Jocky Wilson

Scotland's Jocky Wilson was an unlikely world champion - with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in another - but he came from a different world, a different era in the 1980s - when professional darts was at its heyday.

By all accounts Jocky became a bit of a reclusive charatcer when he retired from playing darts - but the down-to-earth little man from Fife always brought a big smile to people's faces.

What you saw was - most definitely - what you got - Jocky Wilson had no airs or graces.

My favourite comment out of all the tributes paid to Jocky in the past few days - came from the man who has dominated the world of darts in the modern era - Phil Taylor - who recounted the following tale:

"It's very sad news. 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.

Jocky had false teeth, and I remember playing snooker with him. 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."

Now I never met Jocky Wilson - but that story has the ring of truth to it - because as well as  playing darts at the very highest level - the litte Fifer had the knack of making people laugh.