Nigel William Flatman (born 30 March 1960) is a former

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

rider from England.

Career

Flatman made his British leagues debut during the

1977 National League season The 1977 National League was contested as the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom. Summary Newport had moved down from the British League. Their riders were transferred to Bristol Bulldogs but they acquired new riders and were ...

, where he rode for

Peterborough Panthers The Peterborough Panthers were a British motorcycle speedway team based in Peterborough, England from 1970 to 2023. They were three times List of United Kingdom speedway league champions, champions of the United Kingdom, winning the highest lev ...

. He helped Peterborough win the Fours Championship during the 1977 season. The following season in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, he was part of the Peterborough team that won the Fours championship. In 1979, he won the silver medal at the

British Speedway Under 21 Championship The British Speedway Under-21 Championship (also known as the British Junior Speedway Championship) is an annual speedway competition open to riders of British nationality aged at least fifteen on the date of the first meeting, and under twenty- ...

behind Kenny Carter and was the leading rider at Peterborough. By 1980, Flatman was also a regular rider for

Ipswich Witches The Ipswich Witches are a British motorcycle speedway club based at Foxhall Stadium near Ipswich, Suffolk. They compete in the British SGB Premiership. Meetings are staged on most Thursdays from March until October, normally commencing at 7.30 ...

and reached the final of the

Speedway Under-21 World Championship The Speedway Under-21 World Championship is an annual Motorcycle speedway, speedway event held each year organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) since 1977. As of 2022, the title ...

. He then rode exclusively for Ipswich and won the Knockout Cup in 1981 and the league and cup double during the

1984 British League season The 1984 British League season was the 50th season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 20th known as the British League. Team changes Three teams dropped out and four teams replaced them. Midland's clubs Birmin ...

. He continued to ride for Ipswich and doubled up with Peterborough in the National league. He rode 12 consecutive years for Ipswich before having two final seasons with Peterborough in 1989 and 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flatman, Nigel Living people 1960 births British speedway riders Ipswich Witches riders Peterborough Panthers riders