John Titman

John Titman
Current club information
Born	(1951-01-26) 26 January 1951 Brisbane, Queensland
Nationality	Australia
Career status	Retired
Career history
1972–1973	Halifax Dukes
1975–1977	Exeter Falcons
1978–1981	Leicester Lions
1982–1983	Hackney Hawks
1984	Wimbledon Dons
Individual honours
1977	Australian Champion
1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986	Queensland State Champion
Team honours
1986	Australian Best Pairs Champion

John Charles Titman (born 26 January 1951) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who was Australian Champion in 1977.

Biography

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Titman initially worked as a mechanic, making his speedway debut at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in April 1968.^[1] He made his British League debut with Halifax Dukes in 1972, and also made his international debut for Australia that year against the British Lions.^[1] In 1973 he averaged 6.92 from 38 matches, and became a regular member of the Australian team.^[1] In 1973 he finished in 7th place (with John Boulger) in the Australian qualifying round of the World Pairs championship. He also raced in Poland and New Zealand. He moved on to the Exeter Falcons in 1975.^[1]

Titman won the Australian Solo Championship in 1977 on his home track, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. He also finished runner-up in the Australian championship to Phil Crump in 1975 at the Sydney Showground Speedway, and again in 1986 at the Pioneer Park Speedway in Ayr behind fellow Queenslander Troy Butler.

He signed for the Leicester Lions in 1978, becoming club captain in 1979.^[2] After falling to third in the Lions averages in 1981 and being stripped of the captaincy, he was transfer listed at the end of the season, and moved on to the Hackney Hawks in 1982.^[3] He moved on again in 1984 to the Wimbledon Dons, and this was his final season in British speedway.

During his career, Titman made the World Final on two occasions, finishing 8th in 1978 and 9th in 1979. Titman also rode in longtrack speedway, reaching the world final in 1983 and 1984.

After returning home at the end of 1984, Titman continued to ride, captaining the Australian national team for a further three years.

Career record

All figures relate to the British League.

Year	Team	Matches	Rides	Points	Bonus	Total	Average	Full Maximum	Paid Maximum
1972	Halifax Dukes	34	119	101	19	120	4.03
1973	Halifax Dukes	38	167	274	15	289	6.92
1975	Exeter Falcons	32	127	165	22	187	5.89		1
1976	Exeter Falcons	37	155	251	20	271	6.99
1977	Exeter Falcons	40	177	327	38	365	8.25	1	4
1978	Leicester Lions	40	175	375	16	391	8.94	6	2
1979	Leicester Lions	35	163	326	19	345	8.47	1	1
1980	Leicester Lions	31	129	227	21	248	7.69		1
1981	Leicester Lions	47	227	376	46	422	7.44	1	1
1982	Hackney Hawks	36	145	215	24	239	6.59
1983	Hackney Hawks	41	167	233	28	251	6.25	1	1
1984	Wimbledon Dons	47	187	238	34	272	5.82

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

1978 - London, Wembley Stadium - 9th - 7pts
1979 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 12th - 5pts

World Pairs Championship

1979 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Phil Crump) - 4th - 19pts (6)

References

1 2 3 4 Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) Who's Who of World Speedway, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-904584-04-6, p. 136-7
↑ Jones, Alan (2010) Speedway in Leicester: The Lions Roar, Automedia, p. 179
↑ Oakes, Peter (1982) 1982 Speedway Yearbook, Studio Publications, ISBN 0-86215-072-8, p. 173

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