Between 1980 and 1991, Bristow featured in ten BDO World Darts Championship finals, winning the title five times, in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1986.

Bristow's last major achievement as a player was reaching the semi-finals of the 1997 WDC World Darts Championship, where he narrowly lost to Taylor.

In April 2018, Bristow suffered a heart attack while attending a Premier League Darts event in Liverpool and died at the age of 60.

Bristow wore a shirt (which he received from the same pub) depicting a uniformed British policeman, a Union Flag and the title Crafty Cockney whenever he took part in a tournament.

[4] Bristow emerged as the most successful and consistent darts player of the 1980s, reigning as number one in the world rankings during most of the period from 1980 until 1987.

[3] During the Swedish Open in November 1986, Bristow found himself unable to let go of his darts properly – a psychological condition known as dartitis,[4] similar to the yips in golf.

He reached the semi-finals of the 1997 WDC World Darts Championship at the Circus Tavern, where he narrowly lost to Phil Taylor 4–5 in sets.

[3] In the 1980s, Bristow came across Phil Taylor,[5] then a raw young darts talent in Stoke-on-Trent, and he sponsored him with about £10,000 to fund his development in the game,[4] on the understanding that the money would be repaid.

[3] From late December 1993,[6] until November 2016, when he was dismissed,[7] he worked mainly as a spotter, a pundit and an occasional commentator for Sky Sports[4] during televised PDC tournaments, while continuing to travel and play on the exhibition circuit.

Bristow returned to TV screens as a player in 2008 on Setanta Sports to compete in the BetFred League of Legends tournament, beating Bobby George 7–5 in the opening match.

[17][6] Bristow died on 5 April 2018 after a heart attack while attending a Premier League Darts event at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

Bristow had finished playing some VIPs at a promotional event and was walking back to his car when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.

[18] Speaking to BBC Radio 2, Bobby George said: "In the afternoon, I was doing a show at a pub opposite the Premier League (darts) building, and he just came in, said 'hello' and had a pint, then said 'see ya'.