Buster Mottram
Quick Facts
Biography
Christopher "Buster" Mottram (born 25 April 1955 in Kingston upon Thames) is a former English tennis player and UK number 1 who achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 15 in February 1983.
Mottram represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup eight times, scoring 31 wins and 10 losses. His father, Tony Mottram, was a leading British tennis player in the 1950s.
Career titles
Singles (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
1. | 19 April 1975 | Johannesburg | Hard | Tom Okker | 6–4, 6–2 |
2. | 18 April 1976 | Palma | Clay | Jun Kuki | 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 |
Doubles (5)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
1. | 21 April 1974 | Charlotte | Unknown | Raúl Ramírez | Owen Davidson John Newcombe | 6–3, 1–6, 6–3 |
2. | 17 July 1977 | Kitzbühel | Clay | Roger Taylor | Colin Dowdeswell Chris Kachel | 7–6, 6–4 |
3. | 30 October 1977 | Basle | Carpet | Mark Cox | John Feaver John James | 7–5, 6–4, 6–3 |
4. | 29 March 1981 | Stuttgart | Carpet | Nick Saviano | Craig Edwards Eddie Edwards | 3–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
5. | 25 April 1982 | Bournemouth | Clay | Paul McNamee | Henri Leconte Ilie Năstase | 3–6, 7–6, 6–3 |
Politics
While Mottram was still playing professionally, he became known for his right-wing views. He expressed support for the National Front, supported the policies of Enoch Powell, and applied, unsuccessfully, for the Conservative parliamentary candidacy in several constituencies. He subsequently formed a songwriting partnership with the black entertainer Kenny Lynch writing the song "Average Man".
In November 2008, he was expelled from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) after attempting to broker an electoral pact with the British National Party. UKIP leader Nigel Farage called Mottram's offer "astonishing", declaring the party to be non-racist.