BDO darts: Silverware won by the sport's most famous players up for sale at auction

Phil Taylor, a 16-time world champion, won BDO titles in 1990 and 1992

A collection of men's and women's BDO Championship silverware, won by some of darts' most famous players, has been put up for sale through auction.

The 38 trophies and plaques belonging to the now defunct British Darts Organisation are being sold in order to pay off creditors.

Among the items is the Men's World Championship trophy, won by the likes of Jocky Wilson and Phil Taylor.

The starting bid for the trophy was £500 and is now up to £17,000.

Eric Bristow won a record five men's BDO World Darts Championships, followed by Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld with four titles.

Trina Gulliver was the most successful female player, lifting the women's trophy at Lakeside a record 10 times during her career.

The BDO was founded in 1973 and the organisation's championship was held 43 times from 1978 to 2020.

In 1990, after a dispute with organisers over declining television ratings, a group of 19 players broke away to created the World Darts Council (WDC), later the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

The aim of the PDC was to provide opportunities to stage more tournaments and improve the image of the game.

As the popularity of the PDC grew, the BDO struggled to compete and, two and a half years ago, the company went into liquidation after 47 years.

The online auction, run by Lambert Smith Hampton, ends on 23 March.