Coventry Bees - My Memories

[porkypotter]

On 3/31/2014 at 7:51 PM, FranktonBee said:

Being 'rescued' by Mitch Shirra outside the farm he was lodging at near Southam when the clutch cable broke on my Triumph 5TA, shortly after he'd shipped in from Oz. I'll never forget seeing him walking up the driveway towards me, and realising who it was! Together we jury-rigged the bike and I got home to Southam! Later, I used to regularly see the little bu99er zapping around town on the back wheel of a Yamaha XT500 just for fun.

 

John Harrhy (nothing more to say really).

 

Muscles, Booey, Hurriken, Tony Lomas, Ron Mountford, Jim L, Col C. Hilly. All those memories from THAT fabulous era.

 

(I also remember the Verner incident, although i'd forgotten it until the old memory was jogged earlier in this thread).

 

[porkypotter]

what about the night frank smith popped out of the traps to beat billy sanders ( god bless him). they nearly lifted the lid off the place screaming him on. happy days indeed.

[EnglishRoundabout]

6 hours ago, auntie doris said:

Yes Chezanowravoski scored 17 from reserve. Adams and Mads K0303rneliussen lying on ground after heat 1 crash. Probably best meeting I've attended. Didn't go to Final but mates left after heat 8 in minibus, said about 500 Robins fans there. The good ole days.

The Robins had a lot of wins at Cov.

Yes, that’s probably an accurate figure of the amount of Robins fans Doris. Swindon fans always seemed to populate together, similar to what they did at Smallmead on the pit bend. 

[Kester]

8 hours ago, EnglishRoundabout said:

 Had also been informed that Sebastian Ulamek had crashed into the fence on the warm up!! 

 

That was a strange one.  My memory of it is that he fell off and his bike hit, and then went over, the fence.  But it’s a while ago and I might have imagined these details.  

[E I Addio]

On 7/17/2020 at 7:21 PM, auntie doris said:

Only went once, 2007, Swindon needed 5-1 In last heat to win, and they did. Adams and Chrzanowski beating Nicholls and Schwein.Great track, great stadium, good fans, a sad loss to the sport.

I only went there three times but I agree about the fans. Really good crowd and very sporting , very friendly. They deserve a lot better than what happened.

[Gunner85]

Nigel Boocock used to love it around hyde road.

He was always great to watch and typical thrill a minute merchant

in those days Boocock wore his blue leathers and Mike Broadbanks had red leathers.... everyone else was in black leathers.

[wealdstone]

Coventry has been the victim IMO of the general demise in Speedway since it has largely gone into the hands of  spivs and wide boys

[EnglishRoundabout]

 May have been mentioned already about Brandon memories, but I recall going to Nigel Boocock’s testimonial there. I have vague recollections of the meeting however. Can anyone enlighten me please? I remember it being a steaming hot Sunday afternoon, and think it may have been an individual meeting?

I also recall there being a massive crowd. 

Anybody else attend?

[Steve Shovlar]

Coventry memories....so many good ones. Darcy and Chris getting a 5-1 in heat 15 for victory. That dramatic comeback in the KO Cup final in 2004. That win in the playoff final when Adams and Trick messed up heat 15. That win in the playoff final when it was curtailed to save bees a bigger thrashing.

Always enjoyed my trips to Brandon. Nearly always ended up with a win.

And the bad memories. Martin Ashby losing the runoff in the British Final to Ray Wilson In 1975.

Bjarne breaking his wrist allowing Coventry to make a comeback and an aggregate win in the cup.

Chris Holders horrendous smash When the airfence failed to do its job, which badly affected his career.

[IainB]

My first memory of Coventry was as a Leicester fan attending the Hull/Leicester league deciding double header, the place was heaving, I was so young at the time I didn't really understand the importance of it all and was basically there to watch Leicester in, I think, a Midland Cup match, lol.

Leicester closed at the end of '83 so my dad and I reluctantly started attending Brandon from the '84 season onward, a lot of people wouldn't and decided to go to Long Eaton instead... we decided to go to both! We eventually became Bees & Invaders "fans" and started to follow them both home and away, for the Invaders when they became a proper team when Eric Boocock took over the reigns and for Coventry after their back to back league titles of 87 & 88.

I've got so many happy memories, far too many to mention and made all the happier that when I think back about them they were all with my dad who is no longer around after passing in 2018. I'll probably sit down over the winter and watch all of the season highlight DVD's I have for those years.

IF, and it's a big unlikely one, it'll be tough to go back if it were ever to return to Brandon... but I'll cross that bridge if and when it appears.

[jrs]

On 8/10/2020 at 10:14 PM, Steve Shovlar said:

Coventry memories....so many good ones. Darcy and Chris getting a 5-1 in heat 15 for victory. That dramatic comeback in the KO Cup final in 2004. That win in the playoff final when Adams and Trick messed up heat 15. That win in the playoff final when it was curtailed to save bees a bigger thrashing.

Always enjoyed my trips to Brandon. Nearly always ended up with a win.

And the bad memories. Martin Ashby losing the runoff in the British Final to Ray Wilson In 1975.

Bjarne breaking his wrist allowing Coventry to make a comeback and an aggregate win in the cup.

Chris Holders horrendous smash When the airfence failed to do its job, which badly affected his career.

 Steve I'm sure you must have fond memories of the 2010 play-off final  

[Steve Shovlar]

10 hours ago, jrs said:

 Steve I'm sure you must have fond memories of the 2010 play-off final  

There’s far too many good memories to not worry about one blip. Twelve months later and Champions again. 

[Richspeedway]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2020 at 11:58 AM, wealdstone said:

Coventry has been the victim IMO of the general demise in Speedway since it has largely gone into the hands of  spivs and wide boys

I notice Mr Horton has been a little quiet of late lets hope he does not reappear at another track

[porkypotter]

a couple of other stand out memories from brandon was watching phil crump flying round on the first neil street 4 valve engine then watching john harrhy on one (frightening ) also seeing peter collins trying a twin carb weslake. more pops and bangs than bonfire night. happy days.

[Grachan]

On 8/10/2020 at 6:49 PM, EnglishRoundabout said:

 May have been mentioned already about Brandon memories, but I recall going to Nigel Boocock’s testimonial there. I have vague recollections of the meeting however. Can anyone enlighten me please? I remember it being a steaming hot Sunday afternoon, and think it may have been an individual meeting?

I also recall there being a massive crowd. 

Anybody else attend?

I never went, but I remember it happening. It was a big meeting at the time.

I think it was a 4 team tournament, based on nationalities. I can't remember the exact details, although the teams had race jackets with a sash like design with the name of the team on it.

[fatface]

My first visit was in 1982 when the Aces (Morton, Collins, Ross etc) beat the Bees (Olsen, Knudsen, Shirra etc.) 40-38 to close in on the title. Now that's an away win! It seemed plush, smart, professional...a proper sports stadium.

My last visit was when working in the area in 2007 I took in a Coventry v Eastbourne match, my first time at Brandon for years and I sat in the same place i had 25 years earlier and was struck about how little it had really changed. It was dusty and tired. Like most speedways to be honest.

In between I enjoyed some British Finals in the late 80s and early 90s, which were usually full of some great scraps. Generally very happy memories.

[kevin bass]

I used to love making the trip up to Coventry for British final days, was always a date to look forward to, were many a good meeting over the years, 1997-2001 were stand out years for being a witches fan and loved the Loram/Louis head to heads over those years, proper speedway as Mr Tatum would say

[EnglishRoundabout]

14 hours ago, Grachan said:

I never went, but I remember it happening. It was a big meeting at the time.

I think it was a 4 team tournament, based on nationalities. I can't remember the exact details, although the teams had race jackets with a sash like design with the name of the team on it.

Thank you Grachan. Yes the 4TT does ring a bell. I think I actually went with Steve Shovlar, but not quite certain. Steve, can you assist?

[cityrebel]

My first meeting at Brandon was the 1977 British Final, my last was Lakeside in the final season. Not the best race track, but a very professionally run stadium.

[IainB]

23 hours ago, falcace said:

My first visit was in 1982 when the Aces (Morton, Collins, Ross etc) beat the Bees (Olsen, Knudsen, Shirra etc.) 40-38 to close in on the title. Now that's an away win! It seemed plush, smart, professional...a proper sports stadium.

My last visit was when working in the area in 2007 I took in a Coventry v Eastbourne match, my first time at Brandon for years and I sat in the same place i had 25 years earlier and was struck about how little it had really changed. It was dusty and tired. Like most speedways to be honest.

In between I enjoyed some British Finals in the late 80s and early 90s, which were usually full of some great scraps. Generally very happy memories.

2007 may have been the end of the Ochiltree era, when Sandhu came in he certainly spruced the whole place up a bit, amazing what a lick of paint here and there does