FORGOTTEN DARTERS: Andre 'The Quiet Man' Brantjes reached World Championship Quarter-Finals on debut

In this column, we regularly reminisce about 'forgotten darters' from the past. This time it is the turn of the Dutchman, André Brantjes.

Brantjes was born on 29 November 1958 in Rotterdam. The Dutchman spent most of his career playing soft tip darts. And not without success, he became European Champion no less than four times and World Champion three times.

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From soft tip to steel tip

In 2003, when he was already 45, Brantjes made his first appearance in steel-tip darts by reaching the final of the German Open, which he lost to Ted Hankey. That same year he won the Spring Cup by beating the Belgian Erik Clarys in the final.

In 2004 Brantjes won the Spring Cup again and reached the quarter finals of the Finnish Open. Enough to secure an invitation to the International Darts League, at the time a major Dutch TV tournament. In the group stage in Zoetermeer, he lost to the Scot Gary Anderson, but thanks to wins against Mario Robbe and Martin Adams he did qualify for the second group stage. After a win against Jarkko Komula and defeats against Tony David and Ted Hankey, however, his adventure was over.

World Championship debut

In 2005 Brantjes qualified for the BDO World Championship for the first and only time in his career. In the Lakeside Country Club, he caused a shock in the first round by eliminating his compatriot Co Stompé 3-2. One round later Mervyn King also surprisingly lost 3-2 to Brantjes. In the quarter finals, however, he lost 5-1 against Simon Whitlock.

In 2005 Brantjes was again a player at the International Darts League, where again he reached the second round. A year later, he made his last international appearance at the Winmau World Masters, where he went down in the opening round. The now 63-year old Brantjes has been enjoying his retirement from darts for years.