“I REMEMBER him as probably the most naturally gifted darts player I’ve ever seen.”

That was the verdict of ex-Swindon darts star Bob Anderson on Jocky Wilson, who died aged 62 last Saturday.

A colourful character, the Scot won two world championships and four British titles in the 1980s as part of a stellar career, before he eventually retired in 1995.

Anderson may have been a huge rival of Wilson’s, but he was a huge admirer of the Kirkcaldy player’s ability.

“His style was anything but conventional, but his hand-eye coordination was better than anything I have encountered,” said Anderson.

“I studied the great players and Jocky never put his foot in the same place at the oche, but his hand-eye coordination was so good that the missile hit the target on many an occasion.

“I remember clearly the first time he ever spoke to me, it was when I was making my England debut in Dundee and there was a meet and greet where the players met the sponsors.

“This toothless man came up to me and said, ‘with a name like Anderson, what the so-and-so are you doing playing for England?’. And I said, ‘nice to meet you too, Jocky’.”

As well as having bags of natural talent, Wilson was a fierce competitor with a fiery personality, and Anderson remembers the multiple title winner with great affection.

“He was box office,” continued Anderson, himself a world champion in 1988.

“Nobody wanted to play him because you knew you were in for a hell of a fight.

“We played for the first time at the Dry Blackthorn Masters at Oldham and I can remember hitting four 180s in the first two games. It must have wound him up because he turned me over.

“He was a tempestuous lad who could explode at any moment, but also at times he was the nicest person you could ever wish to meet.

“His health had been deteriorating for quite a while, and I’m very, very sad to see him go.”

Current Swindon player Dennis Smith also has fond memories of Wilson, and had the pleasure of spending two years with him on the tour before the Scot retired in 1996.

“He was definitely a one off, there was no-one else like Jocky Wilson,” Smith said. “I had the pleasure of playing on the tour with him in the last two years before he retired, I think I played him four times in singles matches and only won one.

“He would not give compliments very often, but when he did you knew he really meant it and you took it to heart.

“I think my biggest lasting memory of him is from the Antwerp Masters when we went over to Belgium, which was after he had been told he had diabetes.

“I will never forget this, and he stayed in the players room drinking water all day and went out and won the tournament.

“I went out of the event earlier in the day and stayed behind to watch him win, and watching him show that courage and determination was something which spurred me on to carry on playing darts.”

Wilson first scooped the world title in 1982, when he beat John Lowe 5-3.

In 1989 he triumphed in a thriller against Eric Bristow, where the Englishman recovered from 5-0 down to bring it back to 5-4.

With the score locked at 2-2 in the 10th set, Wilson held his nerve to take the title.