With Reading Speedway having to clear out of Smallmead following their final meeting on Sunday 19 October, club bosses are looking for volunteers to help them out.

Lorries will be coming down to the stadium on Monday 20 October, and it is hoped that supporters can spare a few hours to assist in the work that is required.

Duties will include the packing up of the air safety barrier and just general helping out.

If so, people are asked to be at the stadium from 9.00 a.m. on Monday 20 October.

The curtain comes down at Smallmead Stadium on Sunday 19 October, when Reading Speedway stages their 960th meeting at the venue, which they have raced out of since 28 April 1975.

Gates open at 3.00 p.m. on the day and a bumper evening of action starts at 6.00 p.m. The main event of the End-of-an-Era meeting is an individual contest featuring a 16-rider field, who will battle it out over twenty heats and two semi-finals before the grand final offers a Winner-takes-All purse of £3,000.

The commercial partners for the meeting are M. Collard Waste Management Services Ltd, A4 Metal Recycling Ltd and Business Moves Group.

Among the competitors are six of the 2008 Racers in Ulrich Ostergaard, Mark Lemon, Tom P. Madsen, Tomas Suchanek, Danny Warwick and Chris Mills, along with former Reading riders Chris Schramm, Chris Neath and Glen Phillips.

The line up also includes two of Somerset's key riders  Emil Kramer and Jordan Frampton  who helped their side ultimately finish second to Edinburgh in an enthralling title chase.

Also in the field is popular Swindon teamster Mads Korneliussen, plus a couple of other riders with links to the Robins in Cory Gathercole and Richard Sweetman, both of whom have served the Isle of Wight well this term.

Completing the line-up are Robert Mear of Rye House and flamboyant American Shawn McConnell.

A packed race-card also includes four heats of sidecar racing and six Men in Black races, which will feature Rudge, Douglas and JAP machinery.

Pre-meeting entertainment will be provided by Dale Fontaine, who will be going though his Echoes of Elvis repertoire, with the music and style of The King.

After the meeting, there will be an auction of the race-jackets used by the competitors on the day. These will be autographed and will make a tremendous souvenir of the final Smallmead meeting. There will also be another seven race-bibs available, which will have been signed by all the Reading legends present at the meeting.

These will include: Anders Michanek, Jan Andersson, Dave Mullett, Sam Simota, Petri Kokko, Andrew Appleton, Martin Ashby, Mick Bell, John Davis, Dave Jessup, Phil Morris, John Hammond, Jeremy Doncaster, Tim Hunt, Peter Glanz, Tony Olsson, Bernie Leigh, Mike Vernam and Richard May.

There will also be live music from Mojo, who are a 5-piece high-energy band. They perform current chart hits, together with well-known numbers from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, so there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

For supporters who haven't purchased advance tickets, admission will be available on the day at the following prices: Adults £16; Concessions £13; All Under-16s (There will be no Under-11s go free for this meeting) £6; Junior Racers (with Junior Racers number and proof of membership) £4.

Racers boss Malcolm Holloway said: "It's going to be an emotional night, but we want to give the place a good send-off. We have plenty going on and we are expecting the stadium's biggest crowd for a few years.

We will be providing maximum entertainment and, although it will be tinged with sadness, we hope that everyone will come along and enjoy this final meeting.

LINE-UP (IN RIDING ORDER) FOR SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER 2008, Engines Start 6.00 p.m.
1. Ulrich Ostergaard; 2. Glen Phillips; 3. Chris Neath; 4. Cory Gathercole; 5. Emil Kramer; 6. Tom P. Madsen; 7. Richard Sweetman; 8. Chris Schramm; 9. Robert Mear; 10. Danny Warwick; 11. Tomas Suchanek; 12. Jordan Frampton; 13. Chris Mills; 14. Mark Lemon; 15. Mads Korneliussen; 16. Shawn McConnell.