"What about the Singing Speedway Riders, West Ham had both Eric Chitty and Reg Luckhurst who realesed a record, I heard Len Silver could belt out a song as well. On a slighly different note (see the Pun!) well done to Lakesdie and Ipswich for their Football match for Lee`s charity, but what about a few more such Matches, with Football having an almost God-Like following, prehaps some of these would get the football fans attending and therfore try Speedway. Lakside could always Challenge West Ham United to a match, then a return leg of Speedway (O/K I accept they may have to be made of Proper riders as I do not think United management would want to risk their Players, but the players could at least attend to get the crowds Interested), and then a play-off Cricket Match!"

"Interval entertainment was expected in the 60's and 70's, but today is vastly different. I would go about promoting speedway a different way. There must be celebrities and pop stars out there who are (or were) big speedway fans. What's wrong with hard-pressed promoters inviting them for a free night at the track for them and their families, everything thrown in, in return for them making a public appearance. I believe that either Jimmy Page or Robert Plant (can't remember which one) are regulars at Monmore Green for the speedway and Molineux for the football at Wolverhampton every week. It's just a thought, but imagine the publicity for our much maligned sport that could be gained. Even mentions on TV during celeb interviews would help. Just a thought, but unless we get the message across that speedway is alive and well (if not exactly thriving) we will sadly die a slow and painful death."

"I remember both Pat Pheonix (aka Elsie Tanner) and Stan Linbergh appearing at Long Eaton Speedway ( one of Reg's promotions) in the mid sixties. Pat came to present the Coronation Street Trophy (won by either Dougie Templeton or George Major, not sure which, memory fades with time) and Stan was amazing, a real live human fireball. I recall the last interval entertainment I saw was at Cradley Heath's Dudley Wood Stadium. When a guy lay in a coffin and blew himself up with Dynamite!! CRAZY but fun.

Would this work now days? NO I DON'T THINK IT WOULD. The cost of hiring a Star would be to much money, and people don't want to see look-a-likes. NO I THINK SPEEDWAY NEEDS TO PUT IT'S HOUSE IN ORDER, IT NEEDS TO IMPROVE THE PRODUCT. There was a time supporters could look into the pits and see what was going on. And a time when fans could walk round the pits and have a chat with their favourite rider get his autograph for perhaps the 24th time, but it didn't matter, you were there with your hero. SPEEDWAY HAS LOST TOUCH WITH ITS FANS, how many times have we read on this very website people saying I remember carrying bike parts into the pits for such and such a rider, it doesn't happen anymore.

This will not of course bring Fans flooding through the gates, it just shows how Speedway used to be a FAMILY SPORT something I NOW THINK ITS LOST So what would I like to see return to Speedway. Every Track have an OPEN DAY on a race day (During a kids school holiday) have all their riders dressed in their Kevlars and race jackets, let the fans walk round the pits let them ask the rider questions, start a couple of bikes up. Get Riders And Fans involved in some sort of competition build a bond. John Turner at Long Eaton used to have fans racing riders over a B.M.X course. Imagine the joy of some youngster who can go around bragging he beat his favourite rider. Then watching his favourite in action, that same night. NO it's not going to fill the Stadium, but it might bring that kid and their family back the next week and they may bring a friend."

"Trick riders doing high jumps and flips on motocross bikes, novelty races of portly, bearded Harley-Davidson riders on their choppers, and local rock-and-roll bands are some of the interval attractions seen today at California speedway venues. In the '70s and '80s, we sometimes saw demonstrations of champion Frisbee-catching dogs, speedway riders having donkey races, and lovely young female fans in bikini contests. Crowds were large in the past, and are relatively small today, and don't seem to be affected one way or the other when such 'show business' attractions are added to the racing. "

"The recent question by Robert Rogers, 'what about the singing speedway riders?' brought to mind my well-worn copy of Johny McNeill's unforgettable recording of, 'I Wanna Be Like Ivan Mauger'. I immediately went to my storage room and dug through my dusty pile of 45-rpm discs until I found it (see accompanying photo). There was also an American speedway rider in the late '60s called Sammy Tanner who once recorded a song about himself, titled (owing to his diminutive stature) 'The Flying Flea'. I wonder how many other speedway riders have moonlighted as crooners?"

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