FOOTBALL legend and ‘King of the Jungle’ Harry Redknapp has vowed to help make speedway great again!
The former Bournemouth, West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham boss has decided to get fully behind the resurgence in his favourite motorsport.
Harry has joined the management team of Speedway Futures Ltd who hold the sporting, commercial and media rights for speedway in the UK and he is delighted to see the action packed sport in the headlines again.
He said: “I watch it on TNT Sports and its fantastic entertainment. These guys are going from 0-60 quicker that a Formula One car, with no brakes and they risk life and limb every time they race.
“I only live a few miles from Poole Stadium and back in the day I often took my boys Mark and Jamie to the speedway to watch the brave daredevils in action and it is still the great evening out that it always was.
“It really is breathtaking motorsport on your doorstep and it’s the same all over the country at places like Belle Vue, Sheffield, Oxford, Leicester, Ipswich, Glasgow and Kings Lynn to name but a few of the iconic venues.
“I loved watching the speedway on World of Sport on a Saturday afternoon in the football close season and got to know Barry Briggs quite well.
“It’s amazing to think that in 1981 the Speedway World Championship final drew a crowd of 90,000 to the old Wembley Stadium!
“In those days 12 million people watched speedway on World of Sport and the top riders, Briggo, Ivan Mauger, Ole Olsen, Peter Collins and Bruce Penhall became household names.
“The sport definitely suffered with the demise of World of Sport but it’s back on the rise without a doubt and anything I can do to help that I definitely will.
“The racing is still out of this world and Great Britain are World Champions having won the title for the second time in four years, what an achievement and something the sport and the country should be so proud of!”
Harry has promised to play his part in raising the profile of his favourite motorsport and added: “If I can lead top football clubs to cup glory and the Champions League then I am sure that I can help a great sport like speedway hit the big time again.
“I love it, it’s a fantastic and exciting watch and must be the rawest form of motorsport in the world.
“Four riders per race, elbowing each other to win at high speed, 15 races per meeting, there is little to match it in sport and it’s a terrific evening out for the punters.
“I know once people go they will want to keep going back. TNT Sports are getting great audiences for the live events and the traditional clubs are getting big crowds…and I really want to be part of making speedway huge again, that is certainly my aim!”
Words and Images courtesy of Workington Speedway PR
