LEE COMPLIN admits he was “overwhelmed” with emotion after clinching the Cab Direct Championship title.
The gritty Yorkshireman played a pivotal part in points and team spirit as the Allied Vehicles Tigers won their fourth league title at Poole almost a week ago.
Complin, 38, was outstanding in the crucial meetings and revealed he was close to tears at Wimborne Road.
He said: “I’m just overwhelmed. When we won I was welling up, I really was.
“I knew how much it meant to the Facennas and I knew how much it meant to me. It showed they hadn’t signed me for no reason.
“It wasn’t that much of an exciting celebration. We went to the pub across the road. Then I drove home, got back at 5am, slept two hours and then up for work!
“The only reason I could drive all those hours back is because I was so ecstatic, so happy.
“Normally I’d have to pull over for a quick cat nap. But I was just so happy and smiling to myself.”
Complin’s glory story is quite incredible. He was pronounced dead at the scene of a horror car crash in 2008 and resuscitated four times by medics.
He then became a bodybuilder and, after 11 years out of the sport, returned to Newcastle in 2022. After the season ended he went on holiday and added a tiger tattoo to his huge body art collection. In a huge twist of fate, Cami Brown rang him a fortnight later to sign for Glasgow.
He continued: “I came back after 11 years out and then Newcastle folded, so everything seemed to be against me.
“When I came into this season, it was such a huge boost to join Glasgow.
“It’s a club I’ve always wanted to ride for even back in the Joe Screen days. Everything just worked this time.
“I had a dip in form during the season, engines not working and things like that.
“But I was determined to sort it out and thankfully I did in the end.”
Complin’s finest hour of the campaign was a match-winning paid 13 in the late comeback win over Oxford to reach the Grand Final. His two 5-1s in Heats 12 and 14 turned the clash in the Tigers favour.
But his contribution of nine points in the first leg of the final with Poole was also so crucial.
He added: “I’m in some vital races like Heat 2, 8 and 12. They can change the meeting immensely. I do get swapped and changed. But that’s what I’m here to do. I get put in where I need to do a job.
“The team spirit at Glasgow was immense. Chris was up and down the pits. You can’t have a bad meeting with Chris about. He just gets you going again.
“In the last group meeting to beat Oxford, I managed to get the 5-1s in Heat 12 and 14. We knew we’d get through. It was just fantastic to be part of it.”
One stand-out feature of the season was Complin’s donut celebrations in front of the fans. He has definitely been Mr. Entertainment.
He said: “I’ve always been passionate about the fans, without them we wouldn’t be riding, simple as that.
“I just like to entertain as well. They also motivate me, so it works both ways to be honest. I just get carried away with it. I love it, there are some fantastic Glasgow fans out there.
“Some people after the defeat at Oxford said I was too old and too fat.
“One chap saw me walking through the stadium at Glasgow and he said ‘oh you’re not that big’. I said ‘no, it’s body armour mate!’
“But it’s all good. It’s been a great season that I will never ever forget.”
Images by Taylor Lanning.