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Keith Deller: “The Milky Bar Kid” – the 138 checkout that still slaps darts history in the face

Keith Deller is one of those players where one leg can almost swallow the whole career. 1983. World Championship final. Eric Bristow waiting. The room smelling of pressure. And then a 23-year-old qualifier takes out 138 like he has not read the script properly.

That finish did not just win a world title. It stamped itself into darts language. To this day, when somebody leaves 138, a little part of the darts world still whispers: Deller.

But Keith Deller was not only one famous checkout and a bit of old telly magic. He beat John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Eric Bristow on the way to that title, became one of the original WDC/PDC breakaway players, worked behind the Sky Sports cameras as a spotter, and later received an MBE. Not bad for the “Milky Bar Kid”, eh?

🥛 Nicknames “The Milky Bar Kid”, “Delboy” and “The Fella”. Darts nicknames were not exactly shy back then.
🏆 World Champion BDO World Champion in 1983, beating Eric Bristow 6-5 in one of the sport’s great shocks.
🎯 The checkout 138: treble 20, treble 18, double 12. Still the Keith Deller finish. Still ridiculous.
📺 After the stage Known later as a Sky Sports spotter, helping the cameras know where the next dart is likely going.

Contents

Want to jump straight into the Keith Deller story? Here are the main bits, no soft warm-up needed.

Keith Deller The Milky Bar Kid 1983 world champion and 138 checkout legend
1983 shock

Keith Deller: the kid who took Bristow’s grin away

With Keith Deller, you have to picture the time properly. Early 80s darts was Eric Bristow’s kingdom. The mouth, the confidence, the chest out, the sense that everyone else was just borrowing the stage until he wanted it back.

And then Keith Deller turns up. Young. Qualifier. Not the bloke everyone in the room expected to rip the trophy out of Bristow’s hands. He did not look like the natural monster in the story. He looked like the lad who might have been asked to move out of the way for the main event.

That is what makes the whole thing so good. Deller did not win a small event nobody remembers. He won the World Championship, against Bristow, with a finish that still makes darts people lean forward when they talk about it.

Simple version: Keith Deller proved that the oche does not always reward the loudest man in the room. Sometimes it rewards the young qualifier who refuses to blink.

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The checkout

The 138: treble 20, treble 18, double 12

The 1983 final against Eric Bristow is the moment that made Keith Deller immortal. Not just because he won. Because of how he won.

Bristow had left himself 32. Deller had 138. In that old darts room, with the title on the line, most people probably thought the story had already tilted back towards Bristow. Too much pressure. Too young. Too big a checkout. Surely not.

First dart Treble 20
60 gone, and suddenly the room starts changing shape.
Second dart Treble 18
Now it is not fantasy anymore. Now it is a real problem.
Third dart Double 12
World title. Bristow beaten. Darts history punched in the ribs.
The name 138
Still called the “Deller checkout” by darts people for a reason.

That checkout is not famous because it was the mathematically flashiest route ever invented. It is famous because of the moment. Final leg, world title, Bristow waiting, Deller throwing. That is how a number becomes folklore.

Pattys read: A normal checkout wins a leg. Deller’s 138 changed the way a number sounds in darts.

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The route

Lowe, Wilson, Bristow: not exactly the easy road

The lazy version is: Keith Deller hit a famous 138 and won a world title. Lovely. But if you only say that, you leave half the madness lying on the floor.

Deller came through as a qualifier. Not as the protected favourite. Not as the big name everyone had pencilled into the final. Then he went through John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and Eric Bristow. That is a filthy little route.

John Lowe was the calm machine. Jocky Wilson was the raw Scottish danger. Eric Bristow was the king. Deller beat all three on the way to the title. So no, this was not a lucky checkout with a trophy attached. This was one of the great ambush runs in darts.

John Lowe

The calm, precise old master. Deller got past him.

Jocky Wilson

The defending champion and Scottish wild force. Deller got past him too.

Eric Bristow

The big mouth, big favourite and big boss of the era. Deller took the title off him.

The awkward truth

If you beat those three, nobody gets to write you off as a cute little one-shot story.

That is the real weight: the 138 is the poster. The route is the proof.

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After the title

What happened after 1983?

This is where the Keith Deller story gets a bit more real. He did not turn that 1983 miracle into a long world-title empire. He did not become Bristow 2.0. He did not dominate the sport for a decade.

And maybe that is why the 138 sometimes swallows him. When one moment is that big, people forget the rest had rougher edges. He still had strong moments: British Professional Champion in 1987, PDC World Championship semi-finalist in 1998, World Matchplay semi-finalist in 1998, plus years around the professional game.

But he never built another moment like 1983. Few people do. That final was almost too perfect as a story. Young qualifier, giant favourite, 5-5, 138, world title. Try topping that without a scriptwriter getting laughed out of the room.

Simple version: Deller did not become the biggest career in darts. He became one of the biggest moments in darts. Different thing, still massive.

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WDC / PDC rebel

Keith Deller and the WDC/PDC rebellion

Keith Deller also belongs in the WDC/PDC breakaway story. At the start of the 90s, darts was not having a nice little brand refresh. It was a proper fight. Players, TV, bans, money, futures, egos, old loyalties — all of it smashing together.

Deller was one of the players who went with the breakaway group. And that mattered because he was not just another name on a list. He was a world champion. The 1983 man. The 138 man. The bloke who had already written himself into the old sport’s history.

The young professional game needed names like that. It needed Taylor and Priestley for the new standard, Bristow for the noise, Lowe for the class, and players like Deller for that old-world credibility.

Pattys read: Deller was not the loudest rebel. But a world champion joining the breakaway made the whole thing harder to laugh off.

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Behind the camera

The man behind the camera: Keith Deller as a Sky spotter

A lot of people know Keith Deller for 1983. But the man did not just disappear from darts once the big stage years got quieter. He stayed in the sport, just in a different place: behind the cameras.

As a Sky Sports spotter, Deller helped camera teams anticipate where the next dart was likely to go. That sounds easy until you think about it properly. A good spotter needs to know players, routes, habits, finishing patterns and when someone might switch targets without making the viewer dizzy.

So the same brain that held together a world-final 138 later helped millions of viewers actually see modern darts properly. Not a bad second act, that.

DartWorldHub read: Deller stayed useful to darts after the stage. Different job, same sharp eye.

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Darts & setup

Keith Deller darts: light, direct and not a tungsten tank

With Keith Deller, you need to be a bit careful with the setup story. Player data links him with 19g Loxley Signature darts, while older and modern product lines around his name include Loxley 138 darts, 40th Anniversary versions and older Target Keith Deller steel tip darts.

That means one thing: do not mix up “what Deller is known with today”, “what was inspired by the 138 moment” and “the exact historical 1983 setup”. Those are not always the same thing, even if a shop page makes it all look simple.

The general Keith Deller feel is not a huge heavy hammer. It is lighter, cleaner, more direct. A dart that suits rhythm and confidence, not one that needs a crane to leave the hand.

Known current reference

Mastercaller lists Keith Deller with 19g Loxley Signature darts.

Loxley 138 line

Modern Loxley 138 darts are listed as 90% tungsten, with 19g, 21g and 23g steel tip options plus soft tip.

Target Keith Deller line

Older Target Keith Deller steel tip darts appear in 21g and 23g versions through specialist shops.

Buying warning

Check exact model, tip type, weight and stock. Keith Deller listings can be old stock, out of stock, soft tip or just not what you thought.

  • Best fit: players who like a lighter or medium-weight player dart with a direct feel.
  • Watch out: 19g, 20g, 21g and 23g versions are not the same animal.
  • Important: for a normal bristle board, choose steel tip, not soft tip.
  • Do not assume: every Keith Deller product is the same as the famous 1983 darts.
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Hard facts

Keith Deller facts

👉 On mobile, swipe sideways to see the full table.
Topic Details DartWorldHub read
Full name Keith Noel Deller The man behind the 138 that will never shut up.
Nicknames “The Milky Bar Kid”, “Delboy”, “The Fella” Pick your favourite. The 138 is still louder than all of them.
Born 24 December 1959 Won the world title at 23. That is properly young in old darts terms.
Home link Ipswich / Suffolk A very English darts story, with a very un-English-sized shock attached.
World title BDO World Champion 1983 Beat Eric Bristow 6-5 in the final.
Famous finish 138 checkout Treble 20, treble 18, double 12. Still the Deller checkout.
Other major title British Professional Champion 1987 Useful reminder that the man was not just one checkout with legs.
PDC role WDC/PDC founding-era player His world champion name added weight to the breakaway.
Later darts role Sky Sports spotter The stage man became part of the machine that shows darts properly on TV.
Honour MBE A nice bit of official recognition for a very strange darts life.
Known darts 19g Loxley Signature / Loxley 138 / Target Keith Deller lines Check exact product. The Deller name appears across several versions.
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Darts check

Keith Deller darts check

I would not put an Amazon UK button here right now. The Keith Deller steel tip listings I found on Amazon UK are showing as unavailable, and that is not clean enough for an orange Amazon button.

The proper products to look for are Loxley Keith Deller 138 steel tip darts or older Target Keith Deller steel tip darts. Loxley’s own 138 product page is useful for the technical details, but stock can be awkward. For an actual shop route, the cleanest live product page I found is a specialist shop listing for Target Keith Deller steel tip darts.

Pattys straight call: DartWorldHub does not earn anything from this green shop link. It is here as a service, so visitors do not get some random wrong barrel, soft tip version or marketplace rubbish shoved in front of their eyes just because somebody wanted an Amazon click.

Check Keith Deller steel tip darts at Sonny’s Darts Check Loxley 138 product details

Before buying, check the exact version: steel tip, not soft tip. Then check the weight. With Keith Deller darts, you may see Loxley 138, 40th Anniversary, old Target versions and out-of-stock listings, so do not click half-asleep.

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Pattys Oche-Check

Pattys Oche-Check: one finish can weigh more than a whole trophy cabinet

Keith Deller is one of those players where you do not have to inflate the story. The story already has enough powder in it: young qualifier, Bristow, world title, 138. That is not a footnote. That is darts mythology.

But I also do not like reducing him to one darting postcard. He beat proper monsters on the way. Lowe, Wilson, Bristow. That is not a soft draw. That is a road full of traffic cones, barbed wire and bad intentions.

And after the big playing story faded, he stayed useful to darts. Sky spotter, TV work, the sort of invisible role people only notice when it is done badly. That says something too.

My take: Keith Deller was not the biggest career in darts. But if one number can make you immortal, 138 did the job. And he had to be brave enough to throw it.

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FAQ: Keith Deller

What made Keith Deller famous?

Keith Deller became famous for winning the 1983 BDO World Championship and for his legendary 138 checkout in the final against Eric Bristow.

What was Keith Deller’s famous 138 checkout?

The famous route was treble 20, treble 18 and double 12. That finish won him the 1983 world title and is still called the “Deller checkout” by darts fans.

Who did Keith Deller beat in the 1983 World Championship final?

He beat Eric Bristow 6-5 in the final. On the way to the title, he also beat John Lowe and Jocky Wilson, which makes the whole run even nastier.

Was Keith Deller the first qualifier to win the World Championship?

Yes. His 1983 world title is famous partly because he came through as a qualifier and shocked the big names.

What darts did Keith Deller use?

Player data links Keith Deller with 19g Loxley Signature darts. Modern Keith Deller products include Loxley 138 darts and older Target Keith Deller steel tip models, so always check the exact listing.

Can you buy Keith Deller darts today?

Sometimes, but availability is messy. Amazon UK listings are not clean enough right now, so a specialist shop route is safer. Check steel tip, weight and exact model before buying.

Was Keith Deller part of the PDC breakaway?

Yes. Keith Deller was part of the WDC/PDC founding-era story, which helped shape the modern professional darts world.

What does Keith Deller do behind the scenes in darts?

He is known for his work as a Sky Sports spotter, helping the production team anticipate where players are likely to throw next so viewers can follow the action properly.

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