PIRATES chief Matt Ford has sent out a New Year message to Sky Sports executives: "We want speedway commentating legend Dave Lanning back".

Both Lilliput-based Lanning and his flamboyant Geordie commentatary sidekick Sid Waddell won lifetime achievement gongs at the PDC Darts Awards night in London on Wednesday.

That was after they had been widely acclaimed by the national media for their brilliant words during the recent PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace, won by Canadian John Part ahead of rookie Kirk Shepherd.

But while Waddell and Lanning have been the key voices behind the resurgence of the sport at the oche for Sky Sports, it's speedway racing where Lanning first cut his teeth on a microphone at Poole in 1958.

He was 'The Voice of Speedway' on ITV's World of Sport for three decades.

Now Ford is demanding that Lanning is re-instated back into the speedway commentary hot seat for the start of the new Elite League season in March.

Ford has written a personal letter to Sky Sports executive motorsport producer Rory Hopkins urging speedway's top brass to get the man he calls "a legend" back behind the mic.

A bemused Ford said: "It's a complete mystery to me why Dave is still not covering speedway. He was the voice I grew up with watching speedway on the box.

"I have been glued to the darts over the festive season and the way in which Sid and Dave have introduced new kid on the block Kirk Shepherd has been the stuff of fairy tales. It's been riveting stuff.

"As far as I'm concerned, the Sky Sports darts commentary team has been the principle reason why the sport has reinvented itself in the new millennium.

"To me, Dave is speedway's equivalent of Murray Walker, Harry Carpenter and David Coleman all rolled into one. He's the sport's national treasure.

"Yet he has never worked for over a decade of coverage on Sky Sports for speedway. Why?

"Whatever the reason, I can't think of a better time for our business to welcome him back with open arms.

"If British speedway can create a Kirk Shepherd in 2008 and Dave can talk him home I couldn't think of anything more exciting for speedway.

"I think it should be a matter of priority that we talk about the possibility of Dave making an emotional return.

"We already have a rising star commentator in Nigel Pearson, but even he says he is in awe of Dave and the reputation he has built up over many years.

"Nigel and Dave could share the duties and make a fabulous team like the Waddell/Lanning combination in darts.

"Sky Sports has given our sport a huge injection over the last 10 years.

"Speedway is celebrating its 80th anniversary in a couple of months time.

"In my opinion, the icing on the cake would be to announce the return of Dave Lanning to the commentary team."

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