“Jocky on the Oche”
A neat bit of rhyming by the darts commentator Sid Waddell became a 1980s catchphrase as Scottish darts player Jocky Wilson became a national treasure. If the average sports fan didn’t know what an oche was before Wilson’s career took off, they certainly did by 1982 when his name was on everyone’s lips.
Wilson showed that there was more to sport in Kirkcaldy than Raith Rovers as his personal journey took him from unemployment to world champion in less than a decade.
In this blog we'll dive into Jocky Wilson, true champion whose life story is as riveting as his legendary performances on the oche.
Table of Contents
The Big Break
Like most darts players from his era, he learned how to play in pubs and it was in Kirkcaldy’s Lister Bar that his journey began. During a spell on the dole, he started to take the sport more seriously as the time he had on his hands allowed him to practise around the clock. News of his talents spread, earning him a place on Scotland’s amateur darts team in 1976.
Wilson’s timing was perfect as he was getting pretty good at darts when it was in the first stage of its boom as a professional sport. Flamboyant characters like Bobby George and Eric Bristow were making darts a TV staple and Wilson’s big break came at a time when both snooker and darts were becoming a popular fixture on TV.
Jockey turned professional in 1979 and, seeded eighth, reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships the same year, losing to eventual champion John Lowe. There was a similar story the following year as Wilson was defeated in the last eight by Bristow, who went on to win the tournament. It was third time unlucky in 1981 when Jocky suffered another quarter-final loss, this time to Tony Brown.
It was clear that Wilson was talented and consistent, but that inability to go beyond the last eight might also have suggested that he was also a level below the top players of the time.
Hitting New Heights
That perception did start to change in 1981 when Wilson defeated Lowe in the final of the British Professional Championship. A psychological barrier had been removed and Wilson went into the 1982 World Championship with no fear of any opponent, knowing that he could beat the very best.
Wilson was seeded fourth in ‘82 and his hopes received an early boost when reigning champion Bristow slipped to a stunning loss in the first round. While the ‘Crafty Cockney’ was being knocked out, Jocky eased past fellow Scotsman Rab Smith by two sets to nil.
Wilson faced an awkward second-round opponent in Wales’ Alan Evans - a former World Masters champion. But the Scotsman edged it 2-1 to reach a now familiar quarter-final berth. This time, he faced a much less daunting opponent in tournament debutant Dave Miller from the USA. Wilson showed his class by cruising to a 4-0 victory.
In his first ever semifinal, Jocky had momentum and he swept aside Sweden’s Stefan Lord, again by a 4-0 scoreline. The 31-year-old had reached his first World Championship final.
The draw had, with the exception of the second round, been relatively kind to Wilson, but he would be the underdog in his first final as he went up against second seed Lowe. It would be Lowe’s fourth final in five years, highlighting his status as the tournament favourite since Bristow’s early exit.
Things initially went as might be expected when, having seen his opponent miss an opportunity to hit the bullseye and complete a three-dart checkout of 126, Lowe sealed a tight first set by three legs to two. But Wilson was undaunted and hit back to win the second set 3-0, during which he nailed a sensational three-dart checkout from 144.
In a nerve-jangling third set, both players missed opportunities to seal the deciding leg before Wilson’s double 20 gave him a two sets to one lead in the best-of-nine match. The fourth set was more straightforward as Jocky won it by three legs to one, while making his lead in the match three sets to one.
So Near, Yet so Far
Nerves were starting to get to Wilson in the fifth set, however. In the second leg, he had three attempts to win it by hitting double five. He missed all three. But Lowe was also feeling the heat. In the fourth leg, both players had multiple opportunities to finish it off with a double before Lowe’s double four finally put him back to within one set of Wilson.
Lowe showed his determination not to be runner-up for the third time in five years when he levelled the match at 3-3, winning the sixth set 3-2.
This was a real test of character for Wilson now. Playing outstanding darts, he had moved into a 3-1 lead, needing just two more sets to be the best in the world. Now, he had been pegged back by the former champion. But if Jocky was nervous, he didn’t show it in the fourth leg of the seventh set. With 141 left, he took just three darts to finish it off and claim the set 3-1.
So close to the title, you might have expected there to be more nerves on Wilson’s side in the eighth set, but Lowe was guilty of fluffing his lines several times, while Jocky stayed the stronger of the two. In the fourth leg of the set, double 16 gave Wilson his first world title.
As Jocky cavorted about the stage in celebration, Waddell on commentary stated “they’ll be singing, they’ll be highland flinging all over Scotland for this lad”. That might have been a bit of hyperbole from the “Voice of Darts” but Wilson had certainly made a nation proud.
Rich Rewards
The prize-winning cheque of £6,500 now seems scant reward in comparison to the £500,000 Luke Littler received for his 2025 triumph. However, not every achievement can be measured in prize money.
Wilson’s was a true underdog story. He had gone from delivery driver to factory worker to unemployed to world champion in the space of 10 years, through the hours of dedicated practice to a sport that requires incredible motor control and hand-eye coordination.
For the next six years, he would be thwarted at either the semifinal or quarter final stage of the World Championship. But he was back in the final again in 1989, putting his fans through the grinder before eventually coming out on top against Bristow. Wilson had raced into a 5-0 lead but, despite needing just one more set to seal victory, Bristow fought back to 5-4.
Wilson settled his nerves and those of his many fans by steeling himself to take the 10th set and seal a 6-4 victory.
Wilson would never hit such heights again and his career soon went into decline. However, his iconic performance in 1982 had already etched his name in sporting history and his 1989 triumph just added to his legacy.
After Wilson’s passing in 2012, 15-time world champion Phil Taylor said, “When I first started, you wanted to beat Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson and Jocky Wilson.
"He was such a good laugh to be with. People talk about the great characters in darts and he's one of the greatest.”
Final Thoughts
Jocky Wilson’s story shows how a bit of hard work and a lot of passion can turn your life around. Starting off like most players in the pub scene, he turned his skills into something special and made it all the way to world champion. Despite facing setbacks, Jocky’s name became unforgettable in darts, with his famous wins and unforgettable moments still inspiring fans today. His legacy is proof that you don’t need luck to succeed—just a true love for what you do.
