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Coventry Bees 2014


Woz01

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This May seem a really silly question but I need to know the answer... Is the meeting against the brummies off ? I'm working away but was gonna come back a day early for the meeting

No one is going to know until a further statement is given by the Coventry Bees promotion. Id say it's highly unlikely though.

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This May seem a really silly question but I need to know the answer... Is the meeting against the brummies off ? I'm working away but was gonna come back a day early for the meeting

Who knows maybe there will be some communication on Friday just before tapes up.

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As a Kings Lynn fan I'm saddened by the events of yesterday and I fear for the bees future - but this track problem was there even last season when the Stars visited Brandon the first time there was major problem on the 1st corner track staff seemed clueless on what to do to sort it even last season .

This can't be the end of what was a great venue it deserves a better send off than this it's served the Bees and British speedway well over the years .

As others have said it's not looking good and 3 seasons seem way over the time limit .

That bend was relaid a couple of months ago.

Copied from the ERC thread a post from Jeremy Heaver NOT GOOD!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coventry Stadium Press Release 24th March 2014

During 2013 both speedway and stock car suffered from a mediocre track at best to a surface which resulted in cancelled meetings at worst. We consulted with both speedway and stock car promoters and reached a conclusion during the closed season that we needed to change our track curator and to invest more heavily in the track which we have been doing. The reason for making changes was driven by our desire to make the Bees last three seasons to be the best racing possible. This requires a great race surface.

We managed to find a very professional track curator in Marek Meinert who has extensive experience in providing an excellent race surface at Bydgoszcz and has produced the track for 16 GP’s. He arrived at Coventry Stadium three weeks ago with excellent credentials and immediately recognised the scale of the work required to return the Coventry surface back to the best in the UK. He does not speak English, however we have at least three members of our team who speak both English and Polish fluently, so language is not a barrier that would affect his ability to curate the track. He has worked seven days a week for the past three weeks between rain showers to regain flat straights and slightly banked bends that had been lost in recent years. Marek knows the track is not right and certainly not to his standard, however since his arrival three weeks ago he has had limited track time due to rain.

All the promoters using the track including Mick Horton were very pleased with his appointment and approved of the early results of his work accepting it was going to take time to undo mistakes of the past.

The shale going into Friday night’s speedway was moisture rich but was in good shape until we experienced a big downpour at around 5pm which tipped the balance in terms of the composition of the track. This caused it to cut up faster than normal resulting in the meeting being called off after only six heats.

The chronology from the cancelled meeting on Friday to the cancelation of the ELRC is important so that disappointed fans, Sky TV, BSPA all understand what went on then hopefully they can draw the correct conclusions.

Saturday 22nd March

2.01pm Mick Horton called Mathew, the stadiums accountant, and Mathew was unable to take the call as he was on a different call

2.13pm Mathew returned Mick Horton's call and Mathew expressed concerns for the track and stated that a decision would need to be made regarding the possibility of cancelling the ELRC. Mick told Mathew he would meet Mathew at 4pm on site that day (Saturday) to make a decision regarding cancellation. It was made clear that it was Mick's decision to take not the stadiums.

It was still raining hard

2.49pm As the rain had become heavy Mathew sent Mick a txt message “Please come tonight so we can make a decision tonight”

4pm Mathew returned to the stadium to meet with Mick and the track staff.

6.39pm After waiting for over two and a half hours Mick did not arrive, call or txt to say he was not coming. Mathew sent Mick a txt “ Are you coming today” The reason for the txt is because the stadium has no power to cancel a speedway event it is down to the staging promoter.

6.39pm Immediate reply from Mick “ I will be there at 10am in the morning” No apology and in the full knowledge that no work had taken place on the track due to rain. Mathew and all the track staff felt badly let down as they all knew a decision should have been taken on Saturday but would instead be taken Sunday morning.

Sunday 23rd March

Around 10am Mick arrived on site and saw the track was waterlogged and requested that the blade should be used to remove some of the water but the track was to wet for that to have been effective. He made no decision regarding the meeting and clearly he was hoping it would dry out in time without listening to the advice he had been given.

 

In the past Colin Pratt as the promoter of the Bees would have been on site making sure the track

could be made ready and if that was not possible he would call the meeting off as early as possible to save fans traveling or even Sky setting up. Since Colin is no longer involved in the Bees nobody from the club overseas the track preparation to ensure it will be ready on time.

 

We are not in control of the cancelation of events due to track conditions as that is the promoter’s decision and responsibility and we fulfilled our obligation to inform Mick Horton about our doubts which he chose to ignore. He showed little regard as to the state of the track on Saturday and was cavalier in his attitude on Sunday morning.

The track will continue to be prepared by Marek Meinert with one aim to be the best in the UK by using his experience gained at the highest level in Poland and he will enjoy our full support in that task.

We are sorry that Mick Horton has decided not to race at Coventry but rest assured we will still be operating for the next three years as a stock car track.

 

Coventry Stadium

It was a BSPA event, I dont think Horton had the authority to cancel did he? Also riders and official ask for it to be bladed, why wasnt it done. The track being wet sounds like a naff excuse to be honest. Also Horton has said he wont race until its safe, surely thats a fairly reasonable request?

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It was a BSPA event, I dont think Horton had the authority to cancel did he? Also riders and official ask for it to be bladed, why wasnt it done. The track being wet sounds like a naff excuse to be honest. Also Horton has said he wont race until its safe, surely thats a fairly reasonable request?

Once Coventry Stadium asked Mick Horton on Saturday afternoon (according to the stadium's press release) to consider calling off yesterday's meeting. it's then Horton's responsibility as Coventry's member of the BSPA to relay that situation to the BSPA Management Committee ... you're right that Horton himself wouldn't have had the authority to cancel it on his own but he was the vital local liaison between the stadium owners and the folk who'd actually be running the meeting on the day.

 

What doesn't add up is the stadium's timeline of phone calls between 2pm & 3pm on Saturday afternoon but Alex Harkess's BSPA statement last night which included: "... on Saturday morning I had assurances that everything would be fine with the track."

 

So who gave Harkess that info several hours before the stadium owners reckon they expressed their concerns over the phone to the local promoter ? !!

 

At the moment, the far more detailed timeline and namechecks in the stadium's press release make this version of events much more credible than anything from Horton or Harkess

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That bend was relaid a couple of months ago.

 

It was a BSPA event, I dont think Horton had the authority to cancel did he? Also riders and official ask for it to be bladed, why wasnt it done. The track being wet sounds like a naff excuse to be honest. Also Horton has said he wont race until its safe, surely thats a fairly reasonable request?

So even now your crusade for Horton continues. If I had been in his boots I would have been at the stadium at crack of dawn on Saturday asking questions. But no despite agreeing to meet at 4pm he didn't bother turning up . He knew the stadium people were concerned but no difference. Even then when he arrived on Sunday he failed to make the correct decision,So to finish off the day he decides to take a massive swipe at the owners , blaming them for everything when he was told on Saturday the track was not good enough.

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So even now your crusade for Horton continues. If I had been in his boots I would have been at the stadium at crack of dawn on Saturday asking questions. But no despite agreeing to meet at 4pm he didn't bother turning up . He knew the stadium people were concerned but no difference. Even then when he arrived on Sunday he failed to make the correct decision,So to finish off the day he decides to take a massive swipe at the owners , blaming them for everything when he was told on Saturday the track was not good enough.

 

Im looking at it from both sides. Yes Horton shouldve been there and relaid information that was poor from him but im not so sure it wouldve made any difference. Officials were there from Sunday morning but yet the cancellation wasnt confirmed until around half 5 on Sunday, all that is the bspa doing it was their meeting not Hortons. As I said why didnt the track curator do what he was asked, riders and officials asked for it, maybe if he did it a meeting might have took place last night. Track staff, stadium officials, bspa and Horton should take the blame and just move on and not get into petty arguments.

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It is far from a 'petty' argument - it goes to a fundamental breakdown between the 'Stadium' and the 'Speedway Promoter' (Horton). The latter not turning up for an arranged meeting and also failing to apologise for same speaks volumes for the integrity of the individual concerned (if the Stadium Press Release is to be relied on).

Edited by TonyE
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Im looking at it from both sides. Yes Horton shouldve been there and relaid information that was poor from him but im not so sure it wouldve made any difference. Officials were there from Sunday morning but yet the cancellation wasnt confirmed until around half 5 on Sunday, all that is the bspa doing it was their meeting not Hortons. As I said why didnt the track curator do what he was asked, riders and officials asked for it, maybe if he did it a meeting might have took place last night. Track staff, stadium officials, bspa and Horton should take the blame and just move on and not get into petty arguments.

:D It's not sinking in is it ?

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Think a 3 pt deduction at the start of the season, plus a 3 grand fine should suffice. :lol:

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:D It's not sinking in is it ?

Whats not sinking in? Everyone involved is to blame and should have done a lot better.

It is far from a 'petty' argument - it goes to a fundamental breakdown between the 'Stadium' and the 'Speedway Promoter' (Horton). The latter not turning up for an arranged meeting and also failing to apologise for same speaks volumes for the integrity of the individual concerned (if the Stadium Press Release is to be relied on).

Its is petty, the its not my fault attitude from all involved is poor. Everyone made a mistake along the way its time they admit it.

Tapes up at 6pm tonight will be interesting to hear, Mick Horton, Chris Harris and Jeremy Heaver on the show.

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I'd say the biggeat shock about all this how Mick Horton was ever allowed to be in charge of a Speedway team again - or how any of the riders would ever want to ride for him again knowing what he's like.

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Looks like Coventry are going to track share with Leicester. Terrible way to treat the paying fans.

Where does that leave people with season tickets?

 

Why can't they work together to make the track racable?

Feel sorry for the Coventry fans. But getting a decent Track curator who knows what he's doing would be a start... Not Rocket Science...

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