dj350z

Have never understood why Coventry City Council have wanted to own a football stadium - not now anyway!

No!

This headline suggests otherwise: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/speedway/kenneth-hansen-coventry-bees-always-6251517 One concern I do have is everyone seems to be holding up Hansen as the rider who will turn round the Bees fortunes for 2014, but we are looking back at his scores from 2009 and I think the track is very different animal now, so can he replicate those scores. I also believe that is one of the reasons we are not seeing the Harris of old riding Brandon as we know he can. I wasn't at the Brandonapolis - did Hansen look competetive given the opposition?

I think that team would definitely have given Poole a run for their money.

Absolutely right. Tai winning the GP series could be the best thing that has happened to British Speedway for a good while. Let's hope that the potential can be maximised from his win.

0-5 0-5 0-5

Ah good. I like Martin, I thought he was unlucky working his way into good positions on difficult tracks and then coming a cropper. All good experience I guess.

Surprise, surprise!!

How long before the knives are out for James?!

From my experience at Coventry, that's what you get with Rory. Beating world champs one minute then battling it out at the back the next. I do really like Rory though, nice guy and loyal to British Speedway. Agree with Semion & Trees, stick with him.

That's a good idea - then Mick won't have to pay any rent!!

Latest on CCFC: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/exclusive-coventry-city-agree-groundshare-4866094

Yes, Cornwall I believe - hence the ex Bomber kevlars!!! Really tough for up and coming young riders with the cost of equipment etc.

Nice post - totally agree with you comments re Martin. As mentioned here: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=73946&st=30

Not the best of meetings due to the weather but the experience of the Mildenhall riders was the difference in the end. Got to feel for Martin Knuckey. He worked hard to get himself into some good positions just to get caught out in some very difficult track conditions. He looked pretty dejected but he should keep his pecker up as he was very unfortunate. I thought young James Shanes was impressive. Needs to stop looking behind him entering the corners though!

Coventry City FC sale completes: The sale of Coventry City has been completed by the club's administrator, who said it had been "no ordinary football administration". Paul Appleton, of London-based David Rubin and Partners, revealed a deal had been struck with Otium Entertainment Group – the highest of four offers on the table – earlier in this month (June 2013). "I can confirm that the asset sale by Coventry City FC Ltd to Otium Entertainment Group Ltd has been completed," he said. "This has been no ordinary football administration and I have tried to undertake a sale process which allows the club to compete in all of next season's competitions. "Obviously, one of the key points now is to determine where the club plays its football next season, but that is a matter for the purchasers and the Football League." London-based Otium is the parent company of Coventry City Holdings Ltd, which was not in administration. Coventry City chief executive Tim Fisher is a director of the company, along with other former Sky Blues directors, who all have a connection with the club's current owners Sisu. Subject to ratification by the Football League, they are now deemed to be the holders of the club's so-called 'Golden Share'. Appleton added: "Otium has purchased the right and title to certain assets possessed in Limited including the shares in the Football League and the Football Association. I stress that I have only been able to sell such right and title to these as Limited possesses because CCFC Holdings Ltd asserts beneficial ownership over them. "In this regard, the offer made by ACL to allow the club to play at the Ricoh was dependent on Limited remaining in administration and was based on the mistaken belief that Limited had the ability to field a team. "However, as I've stated on many occasions, it is Holdings which employs the players and, consequently, Limited was never in a position to take up the offer." Appleton was referring to the offer made by Arena Coventry Ltd, owner of the Ricoh Arena, to allow Coventry to play their home games rent free. ACL has been in a long-running dispute with the club over rent which it claimed is owed. A spokesman said parts of Appleton's statement was not "entirely factually accurate". The statement added: "The board also wishes to point out the fact that CCFC (Holdings) Ltd did not employ the Sky Blues players as per the most recent set of accounts filed for the business reporting upon the financial year ending 31 May 2011, signed off by BDO as an independent auditor on 20 June 2012. On the basis of this publicly available information, Mr Appleton's statement today is not entirely factually accurate."

Yes, lots of rain since about 4.00pm yesterday unfortunately. The track might be able to cope with it though if we don't get too much more!

................and Main Man's not doing a bad job either!!!

Same here Markyb. My 8 year-old granddaughter was team mascot for the EL meeting against Eastbourne and now she is totally hooked and wants to go to all the EL and NL meetings. This is exactly what we need to be doing to attract the next generation of speedway supporters. Mick & Neil are definately doing all the right things at Brandon and I think it shows with attendances etc. Back to the meeting. Good luck to the Storm on Friday, this should be a good test for the team and looking forward to seeing 16 year-old James Shanes making his debut.

Has he got the same doctor as Prezemy Pawlicki?

I said during the 2010/2011 'winter of discontent' that KL & Brum supporters would regret joining the EL as in my opinion the clubs were doing it for the wrong reasons............ And in doing so they have now helped create a much weaker product and in turn supporters are walking away in protest.

Looking at it from a non-supporters view, I don't think Hans is the type of rider/person who just doesn't turn up for his team or with-hold his services easily so something must be going on. When he wasn't getting paid from Peterborough he did continue to ride for them for quite a while until he realised they were taking him for a ride.

Spot on G - Zengi has been a great signing for Coventry and I hope we can manage to keep him!!

...........and the post started off ever so nicely.........

Another very enjoyable meeting last night with the Storm lads performing very well indeed. I thought it would be a lot closer with the experience of riders such as Smart, Chessel, Reade and Priest. Pretty decent crowd again too.