Former World Darts Champion Andy Fordham Has Died Aged 59

Darts legend Andy 'The Viking' Fordham has passed away at the age of 59, his representatives have confirmed.

The former world champion won the 2004 BDO World Championship after beating Mervyn King in the final.

Leading the tributes was Adrian Lewis who played against Fordham in the 2015 Grand Slam of Darts.

As well as fellow players, fans have also taken to social media to pass on their respects. One wrote: "What sad news about Andy Fordham. One hell of a darts player, who achieved cult status even in a sport populated by cult icons."

Another added: "One of my favourite moments in darting history is Andy Fordham's 180 at the grandslam [sic] against Adrian Lewis. To comeback for all of his health problems and hit a 180 with your first 3 darts in your first big TV game in years was an absolutely amazing moment RIP VIKING."

In 2006, Fordham made his final appearance before health issues saw him take a break until 2008 when he tried to qualify for the World Championship but lost out in the last 128.

In 2015, when Fordham played against Adrian Lewis, he made an almighty and unforgettable comeback by hitting 180 with his first three darts.

He played the BDO Tour before his last tournament in 2018 and was planning a return after entering the World Senior Darts Championship next year.

Topics: SPORT, Entertainment

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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