Olly Croft

Oliver Albert Croft, (17 November 1929 – 23 November 2019) was a British darts administrator and the founder of the British Darts Organisation (BDO). He was one of the most influential protagonists in darts for almost four decades, having set up and run the BDO from its inception in 1973 until he was voted off the board in August 2011.

Prior to the formation of the BDO, the major organisation for county darts had been the National Darts Association of Great Britain (the NDAGB, commonly referred to as NDA) which had been formed in London on 25 September 1954. Croft began playing darts himself in 1961 for the Harringay Arms in Crouch Hill and was soon playing seven nights per week.

Early life Croft was born on 17 November 1929 to the North London tiler Oliver Croft and his wife May Gladys (née Robinson), who later died while giving birth to his younger brother. His father remarried and his son was rebellious towards his stepmother. She beat Croft and locked him in the home cupboard under the stairs in response. The children were subsequently evacuated when the Second World War broke out. After Croft did his national service as an electrician for the Royal Air Force, he established a kitchen tile company called Croft Brothers, which had two shops in Muswell Hill and Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, and generated £2 million in income. It also brought to an end his role as tournament director for the BDO as Wayne Williams succeeded him. Despite losing power over the BDO in 2011, Croft continued to be the Chief Technical Advisor at the WDF.

Olly Croft died on 23 November 2019, shortly after his 90th birthday. Olly's wife, Lorna, had died in June 2003, aged 72. They were survived by two sons and a daughter.