Martin Adams resisted an amazing fightback from fellow 50-year-old Phil Nixon to capture the Lakeside World Championship title for the first time with a nervy 7-6 win tonight.
The duo were the two oldest players in the competition with only three months between them in age, but for most of the final there was a huge gulf in class as Adams stormed into a 6-0 lead.
But Nixon, a house-husband from Durham, suddenly struck form when only one leg from defeat and reeled off six sets himself to seriously worry his opponent.
Top seed Adams is renowned for being affected by the jitters with the winning post in sight and despite his huge advantage it happened again. However, he has most decisive when it most mattered, and took the 13th and final set 3-0.
The Peterborough professional - the 'nearly' man of darts for so long - had everything his own way in the first half of the contest as the heavy scoring that had served Nixon so well during the week deserted him.
It looked like being a repeat of Ted Hankey's whitewash of Ronnie Baxter in the 2000 final and when Nixon finally got off the mark it was greeted warmly by the crowd.
However, little did the audience know it would prove the start of an incredible comeback from the man who had qualified for the tournament for the first time in 20 years of trying.
'It's absolutely fantastic, this means everything to me,' said Adams. 'It's been a 14-year dream.
'I've always said if I could get my name on this trophy one time I'd be a very happy man and now I've done it.
'I will take great pride in looking at all the names on it, going back to the great Leighton Rees in 1978.
'I've been chasing this trophy for 14 years and now I've got it.'
On the way the match changed, he added: 'You try too hard. I could feel my arm tightening up and just told myself to relax and do what I had done in the first six sets.
"I thought 'surely I can't lose from 6-0 up' and that I must get an opportunity to do it, and the opportunity did come along."
Nixon, a father of eight, will be heading home to resume his housework duties after collecting £30,000 for being a truly honourable runner-up.
'I never gave up, said Nixon. 'Martin took the first six sets, I took the next six and then he took the one that mattered. He was fantastic but I enjoyed it.
'The dream is over but never mind, there's always next year. I'll have to go one step further. I've been trying for 20 years to get here and never given up.
"When I was 6-0 down I slapped myself on the back of the head and said 'let's go'. I can't say what I called myself! But once I started winning sets I was well and truly flowing."
Nixon, who had undertaken a 10-hour journey on buses and trains to get to Frimley Green, will have the luxury of a lift back to Durham.
'I can't wait to go home and see the kids,' he said.
