De Schotse legende Jocky Wilson is slechts 2 dagen na zijn 62e verjaardag overleden in zijn huis in Kirkcaldy. Jocky werd de eerste Schotse wereldkampioen in 1982, toen hij de Engelse legende John Lowe in de finale van Lakeside met 5-3 versloeg en werd in 1989 nog een keer wereldkampioen door in een legendarische finale Eric Bristow met 6-4 te verslaan.
Jocky had al langere tijd gezondheidsproblemen en leefde sinds 1996 een teruggetrokken bestaan in zijn woonplaats Kirkcaldy. Jocky is in zijn huis, in het bijzijn van zijn familie overleden. Op dit moment is onzeker waaraan de Schose legende precies is overleden. Jocky kreeg 2 jaar geleden al een waarschuwing voor zijn gezondheid te verwerken en werd vanwege een longziekte gedwongen om te stoppen met roken. Vanaf dat moment had Jocky een beademingsapparaat nodig en was het voor hem moeilijk om te praten. Hij werd al die tijd thuis verzorgd door zijn vrouw Malvina en zijn kleinzoon. Zijn vrouw Malvina was ook altijd de vrouw die de pers te woord stond omdat Jocky zich geheel had terug getrokken.
Jocky behoorde ook tot de groep opstandige spelers die verandering nastreefden en verantwoordelijk waren voor de oprichting van de PDC. Diezelfde PDC eerder Jocky in december 2009 met een Jocky Wilson Cup, een landenwedstrijd tussen Schotland en Engeland. Dat het Schotse vuur in Jocky nog altijd fel brandde werd duidelijk toen een opgenomen boodschap van Wilson werd afgespeeld bij de Jocky Wilson Cup:
“Hi, Jocky hier, het spijt me dat ik er vanavond niet bij kan zijn. Ik hoop dat jullie allemaal een mooie avond hebben. Geef de de spelers het respect dat ze verdienen. Kom op Schotland.”
Bijna alle topspelers van de PDC zijn vandaag aanwezig bij de 4e UK Open Qualifier van het jaar in Barnsley en zullen onophoudelijk een minuut lang applaudiseren als eerbetoon aan Jocky Wilson. Wij zullen u gedurende de gehele dag op de hoogte houden van de reacties op het overlijden van Jocky Wilson. Dit doen we bij hoge uitzondering in de moedertaal van de goedlachse Schot, het Engels. Later vandaag zal er ook een eerbetoon aan Jocky op de website verschijnen.
Reacties prominenten op het overlijden van Jocky Wilson:
Raymond van Barneveld: “Sad to hear Jocky Wilson died at age 62 he was a great player and i have many good memories of him RIP champ” en vervolgde: It’s a sad day for darts and I feel really sad too because he was only 62 and he should have had many more years.
“When I first started playing darts in 1984 the top players were him, Eric Bristow, Keith Deller, Cliff Lazarenko and John Lowe, and he always had the crowd on his side. It was a shame he wasn’t involved in darts any more because he was such a hero. You could always laugh with him and he was a nice guy. I remember playing him in my first Europe Cup event in Great Yarmouth in 1988. I beat Bob Anderson and then had to play Jocky.
Bob was World Champion at the time so it was a special thing in Holland, and the Scotland team manager saw that I was playing Jocky next, and he got him fired up and he beat me 4-0!”He was one of the greatest and it was a real pleasure to watch him. He was a legend. I treasure the moments I had with him. A lot of players now had never met him, and I had the chance to meet him and play him which is special.“
Jacques Nieuwlaat: “Triest nieuws bij het opstaan. Één van de grootste darters aller tijden is overleden. Rust zacht Jocky Wilson”
Niels de Ruiter: “I became a absolute dartsfanatic after seeing this historical leg. R.i.p. Jockey Wilson.”
Phil Taylor: “We owe Jocky so much. With the likes of Eric Bristow and John Lowe, he made the game what it is today. Jocky really was a true legend. Taylor voegde er nog aan toe: ”When I first started Jocky was there at the top of the sport – you wanted to beat Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson and Jocky Wilson, they were the stars. I’ve got loads of memories of him and he was such a good laugh to be with. People talk about the great characters in darts and he’s one of the greatest – if not the main one when he was playing.
It’s common knowledge that Jocky had false teeth, and I remember playing snooker with him and he asked someone to clean the white ball and took his teeth out to mark the ball! He’d always be doing things like that, and he’d have a great little grin on his face. His smile will stay with me forever.”
Gary Anderson: “Jocky was the reason I took up the sport, he was my inspiration. It’s incredibly sad. He’s one of the biggest legends in darts. He had that famous action – the Jocky Wilson ‘snatch’ and they say the worse he snatched the better he got! I never met Jocky because he retired just before I started playing darts but watched a lot of him with my Dad when I was growing up. He won two World Championship titles and it would be nice if I can follow that on in the future and take the World Championship back to Scotland for him.”
Dennis Priestley: “He was such a character, a lovely man. You never knew what to expect from him and we had many good times. I played in some Pairs competitions in America with Jocky, and remember winning one with him in Las Vegas, which was brilliant. If you didn’t catch him in the right frame of mind he could be a little bit fiery and temperamental, but he was a very shy and private man away from darts too. He was only a few months older than me and it’s a sad loss. He’s another great player who we’ve lost young, along with Leighton Rees and Alan Evans.”
Tommy Cox: “Jocky’s public perception was very different to the real man. He never drank at home, only socially. He had a very tough upbringing and overcome adversity to become world champion. I will miss him hugely. Jocky transcended the whole spectrum of life in the UK – in the 1980s there wasn’t a person in the country who didn’t know who Jocky Wilson was and, even though he hasn’t thrown a dart since 1996, it’s probably almost still the same now.
I once refereed a game in Qatar between Jocky and Sir Geoffrey Howe, who was the Foreign Minister at the time, when he had been invited to a Trade Exhibition. We were with the Bootleg Beatles, Alan Ball and Tommy Gemmell, which was some company to be keeping! He will be fondly remembered.
Sid Waddell: “What can one say about the larger than life character that was John Thomas Wilson. Darts legend, working class hero and honorary Geordie”
Steve Beaton: “R. I .P. Jocky Wilson What a sad day for darts, my thoughts go out to his family. What a legend I always had a laugh when jocky was around”
John Lowe: “Jocky Wilson, a player I rated one of the finest ever, and always enjoyed sharing the Oche, RIP my friend.”
Bobby George: “Farewell John Thomas (Jocky) Wilson. We had some great times together will never forget you and your toothless grin! Great #darts #legend”
Richard Ashdown: “goodbye to an all time hero and one of the greatest darts players that ever lived – Jocky Wilson. Forever remembered and celebrated – LEGEND”
Wayne Mardle: “Jocky Wilson the darting legend has passed away. What a character, I loved watching him play, sadly I never had a chance to meet him.”
Justin Pipe: “A sad day for darts. Rest in peace Jocky Wilson”
Brendan Dolan: “Very sad news to hear of the passing of a darting legend. RIP Jockey.”
PauL Hinks: “Rest in Peace Jocky a true legend in the darting world.Very sad news.”
Alan Warriner-Little: “Just woke up to the sad news of our Jockey pass?ng away..Top Character..Top Champ?on”
.
