Eric Bristow

All this cuddling and kissing on stage these days, well it's all right in football when someone scores a goal, but not when you're playing darts.

I was 15 when I got my first job as a proofreader for an advertising agency in the City, earning £12 a week. But by then, I was already playing darts tournaments every weekend, regularly winning the £50 first prize. By the time I was 16 and winning two or three contests a weekend, I ditched the agency job and concentrated on darts."

Hopefully I've given something back to darts, which has been brilliant to me. Hopefully I made it a bit popular when I first started; I was part of the breakaway, and I also created a monster, so I think I've done a little bit.

When it comes to spending, I don't splash out on fancy cars - I never have. I'm not a car man and, in fact, don't even drive. Although I own a vehicle - it only cost £3,000, and I can't even tell you the make - friends are kind enough to drive me around. It doesn't make sense to waste lots of money on cars."

Any sport where people earn a lot of money you are going to get groupies.

The Crafty Cockney had a picture of the owner dressed up as a copper, so I brought it home, wore it on TV and the name just stuck.

I remember when we were in the World Cup in Australia and I had to win the singles against Tony Payne, best of seven legs, to win it. I was 2-0 down but ended up beating him 4-2.

I love cheese and biscuits, the stronger the better.

I like a drink, mate. I'll have maybe 10 or 12 pints on a good night out.

I knew I didn't want to be stuck in Stoke Newington for the rest of my life, hanging about with idiots. That wasn't for me. I wanted to go out and have a look around.

In 1987 I got dartitis, a psychological condition which means you can't let your darts go properly. For a time, I wondered what the hell I was going to do if I didn't recover. But I remained positive and, thankfully, got over it. It occurred during the Swedish Open when I found I couldn't let the darts go.

I'm not on Twitter or Facebook and don't even use email. I don't trust computers: one day they'll all break down, and everyone will be knackered.