Chris Morton Explained

Chris Morton
Nationality:British (English)
Birth Date:22 July 1956
Birth Place:Davyhulme, England
Career1:Ellesmere Port Gunners
Years1:1973
Career2:Belle Vue Aces
Years2:1973–1990
Career3:Sheffield Tigers
Years3:1993
Indivhonour1:Intercontinental Champion
Indivyear1:1980
Indivhonour2:British Champion
Indivyear2:1983
Indivhonour3:Northern Riders Champion
Indivyear3:1983, 1987, 1993
Indivhonour4:British League Riders' Champion
Indivyear4:1984
Indivhonour5:British Under-21 Champion
Indivyear5:1974
Indivhonour6:Volkswagen/Daily Mirror Grand Prix
Indivyear6:1978
Indivhonour7:Ace of Aces Grasstrack Champion
Indivyear7:1988
Indivhonour8:Manpower Trophy
Indivyear8:1980
Indivhonour9:Daily Mirror Golden Hammer
Indivyear9:1980
Teamhonour1:British League KO Cup winner
Teamyear1:1973, 1975
Teamhonour2:World Team Cup Winner
Teamyear2:1980
Teamhonour3:British League Champion
Teamyear3:1982
Teamhonour4:World Pairs Champion
Teamyear4:1984
Teamhonour5:British League Pairs Champion
Teamyear5:1984
Teamhonour6:Northern Trophy
Teamyear6:1975, 1976, 1977, 1978
Teamhonour7:British League Cup Winner
Teamyear7:1983

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.

Brother Dave was also a speedway rider.

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

World Pairs Championship

World Team Cup

World Longtrack Championship

Finalist

Notes and References

  1. Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook.
  2. Lawson,K (2018) "Riders, Teams and Stadiums".
  3. Web site: ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 . British Speedway . 23 December 2023.
  4. News: Speedway . Sunday Sun (Newcastle) . 28 October 1984 . 4 June 2023 . British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  5. Web site: Rider averages 1929 to 2009 . Speedway Researcher . 21 August 2023.
  6. Web site: ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 . British Speedway . 21 August 2023.
  7. Morton C. (2005). Until The Can Ran Out. NPI Media Group.
  8. News: Buxton Speedway is under Orders . Manchester Evening News . 13 July 1994 . 27 February 2024. British Newspaper Archive. subscription .
  9. Frost, Richard (2006) "Morton in Takeover", Speedway Star, 14 October 2006, p. 3
  10. "Karlsson out to tame the Wolves", Middleton Guardian, 1 April 2010, retrieved 22 July 2012
  11. Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing.