The Non-Essential Guide to....Martin Dugard

This article was first published in May 2001

Who he ?
He's the captain of Eastbourne and now in his twelve season with the club.

So he's had a testimonial then ?
No, he moved away to Oxford for a few years before rejoining the Eagles.

Is he any good ?
He's been a top rider for many a year and enjoyed a tremendous season in 2000.

Tremendous ?
He led the Eagles to the Elite League title, significantly raised his average and won the British Grand Prix as a wildcard.

Is he a nice chap ?
Most of the time, he did get out of control in 1999 when he thumped Stefan Andersson after a crash.

Did he get into trouble ?
He was sure he'd be banned but 'got off' on a technicality. The match referee excluded him from the rest of the meeting and the rulebook said he couldn't be punished more than once for an offence. As a result he didn't receive any further censure.

Which 'foreign' clubs does he race for
Surprisingly none, he's happy to confine his racing to the British League and his appearances for England. He spends the rest of the time working for the family business.

Are his family involved in the sport
Not 'arf, his father is promoter at Eastbourne, his grandfather built the stadium and his uncles and brother were riders. Also, his sister is married to his team mate Dean Barker.

Anything else ?
He appeared on one of those awful Noel Edmonds 'Christmas Specials'. Something to do with his sister-in-law I think. Oh, and he was once on 'You Bet !' with Matthew Kelly (or possibly Darren Day).

This article was first published prior to October 2002

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