The 1996 WDC World Darts Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the 1996 Vernons World Darts Championship) was the third year that the Professional Darts Corporation (then known as the World Darts Council) held their own World Championships following an acrimonious split from the British Darts Organisation during 1992/93. The tournament had its third sponsor in as many years, with Vernons taking over from Proton Cars. The tournament was held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet between 26 December 1995 and 1 January 1996.
Although he had not officially announced his retirement, Jocky Wilson had played his last televised competitive darts match at the World Matchplay in Blackpool in the summer of 1995, and had walked away from darts suddenly on 23 December 1995, so didn't appear at the 1996 World Championship, with Phil Taylor and Dennis Priestley both making an appeal after their 1996 World Championship final for Jocky and Malvina (Jocky's wife) to return. Nigel Justice and Steve Raw were the two English players making their WDC World Championship debuts.
Phil Taylor defeated Dennis Priestley 6–4 in the final, with Taylor gaining revenge for his 1994 final defeat against Priestley. It was Taylor's fourth overall World Championship victory.
Seeds
Phil Taylor Rod Harrington Dennis Priestley John Lowe Peter Evison Alan Warriner Bob Anderson Kevin Spiolek
Prize money The prize fund was £62,500.
Position (num. of players) Prize money(Total: £62,500)Winner (1) £14,000Runner-Up (1) £7,000Semi-finalists (2) £4,000Quarter-finalists (4) £2,500Group stage runners-up (8) £1,500Group stage 3rd place (8) £1,250Highest finish bonus (1) £1,500
Results Group stage
Group A PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 (1) Phil Taylor 2 2 0 6 0 +6 42 Shayne Burgess 2 1 1 3 4 −1 23 Cliff Lazarenko 2 0 2 1 6 −5 0
26 December 91.78 (1) Phil Taylor 3 – 0 Cliff Lazarenko 76.66
27 December 92.07 Shayne Burgess 3 – 1 Cliff Lazarenko 84.02
28 December 100.95 (1) Phil Taylor 3 – 0 Shayne Burgess 85.40
Group B PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 Keith Deller 2 2 0 6 3 +3 42 Sean Downs 2 1 1 4 3 +1 23 (8) Kevin Spiolek 2 0 2 2 6 –4 0
26 December 79.24 (8) Kevin Spiolek 0 – 3 Sean Downs 85.57
27 December 80.14 (8) Kevin Spiolek 2 – 3 Keith Deller 82.35
28 December 76.77 Sean Downs 1 – 3 Keith Deller 78.90
Group C PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 (5) Peter Evison 2 2 0 6 2 +4 42 Steve Raw 2 1 1 5 3 +2 23 Gary Mawson 2 0 2 0 6 −6 0
26 December 83.83 (5) Peter Evison 3 – 2 Gary Mawson 73.34
27 December 78.44 Steve Raw 3 – 0 Gary Mawson 76.03
28 December 86.10 (5) Peter Evison 3 – 2 Steve Raw 85.44
Group D PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 (4) John Lowe 2 2 0 6 2 +4 42 Dennis Smith 2 1 1 3 4 −1 23 Tom Kirby 2 0 2 3 6 −3 0
26 December 84.41 (4) John Lowe 3 – 0 Dennis Smith 83.66
27 December 76.19 Dennis Smith 3 – 1 Tom Kirby 83.11
28 December 90.92 (4) John Lowe 3 – 2 Tom Kirby 86.49
Group E PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 Larry Butler 2 2 0 6 4 +2 42 (2) Rod Harrington 2 1 1 5 4 +1 23 Nigel Justice 2 0 2 3 6 −3 0
26 December 77.10 (2) Rod Harrington 3 – 1 Nigel Justice 71.71
27 December 81.23 Larry Butler 3 – 2 Nigel Justice 80.25
28 December 81.68 (2) Rod Harrington 2 – 3 Larry Butler 79.20
Group F PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 Jamie Harvey 2 2 0 6 4 +2 42 (7) Bob Anderson 2 1 1 5 4 +1 23 Gerald Verrier 2 0 2 3 6 −3 0
26 December 83.82 (7) Bob Anderson 2 – 3 Jamie Harvey 83.33
27 December 83.98 (7) Bob Anderson 3 – 1 Gerald Verrier 78.29
28 December 81.04 Gerald Verrier 2 – 3 Jamie Harvey 82.71
Group G PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 (6) Alan Warriner 2 2 0 6 2 +4 42 Steve Brown 2 1 1 3 5 −2 23 Graeme Stoddart 2 0 2 4 6 −2 0
26 December 96.08 (6) Alan Warriner 3 – 0 Steve Brown 87.07
27 December 80.35 Graeme Stoddart 2 – 3 Steve Brown 80.08
28 December 82.47 (6) Alan Warriner 3 – 2 Graeme Stoddart 80.41
Group H PosPlayerPWLSFSA+/-Pts1 (3) Dennis Priestley 2 2 0 6 0 +6 42 Eric Bristow 2 1 1 3 5 –2 23 Ritchie Gardner 2 0 2 2 6 −4 0
26 December 92.85 (3) Dennis Priestley 3 – 0 Eric Bristow 84.23
27 December 80.66 Eric Bristow 3 – 2 Ritchie Gardner 84.59
28 December 86.16 (3) Dennis Priestley 3 – 0 Ritchie Gardner 66.16
Knockout stages
References
External links Results from Mastercaller