Home Contact Us Stadia Pix Articles All About You Riders to Remember
DVDs Books Pictures Archive Dream Teams Programme Generator
24/03/2024
2024 is Off and Running
The Story of Noddy Holder
Your Feedback
 
28/01/2024
1975/76 NZ v England
Your Feedback
 
17/12/2023
DVD: Great Races of the 80s
What's Wrong With Ambition?
Your Feedback
 
29/10/2023
Book Review: Walthamstow
When the Rangers Roared
High Beech Revival of 1954
Your Feedback
 
16/10/2023
Western Springs Winged Wheels
Grand Pricks?
Your Feedback
 
01/10/2023
Blind Speedway Rider
Track Pix: Oxford
Farcical Guest
Your Feedback
 
17/09/2023
The Ole Olsen Tapes
Dream Team: Richard Cleaver
Plus Points
Your Feedback
 
23/07/2023
1974/75 BL V New Zealand
Heat Details Required
Your Feedback
 
04/06/2023
Northside Arena
 
14/05/2023
Review: Tigers at White City
Your Feedback
 
19/03/2023
How to halt the decline
 
12/03/2023
NZ v Poland - 1st Test
NZ v Poland - 2nd Test
NZ v Poland - 3rd Test
NZ v Poland - 4th Test
 
05/03/2023
Track Pictures: North Brisbane
It's All About You: Lionel King
Your Feedback
 
15/01/2023
Dream Team : Geoff Langley
Your Feedback
 
04/01/2023
Gerald Dunn's JAP
Your Feedback
 
27/12/2022
1975 World Final. Heat 20.
Your Feedback
 
11/12/2022
Peter Collins Autobiography
Your Feedback
 
23/11/2022
DVD Review: 70s - A to Z
Your Feedback


An Evening With The Champions of Speed 2013 - Report
By Neil Burrows

Reg Fearman

Speedway fans from around the country recently descended upon the Westgate Suite in Long Eaton for the eagerly awaited 'An Evening With The Champions of Speed' with guest speaker Reg 'Fearless' Fearman (former rider, team manager and promoter).

The evening proved to be very entertaining with Fearman living up to his nickname of 'Fearless' with the way he feared no questions that were asked of him to answer, from personal disputes to reasons as to why he left Long Eaton as a promoter at the end of the 1967 British League season.

Fearman also brought the world's best riders over to ride for Long Eaton, "I rang Ove Fundin up and asked if he would come and ride at Long Eaton, all Fundin wanted supplying was a machine and to have it maintained which I agreed to and over he came," he said. Ray Wilson maintained the machine and Fundin was on standard money but after only a handful of matches the dream ended, Fearman added: " Ove had his racing licence withdrawn because he refused to ride in some meetings in Sweden so he never rode again for me."

On leaving Long Eaton he said: "I always enjoyed getting up and going to the speedway and despite the difficulties of promoting I always thought that the next day or the next week it would get better. At Long Eaton it was a commercial decision as to why I left at the end of that 1967 season, the crowds increased when such teams as Belle Vue were there but the damage that the stock cars caused eventually proved to costly to carry on."

He concluded: "It's been 45 years since I've been to Long Eaton and have found this evening a very interesting one, thankyou."

Long time speedway fan Ian Price enthused: "It's been very interesting listening to Reg going back to the early days of speedway, I've learnt a lot tonight."

Ann Townsend (left) presents Sue
Billington (Lincs/Notts Air Ambulance)
with cheques

As with this event and all the events organised by the Long Eaton Speedway Reunion Group all the proceeds go to speedway related charities and on the evening a special presentation was made and gratefully received, a £380 cheque plus a £20 cheque (donated by Costco) was presented by Ann Townsend (committee secretary) to Sue Billington (volunteer) on behalf of the Lincs/Notts Air Ambulance.

"With £1.7 million required each year to maintain the service provided by the air ambulance we couldn't survive without donations like this so I would like to say thankyou, we are very very grateful," said Sue.

Peter Wrathall. Chairman of the Reunion Group added: "I would like to thank everyone for attending a very captivating evening and despite the adverse traffic conditions there was still a great turn out which shows how much support there is for speedway in general and speedway in Long Eaton. The committee look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion in June."

Calling all Invaders fans: Under the name of the Long Eaton Project, the Invaders speedway team race their home fixtures at Leicester Speedway and are about to enter their third season of racing in the Midland Development League, Martin Widman (Project Director) said: "We would like to urge all fans to attend as this will give us added strength in finding a new home, see you there in 2013."

For future event information held by the Long Eaton Speedway Reunion Group please contact Peter Wrathall on 01332 872187 or 07970419170, email: wrathall39@tiscali.co.uk or visit longeatoninvaders.co.uk

 

This article was first published on 17th February 2013

[ Use Mobile Version ]
 

 

Comment on this Article | Contact Us | Go Back to Main Menu

   Please leave your comments on this article or on the site as a whole