Ivan Mauger gives his support to Dudley Heathens return

Mauger won the last of his six world titles in 1979

Speedway legend Ivan Mauger has given his backing to the return of the Heathens name to British speedway.

The New Zealander is delighted to see the Dudley Heathens back on track in the National League.

"I had some good meetings at Cradley Heath - although it was a problem to find it," Mauger, 70, told BBC WM.

"At Cradley and sometimes Wolverhampton they liked to boo me, but the promoters said I put people on their gate so that was pleasing to me."

The six-time world champion is in Britain to promote his autobiography The Will To Win charting his exceptional career in speedway.

There's none riding in the British league that I'd call magic names

Ivan Mauger on modern riders

His tour includes a trip to Monmore Green in Wolverhampton on 16 August for one of the big individual meetings of the summer.

"It's the Gary Peterson Memorial - no rider over 25 is allowed to compete. Tai Woffinden won it last year," Mauger noted of the meeting named after a rider who lost his life in a crash at Monmore 35 years ago.

"I'm looking forward to that because I was great friends with Gary Peterson."

As for the quality of speedway in 2010, the former Newcastle, Exeter, Belle Vue and Hull rider is not necessarily impressed by the Elite League's current big names.

"Well there's none riding in the British league that I'd call magic names - Jason (Crump) doesn't ride in the British league anymore, and he was a magic name," he said.

"I run training schools around the world these days, so I know most of the guys. I follow their careers when they get into teams, so that's satisfying to me."