Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters.
Darts career
Fordham made his first appearance on the stage at Lakeside in the 1995 BDO World Darts Championship and reached the semi-finals before losing to Richie Burnett. Another semi-final defeat followed in 1996, this time to Steve Beaton. On both these occasions, his victor then went on to claim the title. Second round defeats followed in 1997 (to Marshall James) and 1998 (to Raymond van Barneveld) before Fordham made it to the semi-final stage of the World Championship for third time in 1999, but was defeated by Ronnie Baxter.
His 2000 campaign ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of Chris Mason and his fourth semi-final loss in 2001 was to Ted Hankey. In 2002 and 2003 he went out in the first and second rounds respectively.
Fordham finally put an end to his "nearly man" reputation in the 2004 World Championship. His run saw him win his first match comfortably, 3–0 against qualifier Brian Derbyshire. He then beat former Masters champion Tony West 3–0, and teased a 9-dart leg in the third set. He defeated Darryl Fitton in the quarter-finals 5–4, and then stunned Van Barneveld, the defending world champion and strong tournament favourite, by recovering from 0–3 and 2–4 down to win the match 5–4, in what is still considered one of the most dramatic and exciting matches in BDO history.
In the final, Fordham defeated Mervyn King, hitting a 139 checkout to take the eighth set 3–2 when King had reached a double-18, and then recovering from 2–0 down in the next set to take it 3–2 with double-8, and win the match by 6 sets to 3.
Showdown with Taylor and health concerns
On 21 November 2004, Fordham, as reigning BDO world champion, faced off against Phil Taylor, the reigning PDC world champion, in a best-of-13-sets match at Purfleet's Circus Tavern. The special pay-per-view event was billed as "The Showdown" and was promoted and broadcast by Sky Sports. During the match, Fordham became unwell and complained of shortness of breath. He took a break after the seventh set and was advised not to continue by medical staff at the venue. Taylor was leading the match 5–2 at the time and declared the winner by default.
After the incident Fordham visited a doctor, and following medical tests he was informed that, as a result of long term alcohol damage, his liver was operating at only 25% capacity. He was advised to stop drinking alcohol immediately. Fordham's health had long been a concern; at one point he weighed and was in the habit of regularly consuming 24 bottles of lager before going on stage to play darts. He admitted to the media that he had felt more comfortable playing when not fully sober. The doctors' advice led Fordham to seek help and assistance via the television programme Celebrity Fit Club, where he became friends with the journalist and TV presenter Paul Ross.
While getting an exercise regime underway to try to lose some weight, in January 2005 Fordham returned to the Lakeside World championship as defending champion, but was defeated 3–2 in the first round by Dutchman Vincent van der Voort. He failed to progress past the first round of any of the other BDO majors that year, although he did reach the final of the Masters of Darts event, where he lost 7–1 to Phil Taylor.
Fordham made another Lakeside appearance in 2006 but again suffered a first round exit, this time losing 3–0 to Australia's Simon Whitlock. Fordham was scheduled to face Whitlock again in the first round of the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship, but prior to the tournament starting he was again hospitalised after complaining of chest pains and breathing difficulties. Subsequently, he had 18 litres of bile drained from his lungs and was to remain in hospital for three weeks. Fordham was withdrawn from the tournament, with Whitlock receiving a walkover to the second round. Less than one week after being discharged from hospital, Fordham suffered what was initially thought to be a minor stroke, but which turned out to be severe breathing difficulties caused by further fluid build-up in his lungs. He eventually made a full recovery. In 2008, Fordham applied for a liver transplant. Although initially on an emergency liver transplant list, he subsequently lost 17 st (108 kg, 238 lbs) in weight and stopped drinking alcohol completely, leading to an announcement in December that, due to the improvement in his physical well-being, he probably would not now require a transplant for five years.