MotoFest ’24, the motor show extravaganza held at the Silverlake Stadium, the home of Eastleigh Football Club, welcomed over 5,100 visitors through the gates on Saturday 15th June. Public reaction to the inaugural event, organised by Shedfield-based Silverlake Automotive Recycling in partnership with Eastleigh Football Club, exceeded all expectations and the support from regional businesses, charities and motoring enthusiasts was exceptional.
Funds raised through ticket sales, sponsorship, exhibitor fees, raffles and sales of food and drink amounted to over £20,000. The money will be used to support Eastleigh F.C.’s community activities, including the club’s charity, which makes football kit and training accessible to disadvantaged young people and supports pan-disability football in the region.
Football legend James Beattie, ex-Southampton and England player and new director of football at AFC Totton opened the gates to cheers at 11 am, and despite the drizzly weather, the crowds just kept coming. The legend, Graham Noyce, five times British Motocross champion and the World Motocross Champion in 1979, was also on hand to chat to visitors about his competitive journey on a shoestring budget. At 2.30 pm, the crowds were treated to an exhilarating ‘rev off’ involving numerous supercars and 2 stroke motorbikes, with commentary from the main stage. The star of the challenge was the Nascar 2014 Ryan Newman Cup Series, with an engine roar that reverberated across the entire stadium site.
Motoring enthusiasts were drawn to the eclectic mix of private collections, classics and high-performance cars and motorbikes on display. Families with young children were thrilled by the chance to explore a Biffa refuse truck, get faces painted and play with remote-controlled cars. Displays from all the regional motor dealers attracted great interest, and everyone enjoyed the street food stalls and welcomed the opportunity to get drinks in the Club’s Sherwood Lounge and Hangar Bar, especially at times when the rain was more persistent. Sporting Bears Dream Rides proved very popular, offering the chance to have a ride in an exotic car for a donation; over £3,500 was raised for ‘Simon Says’, the child bereavement support charity based in Romsey.
Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake Automotive Recycling, event founder and organiser, said:
“MotoFest ’24 was all about bringing people in the region together. We wanted to connect local businesses with each other and their regional customers and provide a fun day out for families; all while supporting the community with the funds raised. I am absolutely over the moon with the reaction to the event and the number of people who came along and enjoyed themselves. It took a lot of hard work and planning to bring MotoFest ’24 to life. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their support, including Rob Lewis, Silverlake’s Social Media Manager, who worked closely with the events team at Eastleigh F.C., the main motor dealers covering all manufacturers in the region, private collectors, local businesses and charities and of course our celebrities James Beattie and Graham Noyce. We’re also very grateful for the assistance from the Rotary Club providing, 52 volunteer marshals for the day. We said we wanted to put Hampshire on the map for this type of event, and without question, we’ve done that. I’m already being asked about MotoFest ’25 and it’s a definite for next year’s calendar – I just need to catch my breath first!”
Tom Coffey, Vice Chairman at Eastleigh F.C., said:
“We are absolutely delighted with how our inaugural event went. When we first discussed MotoFest, the idea was we wanted to pull the community together and I very much believe we have achieved this. With support from local businesses and charities, we have put on a show case event which will continue to benefit the local people. I would like to personally thank Allen and his team over at Silverlake Automotive Recycling, as this would not have been possible without his commitment and desire. I am sure it won’t be long before we are locking in the date for next year’s event and we will be looking to grow this year on year.”
