Chris Morton
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Christopher John Morton, MBE (born 22 July 1956[1]) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from England.[2] He earned 115 international caps for the England national speedway team and 7 caps for the Great Britain team, making him the third most capped England & British rider of all-time.[3]
Career
Born in Davyhulme, Lancashire, he rode bikes from a young age at the farm of Peter Collins' parents. Morton made his debut for Ellesmere Port Gunners (on loan from Belle Vue Aces) on 15 May 1973. He showed rapid improvement then following an injury to Aces Captain Chris Pusey in June 1973 he was drafted into the Belle Vue team scoring 6 points on his debut in an away meeting at Cradley Heath. The following season he became British Under-21 Champion at just 17 years of age.
During the late 1970s, Morton was a guest resident international rider at the famous Rowley Park Speedway in Adelaide, South Australia where he often rode against the likes of home town hero John Boulger and Mildura's Phil Crump.
He rode for the England team at test level and represented them in the World Team Cup, winning the competition in 1980.
Morton became British Champion in 1983 and World Pairs Champion with best friend Peter Collins in 1984.
He won the 1984 British League Riders' Championship, held at Hyde Road on 20 October.[4]
He rode for Belle Vue for 18 seasons, starting for the 1973 British League season[5] and ending after the 1990 British League season.[6] During the 18 seasons he regularly averaged around the 10 point mark, including an impressive 10.30 and 10.31 in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
After retirement
He retired from riding in 1990, leaving a legacy of being one of the most significant riders ever to ride for Belle Vue. In 1991, he became the manager of Berwick Bandits in 1991.[7] He also played a major role in the introduction of speedway to Buxton in 1994.[8]
In 2005, he returned to Belle Vue as commercial manager and then in December 2006, he was part of a consortium who bought the Aces and currently holds the position of Operations Director, having previously also acted as team manager.[9][10]
He was awarded his MBE for services to speedway in 1992. In 2024, he was part of a team that undertook a marathon charity cycling ride for the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund but was taken ill and required an emergency hernia operation.[11]
Family
Brother Dave was also a speedway rider.
World Final Appearances
Individual World Championship
- 1976 - Template:Flagicon Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 11th - 6pts
- 1980 - Template:Flagicon Gothenburg, Ullevi - 9th - 8pts
- 1981 - Template:Flagicon London, Wembley Stadium - 11th - 5pts
- 1983 - Template:Flagicon Norden, Motodrom Halbemond - 10th - 7pts
- 1986 - Template:Flagicon Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 9th - 8pts
- 1987 - Template:Flagicon Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 13th - 9pts
- 1988 - Template:Flagicon Vojens, Speedway Center - 10th - 6pts[12]
World Pairs Championship
- 1981 - Template:Flagicon Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Dave Jessup) - 6th - 17pts (10)
- 1984 - Template:Flagicon Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium (with Peter Collins) - Winner - 27pts (14)
World Team Cup
- 1980 - Template:Flagicon Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Michael Lee / Peter Collins / Dave Jessup) - Winner - 40pts (11)
- 1981 - Template:Flagicon Olching, Olching Speedwaybahn (with Dave Jessup / Kenny Carter / John Davis / Gordon Kennett) - 2nd - 29pts (11)
- 1983 - Template:Flagicon Vojens, Speedway Center (with Kenny Carter / Michael Lee / Dave Jessup / Peter Collins) - 2nd - 29pts (7)
- 1984 - Template:Flagicon Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Peter Collins / Simon Wigg / Phil Collins / Neil Collins) - 2nd - 24pts (4)
- 1986 - Template:Flagicon Gothenburg, Ullevi, Template:Flagicon Vojens, Speedway Center, Template:Flagicon Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Simon Wigg / Kelvin Tatum / Jeremy Doncaster / Neil Evitts / Marvyn Cox) - 3rd - 81pts (20)
- 1988 - Template:Flagicon Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Simon Wigg / Simon Cross / Kelvin Tatum / Gary Havelock) - 4th - 22pts (4)
World Longtrack Championship
Finalist
- 1980 - Template:Flagicon Scheeßel 5pts (14th)
- 1982 - Template:Flagicon Esbjerg 4pts (14th)
- 1985 - Template:Flagicon Esbjerg 0pts (20th) Reserve
- 1987 - Template:Flagicon Muhldorf 2pts (17th)
- 1988 - Template:Flagicon Scheeßel 31pts (Third)
- 1989 - Template:Flagicon Marianske Lazne 8pts (15th)
References
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- ↑ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. Template:ISBN
- ↑ Lawson,K (2018) "Riders, Teams and Stadiums". Template:ISBN
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- ↑ Morton C. (2005). Until The Can Ran Out. NPI Media Group. Template:ISBN
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Frost, Richard (2006) "Morton in Takeover", Speedway Star, 14 October 2006, p. 3
- ↑ "Karlsson out to tame the Wolves", Middleton Guardian, 1 April 2010, retrieved 22 July 2012
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. Template:ISBN
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- Pages with script errors
- 1956 births
- Living people
- British speedway riders
- English motorcycle racers
- British Speedway Championship winners
- Speedway promoters
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- People from Davyhulme
- Sportspeople from Trafford (district)
- Speedway World Pairs Champions
- Belle Vue Aces riders
- Sheffield Tigers riders
- Ellesmere Port Gunners riders
- 20th-century English sportsmen