NeilWatson

The penalty is exclusion, with the option to take a 15m handicap or be replaced by a reserve. In this instance Riss was replaced.

Riss was rightly excluded under Art 5.4.4 which prohibits motorcycles being ridden on the infield. The Rulebook makes no reference to 20 yards - the requirement is that 'at the expiry of the time allowance the rider should be on the track, under power, and proceeding without stopping towards the Starting Gate'.

That's no longer the case, fines are required to be paid direct to the SCB by the rider or official who is penalised. See Art 3.2.2 in the 2017 Regulations.

Scott Campos

Luke Priest

Tactical Rides are not permitted this season in a tie determined by the aggregate score.

The highest average rider rides at No1, highest reserve at No6, lower reserve at No7. The other four riders can ride at Nos 2-5 at the Team Managers discretion.

I'm sure Steve does believe it as he is quite correct.

The BSPA have not 'removed' Mick from Coventry - he remains the Club owner although the Bees are unable to race in 2017.

To set the record straight..... Towards the end of the 2014 season, following a number of accidents, Coventry was one spare air-fence panel short to comply with the rules for staging a meeting (in particular the Bees final meeting which was the televised EL Grand Final). As we had ordered a complete new fence for 2015 we did not want to buy a new panel for the old fence, so with permission we borrowed a panel from Peterborough (it was even the same colour!). This was transported back and forth for the last couple of meetings of the season. It is fanciful to suggest that the whole Airfence was borrowed given its volume and weight!

IT is with deep shock and disappointment that the club will not be racing this season. This decision was made on Friday night at a meeting in Rugby that my fellow promoter Neil Watson attended. There was no indication at all to suggest the future of Coventry Speedway was the subject of debate. In fact, the meeting covered far more important matters within the sport. Their decision was relayed to me during that evening, and rightly or wrongly I waited for the BSPA press release which arrived Sunday morning. I read this at 11.00am and notified the riders at 11.16. I now accept I should have notified them sooner and can only apologise. Only the night before, I attended the NSSC fans forum with Jim Lynch to give the fans an update on Brandon and to discuss the team and our plans for racing at Leicester. Like I say, I am still in shock with what has happened. It was never going to be easy getting through this season but we were optimistic that the Coventry fans would still come and watch. With the funds available to the club, we estimated a break even figure of 800-900 fans which, with a good team like ours, was achievable. On top of this we had a promise of funding which the BSPA were involved in discussions with. Sadly, this promise did not materialise. I accept fans are very frustrated and want to blame someone, and the finger can be pointed in several directions. I may be guilty in some eyes, but in my defence I can only state the facts: 1. I did not sell the stadium; 2. I did not remove the fixture and fittings; 3. I did not bring about the ongoing criminal proceeding that Brandon Estates are still pursuing. I paid Mr Sandhu £200,000 plus VAT for the club and now I have lost it all. Am I bitter? Yes I am, but I know we are where we are, and the most important priority for me now is to do the right thing to ensure the Bees can come back next season stronger, and hopefully racing in Coventry. To do this I know I have to step aside and invite offers to take the club to the next level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cllr Michael Stokes who has been one of our greatest campaigners, his enthusiasm and desire to help both speedway and stocks has not gone unrecognised by the fans. I would like to thank the riders for their continued loyalty to the club during unsettling times during the last few months, they are true professionals and I believe they will find teams sooner rather than later. I would like to thank the sponsors and the staff who have stuck by us for many years, Buildbase, Teng Tools and NGK have been fantastic. I want to thank my fellow promoter Neil Watson, who not only has been with me through my speedway days, he has helped me through some darkest times of my life - he is my friend. A big thank-you to many of my fellow promoters who have supported me for many years. I would like to thank the fans of one the greatest clubs in speedway, you have been the best for so many years. Lastly I want to thank my family who have been by my side during all the good and the bad times at Coventry. Mick Horton

Now our future is clear, we can fine-tune the initial fixtures, including removing the 21st July fixture!

There are now announcements at www.speedwaygb.co and www.coventrybees.co

Totally unintentional, I was unaware that it was a funeral hymn - my reference was purely to silence.

Silently the shades of evening Gather round my lowly door; Silently they bring before me Faces I shall see no more. O the lost, the unforgotten, Though the world be oft forgot! O the shrouded and the lonely, In our hearts they perish not! Living in the silent hours, Where our spirits only blend, They, unlinked with earthly trouble, We, still hoping for its end. How such holy memories cluster, Like the stars when storms are past, Pointing up to that fair heaven, We may hope to gain at last.

A previous post asked why I no longer add regularly to this forum - your comment is a perfect example of why I don't...... I am far from a puppet, but obviously Mick and I sing from the same hymn sheet......

Steve, please refer to our Press Release of 23rd December www.coventrybees.co/news.php?extend.3798 Edited to add another post by Steve.....

Priority will be with the 'owning' Club, secondly to the rider's Club in the previous season, or finally to the Club from the 'owning' League.

Fat finger syndrome - as I'm sure all reasonable posters realised.......Embarrassing none the less. Lasse Bjerre is a Poole asset. There is a small change to the double-up protocol for 2017 which protects Clubs who retain riders season-on-season, which gives Scunthorpe priority over Lewis Kerr.

COVENTRY are pleased to announce two more signings for the 2017 season – with Lasse Bjerre and Josh Bates now confirmed for the club. 23-year-old Bjerre is the younger brother of earlier signing Kenneth, and joins the Buildbase Bees on a 6.64 average after racing for Redcar in the Premier League this year. In previous campaigns, however, that average has been over eight and the Bees are confident in the Dane’s ability to perform for them in the new SGB Premiership. British Under-21 Champion Bates, meanwhile, returns to Brandon after an impressive debut season in Coventry colours which made him a wanted man throughout the league. And the two riders are also set to be team-mates at Championship level as Bjerre is joining Bates in the Sheffield line-up next year. Promoter Mick Horton said: “Seven of the nine clubs came in for Josh, so I feel very good about myself that he wanted to stay with us. “He came on in leaps and bounds this year and I think he’s only going to get better still. “I know Lasse wasn’t happy at Redcar last season, but he’s going to be totally committed here and I think having Kenneth around him in the same team is going to help greatly. “It went well for them the last time they rode together in the same side, and you know that with the family investment and all that goes with it they’re going to be on top equipment.” Bates and the Bjerre brothers join new captain Danny King in the Coventry line-up with three more riders to be confirmed, and those announcements are expected shortly.

That's not the case. There is no limit to the number of double-up riders in a Premiership team, there is however a maximum of two double-up riders from a particular Championship team in each Premiership side.

Which is the same thing of course!

Each Premiership club can use a maximum of two riders from a particular Championship club, in your example all seven Ipswich riders could, hypothetically, double-up, but would be spread over a minimum of four Premiership Clubs.

The is no restriction on the number of double-up riders in a Premiership team, there is however a maximum of two permitted from any Championship team.

When I left on Saturday night the circus was congregating outside the stadium turnstile block.