Ritchie Gardner: “Machine Gun” – the 14g rebel most people quietly forget
Ritchie Gardner is not one of those names that gets shouted across every darts debate. No world title. No giant TV-machine legacy. No modern highlight reel with dramatic music and slow-motion darts flying through smoke.
But that does not mean he was just a name on a dusty old list. “Machine Gun” was part of the old BDO scene, won the Belgium Open, won the MFI World Pairs with Jocky Wilson, played Lakeside, reached the World Masters quarter-finals and then stood inside the WDC/PDC breakaway when the whole sport was splitting apart.
And then there is the setup: 14g Unicorn Signature darts. Fourteen grams. For steel tip. That is not normal heavyweight pub-darts territory. That is light, quick, unforgiving gear — and suddenly the nickname starts making even more sense.
Contents
Want to jump straight into the Ritchie Gardner story? Here are the main bits without pretending he was Phil Taylor in disguise.
- “Machine Gun”: the man with the fast name
- Why “Machine Gun” matters more than fake legend fluff
- Ritchie Gardner in the old BDO years
- MFI World Pairs 1988: winning with Jocky Wilson
- Ritchie Gardner and the WDC/PDC rebellion
- 14g Unicorn Signature: the crazy-light setup
- Ritchie Gardner facts
- Ritchie Gardner darts check
- Pattys Oche-Check
- FAQ
- More DartWorldHub legends
- Ritchie Gardner sources
- Official darts bodies & useful sources
“Machine Gun”: the man with the fast name
Ritchie Gardner’s nickname does half the work for you. “Machine Gun” is not soft. It is not pretty. It does not sound like a bloke easing into a leg with a long warm-up and a deep breath.
It sounds like rhythm. Short movement. Quick release. Darts going at the board without a big speech first.
That is the good way to read Gardner. Not as a player we need to inflate into some fake giant. Not as a forgotten world champion, because he was not one. But as a proper old-school name who had enough game, enough nerve and enough timing to belong in the early PDC story.
DartWorldHub read: Ritchie Gardner was not a superstar. But not every important darts name needs to be a superstar. Some names matter because they were there when the ground was moving.
Why “Machine Gun” matters more than fake legend fluff
Important little clean-up: Ritchie Gardner was “Machine Gun”. Not “The Madhouse”. That sort of mix-up happens because later darts has Ritchie Edhouse, who is tied to the “Madhouse” name. Wrong Ritchie. Wrong story.
Gardner does not need that borrowed nickname anyway. “Machine Gun” is better for him. It has pace. It has edge. It fits the whole 14g-darts angle far better than some random copied label ever would.
And this is where I would keep the page straight. We do not need to build a Hollywood story around him. His real nickname, his 14g Unicorn reference, the World Pairs title with Jocky Wilson and the breakaway role are already enough.
Simple version: no fake nickname, no stolen character, no polished nonsense. Ritchie Gardner was “Machine Gun”. That is the name to use.
Ritchie Gardner in the old BDO years
Gardner did not dominate the old BDO world. Let’s not dress it up like that. He was not Bristow, not Lowe, not Jocky, not Anderson. But he was in the mix at a time when darts was still rough, smaller, louder and much less polished than it is now.
His key individual title was the Belgium Open in 1984. He also appeared at the BDO World Championship and reached the last 16 in 1987 and 1988. At the World Masters, he reached the quarter-finals in 1990.
That is not a monster CV, but it is a real one. And that is important. Gardner was not just standing near famous people in a group photo. He had his own results, his own stage time and his own place in that old scene.
Pattys read: not every proper old darts player has to be inflated into a legend. Sometimes “solid, awkward and actually there” is the more useful truth.
MFI World Pairs 1988: winning with Jocky Wilson
The strongest little nugget in Gardner’s career is the 1988 MFI World Pairs title with Jocky Wilson.
And no, that is not just a cute side note. Jocky Wilson was a proper world-class name. If you win a pairs title with Jocky, you are not just the bloke holding the spare flights and smiling for the photo.
In the final, Gardner and Wilson beat Mike Gregory and Lars Erik Karlsson. Look at those names for a second. Jocky. Gregory. Karlsson. Gardner was playing inside real old darts traffic, not some harmless little side event in the corner.
Jocky Wilson, two-time world champion and one of Scotland’s wildest darts names.
Mike Gregory and Lars Erik Karlsson. Proper old darts company.
1988, right in the heart of the old darts world before the split ripped everything open.
Pairs titles get treated like little extras, but they still tell you who was trusted on stage.
Useful way to see it: Gardner may not be the biggest name in that final, but he was absolutely part of the level around it.
Ritchie Gardner and the WDC/PDC rebellion
When the split came, Ritchie Gardner was one of the players who went with the WDC road. Today that gets written down like a tidy line in a profile. Back then, it was not tidy at all.
Darts was under pressure. TV had shrunk. Money was not flowing like it does now. Players were worried the sport was being left to rot in the old image. The breakaway was not a safe career plan. It was a gamble.
Gardner was not the loudest name in that group. Bristow had the mouth. Lowe had the class. Priestley had the first WDC world title. Taylor became the monster. But the group also needed players like Gardner, because without the depth names, it would have looked like a few stars shouting into the wind.
Pattys read: Gardner matters because the early PDC was not built only by the names everyone remembers. It was also built by the players people forget too quickly.
14g Unicorn Signature: the crazy-light setup
The really interesting gear point with Ritchie Gardner is the weight: 14g Unicorn Signature darts. Fourteen grams for steel tip is light. Very light. Most players you meet at club level are somewhere around 21g to 26g, give or take the usual pub arguments.
With 14g, the dart does not hide much. If your throw is messy, you feel it. If you push, snatch, float or panic, the dart will tell the truth faster than a heavy barrel does.
That is why the nickname “Machine Gun” feels right. A light dart like that suits a quick, repeating rhythm. Not a big heavy swing. Not a lump of tungsten doing half the job for you. More like: set, release, next one, bang.
And no, light steel darts are not toys. Stephen Bunting made the whole light-dart thing famous in a different way with very light barrels. The point is not that everybody should copy it. The point is that it can work if your throw has the rhythm for it.
14g Unicorn Signature darts are the clean Ritchie Gardner player-data marker.
Very light, quick and unforgiving. Great if your release is clean, annoying if it is not.
Players with a fast, smooth throw who do not want the dart to feel like a mini hammer.
Do not buy 14g darts just because the story sounds cool. They can feel horrible if your throw needs weight to stabilise it.
- What we know: Gardner is listed with 14g Unicorn Signature darts.
- What we do not fake: a clean modern Ritchie Gardner product link.
- Safe practical route: try 14g to 18g steel tip darts only if you actually want a light setup.
- Big warning: soft tip barrels with conversion points are possible, but that is tinkering, not the clean first route.
Ritchie Gardner facts
| Topic | Details | DartWorldHub read |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ritchie Gardner | The forgotten “Machine Gun” from the early PDC story. |
| Nickname | “Machine Gun” | Use this. Not “The Madhouse”. That is the wrong Ritchie story. |
| Born | 1958 / 1959 | Part of the old English darts generation before the modern PDC polish. |
| Nationality | England | A depth name in the old English-heavy split era. |
| Throwing hand | Right-handed | Right-handed, fast-name player, no need for extra gimmicks. |
| Known darts | 14g Unicorn Signature | The most interesting gear detail on the page. Very light for steel tip. |
| BDO World Championship | Last 16 in 1987 and 1988 | Not world-title level, but a real Lakeside presence. |
| World Masters | Quarter-final in 1990 | A useful marker that he could get into the sharper end of big events. |
| Belgium Open | Winner in 1984 | His key individual title. |
| MFI World Pairs | Winner in 1988 with Jocky Wilson | The strongest “he really belonged in that room” detail. |
| PDC / WDC | Founding-era player | One of the names that made the early PDC field deeper than the headline stars. |
Ritchie Gardner darts check
I would not put an Amazon UK button here. I did not find a clean Ritchie Gardner Unicorn Signature steel tip listing on Amazon UK, and I also did not find a trustworthy specialist-shop product page for original Ritchie Gardner darts.
What we can say cleanly: Gardner is listed with 14g Unicorn Signature darts. So if somebody wants to copy the rough feel rather than chase rare old player darts, the sensible route is to look at very light steel tip darts, especially around 14g to 18g.
Pattys straight call: DartWorldHub does not earn anything from these green shop links. They are here as a service, so visitors do not get some random wrong barrel, soft tip version or fake “Ritchie Gardner” nonsense shoved in front of their eyes just because somebody wanted an Amazon click. These are light steel tip alternatives, not original Ritchie Gardner Unicorn Signature darts.
Browse 14g darts at Darts Corner Check Red Dragon Featherlite darts
Before buying anything, check steel tip first, then weight, then barrel shape. Some 14g listings may be brass, soft tip or out of stock. If you need conversion points to make it work, understand that you are already in experiment territory, not clean beginner-safe buying.
Pattys Oche-Check: not every rebel got the big poster
Ritchie Gardner is one of those pages where you have to resist the urge to make the man bigger than the facts. He was not world champion. He was not a Taylor-type monster. He was not the bloke everyone built the camera angle around.
But that is exactly why he belongs here. The early PDC story is not only Bristow shouting, Taylor rising and Priestley winning the first title. It is also the players around them. The ones who made the field real. The ones who took the risk when nobody knew whether the breakaway would survive.
Gardner had his own proper moments: Belgium Open, World Pairs with Jocky Wilson, Lakeside appearances, World Masters quarter-final and that unusual 14g setup that makes the nickname “Machine Gun” feel less random than it first looks.
My take: Ritchie Gardner was not a superstar. But without names like him, the early PDC story turns into a thin greatest-hits album. The real history had more bodies in the room, more risk, and more Machine Gun types than people remember.
FAQ: Ritchie Gardner
What was Ritchie Gardner’s nickname?
Ritchie Gardner’s nickname was “Machine Gun”. Do not mix him up with Ritchie Edhouse and the “Madhouse” nickname.
What darts did Ritchie Gardner use?
Player data links Ritchie Gardner with 14g Unicorn Signature darts. That is very light for steel tip darts and one of the most interesting details of his setup.
Can you buy Ritchie Gardner darts today?
I did not find a clean modern product page for original Ritchie Gardner Unicorn Signature darts. If you want the rough feel, look for very light steel tip darts around 14g to 18g, but do not treat them as original Gardner darts.
Was Ritchie Gardner part of the PDC breakaway?
Yes. Ritchie Gardner was part of the WDC/PDC founding-era group during the split from the old BDO structure.
What titles did Ritchie Gardner win?
His key listed titles include the Belgium Open in 1984 and the MFI World Pairs in 1988 alongside Jocky Wilson.
Did Ritchie Gardner play at Lakeside?
Yes. Gardner appeared at the BDO World Championship and reached the last 16 in 1987 and 1988.
Did Ritchie Gardner win with Jocky Wilson?
Yes. Ritchie Gardner won the MFI World Pairs in 1988 with Jocky Wilson, beating Mike Gregory and Lars Erik Karlsson in the final.
Are 14g steel tip darts easy to play?
Not for everyone. A 14g steel tip dart is very light and can expose a messy throw quickly. Some players love that fast feel, others will hate it after three legs.
More DartWorldHub legends
If you want to place Ritchie Gardner properly, these are the next names. Jocky, Gregory, the old rebels and the bigger machine around the early PDC.
- World Pairs partner Jocky Wilson: the wild Scottish legend → Gardner won the 1988 MFI World Pairs alongside Jocky Wilson.
- World Pairs final opponent Mike Gregory: “The Quiet Man of Darts” → One of the names Gardner and Wilson beat in the 1988 MFI World Pairs final.
- Another depth rebel Jamie Harvey: “Bravedart” → Another founding-era name who gave the early PDC more colour than the big headline stars alone.
- Forgotten split-era name Kevin Spiolek: “Speedo” → Another name casual fans may miss, but one that belongs in the early-90s darts story.
- Old-school class Bob Anderson: “The Limestone Cowboy” → A bigger-name rebel from the same rough transition era.
- The split story The History of the PDC → The breakaway, the bans, the pressure and why names like Gardner belong in the full picture.
- Gear background Steeldart Barrels Guide → Weight, shape, grip and why 14g steel tip darts are definitely not for everyone.
- Back to the hub Stars & Legends → More old-school names, modern stars and the stories behind the shirts.
Ritchie Gardner sources
These links are useful for Ritchie Gardner’s nickname, 14g darts reference, titles, WDC/PDC breakaway role and light-dart alternatives.
- Player data Mastercaller: Ritchie Gardner → Player profile with nickname, 14g Unicorn Signature darts, laterality, career data and match records.
- Titles Mastercaller: Ritchie Gardner’s Titles → Title list including Belgium Open 1984, MFI World Pairs 1988 and British Internationals wins.
- WDF profile WDF: Ritchie Gardner → World Darts Federation player profile with nationality, nickname, laterality and title data.
- Career profile Darts Database: Ritchie Gardner → Career statistics, tournament record and player history.
- Split background PDPA: History / Split → Background on the BDO/WDC split and the original breakaway players.
- 14g setup alternative Darts Corner: 14g Darts → Not Ritchie Gardner signature darts, but a useful 14g darts collection if you want to explore the rough weight range.
- Lightweight setup alternative Red Dragon: Featherlite 2 Darts → Lightweight steel tip darts range. Useful as an alternative direction, not an original Gardner product source.
Official darts bodies & useful sources
If you want to look past the gear and into the official side of darts, these are useful sources for pro events, English-speaking darts structures, rankings, tournaments and the wider international scene.
- Professional darts Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) → The main professional stage for darts: events, schedules, scores, tickets, players and PDC tour news.
- World darts World Darts Federation (WDF) → The international darts federation, with world events, member nations, rankings, players and competitions.
- England England Darts → The official governing body for darts in England, covering national teams, world-ranked events and the English darts structure.
- Scotland Scottish Darts Association → Scottish darts news, competitions, national teams and tournament information from the Scottish darts scene.
- Wales Welsh Darts Organisation → The governing body of darts in Wales, covering Welsh national teams, competitions and world-ranking events.
- Ireland Irish National Darts Organisation (INDO) → Official Irish darts information, events and news from the Irish National Darts Organisation.
- United States American Darts Organization (ADO) → A useful source for US darts, rankings, approved tournaments, national events and American darts news.
- North America Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) → North America’s professional steel-tip darts tour and one of the key routes towards bigger PDC-stage opportunities.