Rider profile

Full Name: Phillip Morris
Birthdate/ birthplace: Sep 10. 1975 - Royal Gwent hospital, Newport
Height: 6ft
Weight: 80 – 82 kg
Eyes: Bluey green
Shoe Size: Size 11

Early LIFE

School Life/ Results: I really enjoyed my time at school, passing 11 GCSE at A-C grades. Lots of sports honours and would go back tomorrow if I could.

First Job: I was always the bookmaker in school, on sporting competitions. I remember losing loads of money when Tottenham won the FA cup in 1991 as lots of my mates bet on them.

Lasting childhood memory: Never losing any events at my primary school sports day. I still have the programmes all with red, 1st place ribbons on them

home LIFE

Family: Mum Diane, dad John and two brothers Mike and Paul

Lives: A small village called Cwmfelinfach, which is about 10n miles from Newport at the start of the valleys.

Newspapers/ Magazines: Speedway Star, Maxim, Loaded and FHM

Favourite Food: I have got into Italian food lately

Worst Food: Vegetables and salad

Do you cook? Not much, just now and again.

Favourite Drink: Coke Cola

Top TV Programme: Dream Team, which is about a fictitious Premier League football team on Sky One

Programmes you switch off : Party political broadcasts

Pets: None

Musical taste: Sexy R+B, garage, swing things like MIS Teeq, Usher, Lighthouse Family and JA Rule

Last CD/ Tape/ record you brought bought: Stevie Wonders Greatest Hits

Top radio programme: The breakfast show on red Dragon FM, which is presented by a mate called Jason Harrold

Best film watched: Bad Boys (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence) and Happy Gilmore (Adam sandler)

Top actor: Martin Lawrence and Adam sandler

Top actress: Cameron Diaz

Favourite colour: I’m a red man myself

Do you work as well as race: No, but I’m always looking at possible business opportunities. I have done two Liverpool FC official merchandise catalogues shoots that pay very well

SOCIAL LIFE

Ideal night out: Going out with my mates on a Saturday night and doing a few pubs then on to a night club. Even though I don’t Drink alcohol, I still enjoy the atmosphere

Do you have time for normal social life? Out of season yes, but during the season it’s hard to get out in a social way as much as I would like.

What other sports are you interested in? Football, any motor sport, and ladies beach volleyball - in fact any sport

Are you a shopaholic? I think I will be the first rider to admit this, but yes I am a big shopaholic

Favourite clothes: Fashion clothes, although I know they are stupidly priced

Do you do the National Lottery? Not normally, but I do it now and again

What if won £50,000, what would you do with it? Invest it in another property and rent my house out.

Do you keep in touch old friends? Yes because I live in a small village. I will always bump into and see my old mates who I grew up with

Favourite kind of people: Straight talking people and jokers

Least favourite: Two-faced people and big time Charlie’s

What sort of holiday’s do you like? Hot with a good nightlife

Best country visited: New Zealand is a very nice country, but I also like Italy

PRIVATE LIFE

Hobbies/ interests: Football, moto-cross, golf, mountain biking and computers.

Do you do any physical training? Normally I will be out training with my local football team, mountain biking and I also do some squash or tennis.

Are Interested in technology? Yes I like to be up to date with all the latest gadgets like laptops, mp3 player and I also have a DVD player in my van.

How do you relax? I don’t normally like to relax, as I like to be doing things all the time. I relax when I sleep.

Laughs at: people who get drunk and want to fight the world, Jackass and good stand up comedians

Dislikes: Vegetables, alcohol and cold weather

Phobias: None I can think of as I’m such an adrenalin dependent

Work: just Speedway, but I’m also the Welsh version of Del Boy in my spare time

Favourite possessions: 38” inch TV and my wardrobes full of clothes

Are you superstitious? Not really, but if things go very good in a meeting I will try and repeat the same build up the next meeting

What do you wish for in life? To be happy, loaded, healthy and to never look back on life saying what if.

Do you find it difficult to keep a set routine? Yes riding Speedway in different countries and getting last minute guest bookings makes it hard to keep set routines

Who would you most like to meet? I would like a night out with Eddie Irvine the Formula One driver as he likes parties, Fashion and the lady on his nights out – all sounds good to me!

How would you describe yourself? Ultra competitive, a very Bad loser. I like to interact with the fans even if they have something bad to say about me, so Iw ould say I was pretty easy going.

Speedway LIFE

Present club: Reading in the British Premier League, Gislaved in Sweden and Team Bavaria in Germany

Previous clubs: I have only done about half a season away from Reading, which was with Stoke.

Contracted to: Reading

Where did you start Speedway? My first rides were at Cradley Heath in under 16 demo races with good friend Glenn Cunningham

What age? About 13

Previous racing experience: I was 6 times British champion in youth grasstrack, which has been the entry to Speedway for Mark Loram, Joe Screen, Scott Nicholls and many others

Any race night superstitions: I don’t like being late to any meeting as that would mess up my mental approach

Machinery: I have four bikes here in Britain and two in Sweden, which are Jawa rolling chassis. I have now switched all of my engines to GM, which I find has suited me better because they seem to rev that bit more which I like.

Mechanics: Johnny KM and Rob. John (my dad) has a small business going under the Name of JKM. I trust them both 100%.

Do you spend much time in workshop? Yes I do because I always seem to do 20 odd guest bookings per season so I have to spend a lot of time working on my bikes, although I probably should spend more time there.

Thoughts on costs involved: Quite high, but I’m lucky that I have a good group of sponsors who back me, which helps me a lot

How can costs be cut: Put everyone on the same standard engines

Transport: Fiat Ducato van which was sponsored by Alan Day FIAT of Reading.

Sponsors: Euphony Communications, Wulfsport, Talkback Comms, Chalfont coaches, Harpers Fitness, Preserve Decoration, Box Clever, Zintek Internet, Yes Helmets, Beeline Oil, GTS race-Gear, Derek Scott, Colin Williams - Thanks to them all and Paul Hunsdon my PR man.

Best club ridden for: Obviously Reading, but I do also enjoy my guest appearances at many other clubs

Favourite track: Bradford, Reading and Trelawny

Worst track: Now I’m grown up a bit all tracks are to be raced and I try to enjoy them all. I give them all 100%

Favourite kind of track: When it’s raining and patchy, because lots of riders are defeated before they go on track

Most admired riders: Per Jonsson was amazing on a Speedway bike and I still like to look back at videos of him racing. I will never forget when he team rode me home at Coventry for a 5-1 - it felt fantastic at the time.

Early and/ or main influence: My dad who has been there for me from the start. We are like best friends and have a good working relationship.

Best meeting: I won the first ever Speedway meeting in the world in the new millennium, at the New Year Classic on 2nd Jan 2000

Titles/ Championships won: Six times British youth grasstrack champion, British League Championship medal, 4TT winners medal and A BSPA Cup medal

Worst meeting: Any meeting where I get injured

Worst injury: I have had more problems than anything with a football injury I picked up 5 years ago, when I snapped my cruciate ligament. I have had 3 major opperations to fix it

Most embarrassing moment: It was in the Early 90s and I had just scored a 5-1. When I shock hands with my team mate we touched bars and down we both came - did I feel stupid!

Best stadium raced in: The Millennium Stadium when I did some PR stuff for the Welsh papers and was the first rider ever to ride the track.

What are your hopes? To improve all the time and captain Reading to some silverware this year.

Riders for the future: Jamie Westacott who lives in Newport. He has some of my old equipment and will have a good future ahead of him if he keeps at it

All-Star team: Per Jonsson, Armando Castagna, Jan Andersson, Hans Nielsen, Mark Loram, Joe Screen and Freddie Williams.

What advice would you give to newcomers? Buy some golf club or a pair of football boots - only kidding!! I would say get the Best equipment you can, listen and practice as much as you can.

What are your thoughts on Speedway’s image? The profile is getting better, but the sport really needs some blue chip companies to get involved in sponsorship and that will help lift the profile.

What would improve Speedway? Air fences all round, better PR people and more razzmatazz at meetings

Are referees consistent: No, you have to accept everyone is a different personality and will see situations different - we have to accept that.

How has Speedway changed in the last five to ten years? Yes, Sky sports has made a big difference in my book.

Do you have a nickname? Wizzer, short for Welsh Wizard.

 Trump Cashing in on Morris