Martin Dugard bows out of speedway after to-night's match at Arlington Stadium.

The Eastbourne captain will hang up his leathers after the clash with Poole Pirates.

Dugard is quitting the sport at the age of 32 to lead what he calls "a normal life."

It's not a sudden decision, and the Eagles' skipper admits that he nearly didn't ride this season.

"I should have stopped last year, but I got talked into riding again on the back of winning the British Grand Prix and Eastbourne winning the league.

"But somehow things have not really sparkled this year."

Dugard says that after 16 years, most of them at the top of the game, his heart is not in the sport anymore.

"The incentive isn't there as much as it used to be, so it's time to pack up."

It's a typically honest app-raisal by a rider who has never been anything except up front both on and off the track.

Throughout his career, Dug-ard has rarely been far away from controversy and has often found himself in trouble.

Most notable was the occasion when he floored Stefan Andersson with a punch in front of the TV cameras and faced a life ban from the sport.

"I put my hands up at the time and admitted I was wrong, but it's the way things happen sometimes.

"I suppose it's something to do with the adrenalin.

"Stefan is fine about it now. We shared a workshop this year when he rode a few meetings for Eastbourne, and we had a laugh together."

There are few harder riders than Dugard. "Losing hurts" was a message once emblazoned on his leathers.

It was a message intended for his rivals trailing behind, but few doubted that losing hurt Dugard more than most.

His win at all costs attitude made him plenty of enemies among opposition fans.

One thing no one could ever accuse him of was failing to give everything to the cause.

"Some riders can step up a gear for certain meetings, but I've never been able to do that.

"I've always raced 100 per cent. Sometimes it's been good enough, sometimes it hasn't.

"But I've never kept anything up my sleeve."

Dugard made his debut against Exeter in July, 1985, at the age of 16 and then returned to the club in 1993 after a five-year spell with Oxford.

Speedway has always been a tradition with the Dugards. Martin's grandfather, Charlie, founded Arlington and rode for the club.

Dad Bob and his brothers, John and Eric, were all riders, so was Martin's brother, Paul.

"I was brought up with speedway. I suppose I was always going to be a rider from day one.

"I can remember riding on the junior track. I think I was about four when I had my first speedway bike."

Dugard doesn't have any heroes. "Gordon Kennett was the top rider when I started, and Keith Pritchard helped me a lot."

Nor does he want to name his toughest rivals. "They're all hard, especially since everyone went on to lay-down mach-ines."

Weather permitting, the match tonight will signal the end of an era for Eastbourne speedway.

"I might look back in ten years' time and think 'that was a silly thing to do,' but as far as I'm concerned this is my last meeting."

Dugard wants to spend more time with his family, Debbi and sons Connor, who will be seven next month, and three-year-old Kelsey.

"For the last three years, I've had a full-time job, going to work from 8.30 to 5.30 and then doing my bikes until 11 at night.

"It's like being on a continuous loop. I've had no free time, and I've been lucky if I've seen my kids for a couple of hours.

"You can go home from work and leave it behind, but speedway is with you 24 hours a day. It never leaves you."