Taylor pays tribute to Bristow: ‘I wouldn’t have achieved what I did without him’

The 16x times World Champion was mentored by him and loaned his first money to make his name for himself. Taylor spoke about Bristow admitting he wouldn’t have got as far without him.
In addition, he says that Bristow gave him that winning mentality and that hunger and drive to succeed in his early days.
"I wouldn't have achieved what I did without him being a mentor and sponsoring me in the early days. I couldn't afford to go to Rhyl let alone Canada or Las Vegas to play darts!
"Probably his biggest influence on me was the winning mentality. Like my mum and dad, he was very strict with me, he didn't want to talk to me unless I'd won an event.
"I would ring him up and say I’d made the semi-final or lost the final and he shout at me 'Only ring me when you've won' and slam the phone down.
"But that gave me the drive and hunger to succeed and I needed that at the time.
"That mentality is his legacy, he started it, made me like it and now the standard will continue to go up because of him.
"He was the first superstar of darts, he started the success it is today. There were other big names of the time like Alan Evans, Leighton Rees, Jocky Wilson and John Lowe, but Eric put darts on the back pages of every tabloid newspaper.
"Everybody knew who Eric was and they still do, the biggest name in the sport. Even when I go about my normal life, I still hear Eric telling me stuff in my head, that will never change.
"To be honest, it hasn’t really sunk in that he’s gone. I’m still in a bit of shock. I will miss him so much."