Presenters And Announcers

[Dave Jones 2,124]

I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene.

[iris123 20,922]

In my early speedway visiting days of the late 1940s the mike man at New Cross was Cecil Smith - I am certain that promoter Fred Rockford use to describe him as "...the golden voice of speedway..."?

Ha ha i guess that was in the "Rockford Files" no no i "Mock"

[waiheke1 4,295]

...could have been more discrete and just faked an engine failure.

Yrs but that's my point. He gets flak for being honest, not trying to hide it. And was honest with the press afterwards.

[Starman2006 2,353]

I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene.

Anything is posible in this day and age.of political correctness.

[longlivefrankie 458]

He misunderstood the British fans and paid the price. Back home throwing the race to get fellow Americans through would have been seen as patriotic and celebrated. Here we have a different attitude.

 

I was in the pits at Belle Vue once not far from Bruce and a certain ex-World Champion. The crowd was hostile, backing their own favourites rather than fawning over the Americans as at many other tracks. Penhall was clearly distressed. The ex-World Champion turned to his crew and observed "Interesting, he can't handle it".

 

I think the retirement was on his mind from that day at White City.

 

Yes discretion is important and if you are going to play to the crowd it's essential you understand them.

Rogers was shrewd enough to know that the increased gate receipts would more than cover any fines.

 

Allan's comments were in a different and far less tolerant era and while probably sincere were very unwise.

 

The days of promoters/managers making protests very publicly from the centre green to get the crowd going are gone.

 

There's a fine line between having a sober, disciplined sport and one where there's a bit of latitude to spice things up with a bit of controversy. That line is probably called 'malice'.

 

We've squeezed the fun out.

 

Totally agree

 

I grew up watching speedway when it was a "sport & entertainment" now it is a "Sport" and tries to be like to be super professional

 

I know which I prefer the one with characters, grudges, winding up, etc

 

Re political correctness etc it is people at causes this to happen with complaints, claims etc if people didn't respond & be offended and expect compension etc by the whatver etc it would be much looser

[steve roberts 9,242]

Yrs but that's my point. He gets flak for being honest, not trying to hide it. And was honest with the press afterwards.

...but was he being honest with the crowd when he was making those wheelie gestures? Grant you that he was being honest after the event but was naive to think that his actions would go unnoticed and mis-judged the mood of the public.

 

In all my years following speedway I've never experienced anything so blatant although was suspicious on a few occasions that something was going on and I knew that points were being bought behind the scenes (personal experience)

[Gunner85 603]

I popped up to Belle Vue last night. Spent a very enjoyable evening there watching a very good race meeting and being " entertained" by a very funny "Chase The Ace" , I'm just wondering how long it will be before someone gets upset by something he does whilst keeping the crowd entertained and he disappears from the scene.

The kids love him and like doing high fives and having their photo taken with him.

 

Long may he reign

[Midland Red 2,383]

My top three - in no particular order

 

Allen Walker

John Earrey

Ted Sear

 

To mention Peter York in the same breath as any of the above should never, ever, be considered

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

 

My favourite three Swindon announcers/commentators were Graham Guthrie,Bob Radford, John Sutton but Dave Lanning was the level/benchmark that no one ever reached .

Edited June 11, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[micman 77]

Obviously Peter York was the mainstay at Cowley during Oxford's successful period during the eighties and I found him personally to be okay in style. Recall that he was replaced by Mike Bennett for the one season (Peter took on an administrative role within the BSPA...that's another story!) but for some reason the Cowley faithful didn't take to him (Mike's version of events) but, again, I felt that he was okay.

 

Thanks Steve! When I finish my book you'll understand why it just didn't happen for me at Oxford :-)

Remember when Mike made a comment on the mike after a race (on the instruction of Bernard Crapper apparently) regarding a racing incident which was directed at the referee and was fined for his efforts...but I think that Bernard paid the fine on his behalf. Certainly got the crowd going and added to the atmosphere!

 

 

Oh yes, I remember it well Steve. Bernard used to encourage me to 'wind them up' and always paid the fines. . .of which there were many! :-)

[steve roberts 9,242]

 

Thanks Steve! When I finish my book you'll understand why it just didn't happen for me at Oxford :-)

Oh yes, I remember it well Steve. Bernard used to encourage me to 'wind them up' and always paid the fines. . .of which there were many! :-)

Look forward to it!

[micman 77]

 

 

 

Absolutely bang on

 

I call it the Mike Bennett style, because I'd say he was like that. I also think that commentating during races is annoying and pointless.

 

 

 

Jeez Chris, I retired from speedway presentation 4 years ago and have lived in Australia for the last 3 yet you still manage to find a reason to have a dig at my 'style' ??

 

In the words of the song from frozen. . "let it go!"

 

Yes, I'll be the first to admit that my style was not to everyone's taste but during the late 80s and 90s I was the busiest presenter in British speedway.

I remember my first promoter dear old Cyril Maidment at Wimbledon back in 1986 telling me to grow a very thick skin, don't strive for universal popularity and make sure you big up the home team!

 

I had an amazing 'career' working some of the biggest events in the UK over the years and was, in fact, the first British presenter to be invited to host the Australia v England test matches at the Brisbane Exhibition speedway in 1988 where we had crowds of over 22,000 people for those meetings.

 

If you had ever taken the time out to have a chat with me on the many occasions you would have seen me work you would actually realise that the centre green performance is just that, a performance. Not too many of us are that extrovert in real life.

 

Thanks for getting my name back out there though Chris. . . it will help with the sale of my book when I come back to promote it at a track near you next year! :-)

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

 

Jeez Chris, I retired from speedway presentation 4 years ago and have lived in Australia for the last 3 yet you still manage to find a reason to have a dig at my 'style' ??

 

In the words of the song from frozen. . "let it go!"

 

Yes, I'll be the first to admit that my style was not to everyone's taste but during the late 80s and 90s I was the busiest presenter in British speedway.

I remember my first promoter dear old Cyril Maidment at Wimbledon back in 1986 telling me to grow a very thick skin, don't strive for universal popularity and make sure you big up the home team!

 

I had an amazing 'career' working some of the biggest events in the UK over the years and was, in fact, the first British presenter to be invited to host the Australia v England test matches at the Brisbane Exhibition speedway in 1988 where we had crowds of over 22,000 people for those meetings.

 

If you had ever taken the time out to have a chat with me on the many occasions you would have seen me work you would actually realise that the centre green performance is just that, a performance. Not too many of us are that extrovert in real life.

 

Thanks for getting my name back out there though Chris. . . it will help with the sale of my book when I come back to promote it at a track near you next year! :-)

 

Ted Sear, Bob Radford, Dave Lanning and John Earrey have all been mentioned (must be 20 years since one or two of those had a go) so why not you ?

 

In any case, this is not so much about you personally as a style of presentation that you had which is still around today.

 

My old mate Gordon Bennett once described that style as being 'like marmite'. My question to him was why have marmite when half the punters don't like it ?

 

I don't doubt it was a performance. But it was one that I just didn't like and, let's be honest, I was anything but alone in that. In addition, as far as I can see being unpopular with customers doesn't seem to affect the number of bookings you get. The chap at Belle Vue apparently is inundated with presentation work yet he's awful (and again I am anything but alone in that opinion) and Peter York has only stopped announcing because Coventry have closed (see Midland Red's comment above).

 

I do, however, wish you every success with your book and if I have done a bit to promote it perhaps you'd like me to be critical elsewhere

[Sir Sidney 289]

 

 

 

Yes, I'll be the first to admit that my style was not to everyone's taste but during the late 80s and 90s I was the busiest presenter in British speedway.

I remember my first promoter dear old Cyril Maidment at Wimbledon back in 1986 telling me to grow a very thick skin, don't strive for universal popularity and make sure you big up the home team!

 

 

My recollection is that Mike was like a breath of fresh air at Wimbledon. Mike was certainly very different to dear old Ken Tozer who preceded him. It was not unknown for Ken to have to ask riders on parade who they were! I think Ken was happier on greyhound nights

 

Sure Mike would wind the opposition fans up a bit (!) but I think you'll find that, when Wimbledon fans went to away tracks where Mike was the presenter, he did the same to us - which we took in the spirit intended.

 

If Mike was like Marmite I think there were plenty of Marmite eaters at Plough Lane - now cue the Vegemite likers to respond.

[brianbuck 928]

Don't suppose many people will remember Frank Bellfield who was the announcer at Birmingham from 1946 until 1957. Frank was a similar kind of announcer to Allen Walker, the Coventry announcer during the same era. Both of them were crystal clear, very well informed and enjoyed a good rapport with the crowd as well as knowing when to shut up!