Darts loses a pioneer: Harrows founder Colin Harris dies at 70

The darts world has had to say goodbye to Colin Harris. The co-founder of Harrows has passed away at the age of 70. With his death, the sport loses one of the key pioneers behind darts’ commercial growth and a man who played a decisive role in the development of the modern game.

For decades, Harris was known as an innovator, entrepreneur, and lover of the sport. His influence reached far beyond a familiar brand name on flights and darts. Behind the scenes, he helped professionalize the darts scene, precisely during a period when the sport was experiencing explosive international growth.

His love for darts began at a young age. As a teenager, Harris made his first darts on a lathe at school. He then sold those homemade products in local pubs, where the sport was already popular. Later, he opened a darts shop in Enfield, North London. There, he sold not only products from other brands, but also his own handmade items. It proved the start of a lifetime’s work.

In 1973, together with his father Jack Harris and business partner Ron Woodhead, he officially founded Harrows. The initial production took place in a simple shed behind the shop. From those modest beginnings, the company grew into a global brand.

Harris’s rise coincided with darts’ breakthrough on television in the 1970s and 1980s. As the sport drew millions of viewers, Harris ensured that Harrows was prominently involved in that development.

He formed partnerships with top players, including five-time world champion Eric Bristow. This made Harrows a fixture within the professional darts world.

Under Harris’s leadership, the company expanded to larger sites in Hertfordshire and also targeted new markets, such as soft-tip darts. British quality thus found its way to more than one hundred countries.

Within the sport, Harris was known as someone who constantly sought improvement. Many features and products that are now taken for granted in darts stemmed from ideas developed under his guidance.

His focus was always on quality, craftsmanship, and listening to players. As a result, Harrows managed to stand out for years in an increasingly competitive market. Even at a later age, Harris remained closely involved in setting the company’s course. When Harrows was sold in 2021, it was done with great care to ensure continuity for staff, customers, and the darts community.

On behalf of the company, Damian Ara paid tribute to Harris.

“Colin was a true pioneer of the darts industry and the driving force behind Harrows.