Old Stoneface — three-time World Champion spanning 14 years and the first player in history to hit a perfect nine-dart finish on television. Lowe's meticulous, emotionless approach to the oche — which earned him his nickname — and his consistent excellence across three decades of professional darts made him one of the sport's founding giants.
John Lowe was born in Chesterfield, England on 21 July 1945. He won three BDO World Championships — in 1979, 1987 and 1993 — spanning 14 years, a record of consistency that reflects the depth and longevity of his ability. In 1984 he became the first player in history to hit a perfect nine-dart finish on television, against Keith Deller at the British Open. The prize money was £102,000 — a life-changing sum at the time. His calm, precise approach to the oche and his complete absence of theatrical expression gave him his nickname Old Stoneface, but behind the composed exterior was one of the most technically complete players the sport produced in the pre-Taylor era.
BDO World Champion 3x (1979, 1987, 1993)
He won £102,000 for hitting the first televised nine-dart finish in 1984 — a prize that was genuinely life-changing for a darts player at a time when the sport was far less lucrative.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- BDO World Champion 3x (1979, 1987, 1993)
- First televised nine-dart finish (1984)
- World Masters Champion
- British Open Champion multiple