Phil Morris

Phil makes his debut in Aces colours in 2006, joining the Manchester outfit ironically when the club he has served for most of his career steps up into the top flight.
Nicknamed the "Welsh Wizard" or "Wizzer" Phil has enjoyed a career on the track for more than a decade.  His experience is what attracted Belle Vue boss Ian Thomas, as well as his commitment, dedication and hard work which have been proved throughout his racing.
Brought up in Cwmfelinfach near Newport, Phil was always the sportsman and won all the trophies during his schooldays.  But he was never one to shy away from his education, passing 11 GCSE’s A-C.
His interest had already turned to life in the fast land though and as soon as he turned a teenager, he was on a bike riding around Cradley Heath in the under 16 demo races.   
By the time he was sixteen, he had perfected his trade on the grass and was crowned the British Youth Grasstrack Champion six times before being handed a place in the newly crowned junior champions Reading in 1991.  He scored a point in his debut against the Aces but romped to a three ride maximum on his debut at Smallmead.
It wasn't long before Phil started to emerge as a promising young prospect.  Riding alongside the likes of Per Jonsson who he greatly admired, Phil helped the junior Racers secure their second league title on the bounce in 1992. 
A year later and Phil was picking up his own accolades.  He impressed at Telford's Annual Ice Speedway event, scoring his first 15 point maximum for the England Select, before beating Per Jonsson to earn himself a rostrum place in the Open Championship.
Phil was also handed first team opportunity when he was introduced as the Racers number eight and he scored his first maximum at Coventry.  He was later promoted to the team reserve.
He was able to hold down his senior reserve position in 1994 but it was a year dogged by injuries.  Phil was considered as one of the most improved riders in the league, until a broken leg during a grasstrack meeting in France mid season put him on the sidelines. 
He was promoted into the team proper during his fourth season at Reading and he managed to hold down a five point average.  Things could only get better couldn’t it?  Unfortunately not, as Phil saw himself slipping down the pecking order after injuring his shoulder in a go-karting accident in New Zealand.  His struggles were reflected on the track and his average dropped, forcing him back into a reserve berth and eventually out of the team for the first time in his career.
Phil found himself without a team at the start of 1997.  Speculation had linked him with a move to Newport but he later signed for Skegness.  However, his stay on the Isle of Wight was short lived after being snapped up by Stoke where he quickly retained heat leader status.
Reaching an average of nearly seven points at the end of 1997 was enough to impress his former promoters at Smallmead and he was invited back for the 1998 season.  But like his last season for the Racers, his year was cut short by another grasstrack injury in France – this time damaging his elbow 
With an average which had dropped below five, the Racers must have thought they had got good deal when they offered Phil a heat leader position and he stormed to his highest ever average of 7.37. 
Phil was crowned Newport’s New Year Classic champion ahead of the 2000 season during the first speedway meeting at the new Millennium.  That year, his consistency eventually earned him the number one race jacket after topping the club’s averages and as a result, became one of the Premier League’s top riders.  The year was highlighted with a Testimonial in the July 
Morris continued to be one of Reading’s top riders for another two years, fractionally increasing his average.  He also added trophies to his cabinet, finishing in a rostrum place at Belle Vue following his third place finish in the Premier League Riders final in 2002, as well as being crowned the Rider of the Year.
Just as Phil’s career had peaked again, it was about to take another nosedive.  A crash before the season had started in 2003, followed by another fall at Newport in one of the first meetings, put him on the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder.  He went on to aggravate an old knee injury after making a comeback in Sweden in June and it was enough to put him out for the remainder of the season. 
Yet, on his return to Reading in 2004 he managed a paid maximum and proved he was back to full fitness.  He and team mate Danny Bird later went on to claim the Premier League Pairs Championship on their home track 
A year before his move to Belle Vue, Phil was dropped from Reading once again after becoming the casualty of the team’s average limit.  But he quickly agreed a deal to ride in the North East for Newcastle Diamonds where he would become their captain for the season.  Morris once again struggled with injuries, but still completed thirty meetings and finished with a 6.58 average. 
In between, Phil has featured as the number eight rider for Poole and Arena Essex and he has also ridden for three teams in Sweden and Teterow in Germany.  The Welshman was also the first rider to test the speedway track at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 
This season Ian Thomas has welcomed Phil to Belle Vue in what will be a testing time for the Welshman who will take a big leap up to the Elite League for the first time.  The Aces boss managed to squeeze the 30 year old into the team on a 3.03 average, just under the 3.10 points left available to stay under the 40-point limit on team strength.  Phil is also part of Germany’s Bavaria team for this season.