strong tournament favourite, by recovering from 0–3 and 2–4 down to win the match 5–4, in what is still considered one of the most dramatic and exciting matches in BDO history. In the final, Fordham defeated Mervyn King, hitting a 139 checkout to take the eighth set 3–2 when King 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.


Showdown with Taylor and health concerns

On 21 November 2004, Fordham, as reigning BDO world champion, faced off against Phil Taylor, the reigning PDC world champion, in a best-of-13-sets match at Purfleet's Circus Tavern. The special pay-per-view event was billed as "The Showdown" and was promoted and broadcast by
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It ...
. During the match, Fordham became unwell and complained of shortness of breath. He took a break after the seventh set and was advised not to continue by medical staff at the venue. Taylor was leading the match 5–2 at the time and declared the winner by default. After the incident Fordham visited a doctor, and following medical tests he was informed that, as a result of long term alcohol damage, his liver was operating at only 25% capacity. He was advised to stop drinking alcohol immediately. Fordham's health had long been a concern; at one point he weighed and was in the habit of regularly consuming 24 bottles of
lager Lager () is beer which has been brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German for "storag ...
before going on stage to play darts. He admitted to the media that he had felt more comfortable playing when not fully sober. The doctors' advice led Fordham to seek help and assistance via the
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
programme '' Celebrity Fit Club'', where he became friends with the journalist and TV presenter Paul Ross. While getting an exercise regime underway to try to lose some weight, in January 2005 Fordham returned to the Lakeside World championship as defending champion, but was defeated 3–2 in the first round by Dutchman
Vincent van der Voort Vincent van der Voort (born 18 December 1975) is a Dutch professional darts player on the PDC circuit. As of the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, his nickname is the "Dutch Destroyer", although he used to go by "Grease Lightning". He is bes ...
. He failed to progress past the first round of any of the other BDO majors that year, although he did reach the final of the Masters of Darts event, where he lost 7–1 to Phil Taylor. Fordham made another Lakeside appearance in 2006 but again suffered a first round exit, this time losing 3–0 to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
's Simon Whitlock. Fordham was scheduled to face Whitlock again in the first round of the
2007 BDO World Darts Championship The 2007 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship was the 30th World Championship organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO), and the 22nd to be held at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey. It ran from 6–14 January 2 ...
, but prior to the tournament starting he was again hospitalised after complaining of chest pains and breathing difficulties. Subsequently, he had 18 litres of bile drained from his lungs and was to remain in hospital for three weeks. Fordham was withdrawn from the tournament, with Whitlock receiving a walkover to the second round. Less than one week after being discharged from hospital, Fordham suffered what was initially thought to be a minor
stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...
, but which turned out to be severe breathing difficulties caused by further fluid build-up in his lungs. He eventually made a full recovery. In 2008, Fordham applied for a liver transplant. Although initially on an emergency liver transplant list, he subsequently lost 17 st (108 kg, 238 lbs) in weight and stopped drinking alcohol completely, leading to an announcement in December that, due to the improvement in his physical well-being, he probably would not now require a transplant for five years.


Return to darts

In September 2007, after a nine-month absence from darts due to his health issues, Fordham made a low-key return to the oche at the Turunc Open in Turkey. Fordham did comparatively well, reaching the semi-final of the singles event where he lost to the eventual winner Martin Phillips from Wales. During his lay-off from the game, Fordham had lost 10 stone (63.5 kg, 140 lbs). 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 The World Masters is one of the longest-running and most prestigious of the BDO/WDF tournaments, which began in 1974. The tournament is sponsored by darts board manufacturer, Winmau. The World Masters was unusual in darts in that its sets are th ...
. He then received an invitation to play at the
Zuiderduin Masters The Finder Darts Masters was a darts tournament held in Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands, sanctioned by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation, running intermittently under several different names from 1995 to 2018. The tourn ...
in December 2007 – but lost both matches 0–5, to Mark Barilli (averaging 53.43) and to
Co Stompé Jacobus Wilhelmus "Co" Stompé (born 10 September 1962) is a Dutch former professional darts player. He was nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance, making him look like a matchstick. He was also one of ...
(averaging 76.20).


Move to the PDC

Fordham made his PDC debut in March 2009 at a Players Championship in
Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, losing his preliminary round match 6–4 against Gary Scratchley. After ending his first six tournaments with no prize money and without a single win, Fordham won his first match at the East Midlands Players Championship, beating Jon Archer 6–4 and earned £200 for his efforts. He eventually lost to
James Wade James Martin Wade (born 6 April 1983) is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He became the youngest player to win a major PDC title, when he won the 2007 World Matchplay at th ...
in the last 64 stage. He also won £200 in Austria and a combined total of £400 over two tournaments in Nuland. As of October 2011, Fordham was ranked 303 in the PDC Order of Merit, having not won any prize money since October 2009. After steady improvement in results and increased practice to regain his skills, in 2013, he made a return to competitive tournament darts.


Return to the BDO

It was announced that Fordham would return to the
British Darts Organisation The British Darts Organisation (BDO) was a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft. Made up of 66 member counties, it oversaw professional, semi-professional and amateur darts competitions in Britain. The BDO was a founder ...
in 2013, starting with the
Dutch Open Dutch Open may refer to: * Dutch Open (tennis), an ATP tennis tournament from 1957 to 2008 * Dutch Open (golf), an annual golf tournament on the European Tour * Dutch Open (badminton) * Dutch Open (darts) {{disambig ...
. MariFlex were announced as his new sponsors in February 2013. He also extended his long running partnership with leading darts sponsor
Winmau Winmau, pronounced "win more", is a Welsh manufacturer of dartboards, other darts equipment and title sponsor of the oldest darts tournament still running, the Winmau World Masters. Founded in 1945, Winmau was acquired by rival dartboard manufac ...
in May 2013. Fordham was awarded a wild card for the televised stages at the 2014 BDO World Trophy and faced Alan Norris in the first round. He was beaten 6–2 by Norris. In October 2015, Fordham advanced through a field of almost 200 players to qualify for the
2015 Grand Slam of Darts The 2015 Singha Beer Grand Slam of Darts, was the ninth staging of the tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took take place from 7–15 November 2015 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, England. P ...
(a PDC major), winning one of two BDO UK Qualifiers. He was unable to qualify from a group consisting of
Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis (born 21 January 1985) is an English professional darts player currently playing in the PDC. He is a two-time PDC World Darts Champion, winning in 2011 and 2012. He is nicknamed Jackpot, as he won a jackpot gambling in Las Vegas ...
, Michael Smith and Wayne Jones. His only victory, 5–3 against Jones, was his first televised win in over ten years, since the Masters of Darts in February 2005. Fordham also received a wildcard for the 2015 Zuiderduin Masters. He failed to qualify from his group because of an inferior legs difference to Brian Dawson. Also in 2015, Fordham notably reached the quarter-finals of the Jersey Classic and the last 16 of the Hal Masters, German Masters and BDO International Open. In September 2015, Fordham was awaiting clearance to play darts for the White Bear in the Chorley Darts and Dominoes League. He extended his partnership with Winmau for a further five years in April 2016. Fordham was unveiled as an ambassador for the British Disability Darts Association (BDDA) in May 2016. Handed another wildcard for the
2016 BDO World Trophy The 2016 Sports Direct BDO World Trophy is a major darts tournament run by the British Darts Organisation, hosted between 28–30 May 2016 at Lakeside Leisure Complex, Frimley Green, Surrey. This event is organized by the British Darts Organisa ...
, Fordham lost 6–2 to
Glen Durrant Glen Durrant (born 24 November 1970), nicknamed "Duzza", is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He previously won the BDO World Darts Championship three times consecutively fr ...
in round one.


2018

He attempted to qualify for the 2018 World Masters, reaching the last 272.


World Championship results


BDO

* 1995: Semi-Final (lost to
Richie Burnett Richard Mark "Richie" Burnett (born 7 February 1967), nicknamed Prince of Wales, is a Welsh professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is a former World No. 1 who won the 1995 Embassy World Darts C ...
2–5) * 1996: Semi-Final (lost to
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1. Background Beaton was born in Co ...
3–5) * 1997: 2nd Round (lost to Marshall James 2–3) * 1998: 2nd Round (lost to
Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld (born 20 April 1967) is a Dutch professional darts player. Nicknamed Barney, although originally known as The Man, he is one of the most successful darts players in history. Van Barneveld is a five-time World Darts Cham ...
2–3) * 1999: Semi-Final (lost to
Ronnie Baxter Ronnie Baxter (born 5 February 1961) is an English former professional darts player who competed in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He used the nickname "The Rocket" for his matches. Baxter was known for his fast robotic throwing a ...
1–5) * 2000: Quarter-Final (lost to Chris Mason 3–5) * 2001: Semi-Final (lost to
Ted Hankey Edward Hankey (born 20 February 1968) is an English former professional darts player and convicted sex offender. Nicknamed "The Count", he won the BDO World Darts Championship in 2000, was runner-up in 2001, and won the title for a second time ...
2–5) * 2002: 1st Round (lost to John Walton 0–3) * 2003: 2nd Round (lost to Gary Anderson 1–3) * 2004: Winner (beat Mervyn King 6–3) * 2005: 1st Round (lost to
Vincent van der Voort Vincent van der Voort (born 18 December 1975) is a Dutch professional darts player on the PDC circuit. As of the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, his nickname is the "Dutch Destroyer", although he used to go by "Grease Lightning". He is bes ...
2–3) * 2006: 1st Round (lost to
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
0–3) * 2007: ''Withdrew from competition due to ill health''


Career finals


Independent major finals: 1 (1 runner-up)


Performance timeline


Outside darts

Fordham was the eldest of 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. Fordham was a fan of Rangers, and paraded his BDO World Championship trophy before a game at
Ibrox Stadium Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Rangers Football Club, Ibrox is the third largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated capacity of . ...
in 2004. He was also a fan of
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
, and paraded his trophy at half-time of a match at The Den.


Death

On 15 July 2021, Fordham died in hospital from organ failure after a long battle with health problems. He was 59.


References


External links


modusdarts.tvFordham's first radio interview since falling ill
''BBC Sportsweek'' with Garry Richardson * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fordham, Andy English darts players BDO world darts champions 1962 births 2021 deaths People from Charlton, London Sportspeople from Dartford British Darts Organisation players Professional Darts Corporation former pro tour players Sportspeople from London Deaths from organ failure