Travis McGowan

 

Date of Birth	13/01/81
Place of Birth	Mildura, Australia
Height	5'11"
Parent Club	Swindon

2010 Glasgow Scoring Record

Travis continues the Tigers association with top class entertaining Australian no 1's, joining the Tigers from parent club Swindon.

Travis started his association with bikes as young as 4 but did not start riding speedway until 10. Just over two years later he won his first major title, the Australian U16 title. He also has three U21 Australian Championships to his name as well as a very impressive 5 in a row Victorian State Titles.

Travis first came to the UK in 98 and between then and 2003 rode 4 seasons with Kings Lynn in the Elite League (he did not ride in the UK in 2001. He then moved on to Oxford in the Elite league for three years before moving on to Reading for the following two years - taking over the captaincy of the team in the second half of 2007. The season did not finish well for him however when a crash against ironically Swindon saw him aggravate a shoulder injury and he had to undergo surgery prior to the 2008 season. For 2008 and 2009, Travis was at Swindon.

Although it is his first time in a named 1-7 in the Premier League, Travis had previously agreed to ride for Mildenhall towards the end of the 2008 season after Swindon dropped him. However the management committee blocked the move as it was one day after the 31st August deadline and when Swindon lost a rider to injury a few days later they were allowed to draft Travis back in.

In addition to speedway, Travis obviously did other forms of bike riding, particularly dirt bike riding, and like so many of the young Australian riders was into a number of sports including water ski-ing, golf and tennis.

An entertainer on the track there is no doubt that despite being saddled with an unrealistically high starting average, Travis' signing is one of the most exciting additions to this seasons Premier League and although he has not yet officially ridden Ashfield there is already an air of excitement amongst the supporters at the prospect of watching 'Moose' in action.