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EXCLUSIVE: Council leader praises Bees owner Horton and adds fans played a crucial part in securing new lease

 

Written by

Shaun Reynolds

Published

4:06 pm, Jul 25, 2016

 

 

 

 

THE LEADER of Rugby Borough Council has praised the work of Coventry Bees promoter Mick Horton and fans of the club after it was announced earlier today a new one-year lease to keep speedway at Brandon has been offered.

 

Coun Michael Stokes admitted although the agreed deal is a compromise, the news is positive and theres every possibility an additional two years can be added on to the lease should specific criteria be met.

 

The new deal will see both Coventry Bees speedway team and Coventry Stock Cars continue racing next year the lease would start on January 1 2017 and end 12 months later.

 

The Observer is awaiting on official confirmation that the club has accepted the offer proposed, though it is believed to have been agreed.

 

Speaking to The Observer, Coun Stokes said: Im very pleased with the outcome it is a compromise but its positive and the best we could get.

 

We have to look at this as a reprieve and keep the pressure on to secure a new site where speedway and stock car racing can take place.

 

It is definite that racing can take place next year, the owners would consider a further two years but that is subject to conditions though Im confident we can work to those.

 

Mick Horton as the lease holder has a big job now, he has been key to securing this deal and not just talked about the Bees throughout the negotiation process but spoke on behalf of other motorsports at the venue too the outcome is a credit to him.

 

The deal comes following months of meetings and negotiations something Coun Stokes described as an awful lot of work.

 

However the Council leader revealed that having a neutral party involved in negotiations helped tremendously and the passion of speedway and stock car fans convinced Coun Stokes to work hard for the best possible outcome.

 

He added: It was an awful lot of work and I facilitated plenty of meetings the fact a neutral party was involved helped massively.

 

I put across views of the public I was extremely swayed by the passion of the speedway and stock car fans.

 

I saw a petition with 6,000 signatures on, I met hundreds of fans at the public meeting held last month it was then I realised this situation isnt about pulling a fast one.

 

The land owners do not know about the history of the stadium and I was able to translate the passion of the fans across to the owners.

 

Speedway has had a huge impact on Coventry and fans genuinely wanted to retain the site.

 

Coventry Stadium is ingrained on the local community, Ive lived in and around the city all my life people talk about the speedway and often tell me how tragic it would be should the stadium disappear.

 

There was a severe risk of the stadium losing motorsport at one time, well continue to work hard for the best possible future.

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Statement says yes!

 

I know Mick Horton isn't everyone's cup of tea but he along with Cllr Michael Stokes deserves a huge amount of credit for achieving this.

 

Horton is part of the reason we got this deal.

 

 

I'm not in a position to have a pop at Horton - Yes fantastic and all the rest of it but Coventry need to be moving forward at pace from now on if you want to continue. IE looking at new finance and trying to get someone else to take it on.

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Superb news for Cov Bees Supporters and UK Speedway.

 

So very, very pleased that the Lakeside clash will not be the last meeting I witness at your historic, superb Brandon Stadium.

 

We all have our own recollections and happy memories of this place. Mine was taking my first drive up the M1 in 1982, to watch my beloved Hackney Hawks get a usual drubbing. But it was worth every mile. I'd never have thought that years later, I'd be living just a few miles away from it! Every time I visit Brandon, the walk from the car park to the turnstiles takes me back 30+ years; when life was so less complicated but oh so much more fun. If memory serves me right, you had to pay extra (20p?) to get into the main stand seating, then another 20p to go to the enclosed bar area? I remember my old man saying "I need to go for a pee, but I daren't move.......gawd knows how much that's gonna cost me"!

 

Here's hoping for a long-term solution to the problem; but at least for now, it gives all relevant parties time to look at alternatives.

 

UK Speedway would just not be the same without Coventry. I wish you every future success.

Edited by The Voice Of Reason
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Superb news for Cov Bees Supporters and UK Speedway.

 

So very, very pleased that the Lakeside clash will not be the last meeting I witness at your historic, superb Brandon Stadium.

 

We all have our own recollections and happy memories of this place. Mine was taking my first drive up the M1 in 1982, to watch my beloved Hackney Hawks get a usual drubbing. But it was worth every mile. I'd never have thought that years later, I'd be living just a few miles away from it! Every time I visit Brandon, the walk from the car park to the turnstiles takes me back 30+ years; when life was so less complicated but oh so much more fun. If memory serves me right, you had to pay extra (20p?) to get into the main stand seating, then another 20p to go to the enclosed bar area? I remember my old man saying "I need to go for a pee, but I daren't move.......gawd knows how much that's gonna cost me"!

 

Here's hoping for a long-term solution to the problem; but at least for now, it gives all relevant parties time to look at alternatives.

 

UK Speedway would just not be the same without Coventry. I wish you every future success.

I'm obviously biased but that's a superb post.

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Superb news for Cov Bees Supporters and UK Speedway.

So very, very pleased that the Lakeside clash will not be the last meeting I witness at your historic, superb Brandon Stadium.

We all have our own recollections and happy memories of this place. Mine was taking my first drive up the M1 in 1982, to watch my beloved Hackney Hawks get a usual drubbing. But it was worth every mile. I'd never have thought that years later, I'd be living just a few miles away from it! Every time I visit Brandon, the walk from the car park to the turnstiles takes me back 30+ years; when life was so less complicated but oh so much more fun. If memory serves me right, you had to pay extra (20p?) to get into the main stand seating, then another 20p to go to the enclosed bar area? I remember my old man saying "I need to go for a pee, but I daren't move.......gawd knows how much that's gonna cost me"!

Here's hoping for a long-term solution to the problem; but at least for now, it gives all relevant parties time to look at alternatives.

UK Speedway would just not be the same without Coventry. I wish you every future success.

Love this post, I can relate to so much of it! A whole lifetime of memories comes back every time I turn into that car park, doesn't matter what else is going on in life, stresses of work etc go away for a few hours when I go to Brandon to watch the Bees and I feel like a kid again.

 

As a kid I stood on the metal stairs overlooking the pits watching the riders preparing for the meeting and thinking how much I would love to ride for the Bees one day. I never got close to fulfilling that ambition but I've loved every minute of supporting them for nearly 30 years now.

 

I'm pleased we've got at least another year, maybe even 3 with a bit of luck!

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Fantastic news well done to all the people involved in reaching this compromise.

The echoes of all our past heroes can rumble on a bit longer my favourite memory was Peter Collins doing a massive broadside/spinorama move and somehow keeping his balance and carrying on .

I think it was in a British final when we always had a great crowd.

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Tuesday July 26, 2016

COVENTRY promoter Mick Horton has stressed future planning is already taking place with the club now able to look towards at least the 2017 season at Brandon.

 

Successful negotiations opened by Cllr Michael Stokes, Leader of Rugby Borough Council, involving the club and agent acting for the new landowners have resulted in a lease offer for the next year, with the possibility of two more beyond that.

 

With speedway and stock car racing both included in that arrangement, a busy period lies ahead – but it is a challenge Horton says he will relish.

 

He said: “We’ve had eighteen months of stressful negotiations, there’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of good people have been involved.

 

“It’s a great day for motorsport fans, and speedway and stock cars are all part of the family at Coventry. We are looking forward to all working together next year.

 

“There are lots of decisions to be made, and lots of planning to do. We want it to work for everyone, and I’ll be inviting all sorts of ideas from fans of both sports to take us forward.

 

“We’ve got to look beyond next season – we’re very confident that we’ll have an extension for a further two years, and securing our future beyond that is going to involve the council and the community.

 

“We see it as potentially three years in which to sort our future out, and in due course I will look to hold some kind of Forum, because I have some big plans in which I want to involve everyone, both speedway and stock car supporters.”

 

Horton admits results on-track this season have not met expectations after the Buildbase Bees reached the Elite League play-offs in 2014 and 2015.

 

He says putting a strong team on-track next year will be a top priority, although full plans for that cannot be made until league structures are finalised.

 

In the meantime, the Bees have four more home matches this year along with the high-profile Elite League Riders’ Championship – with the date now set for Saturday October 8 – and several National League fixtures including the NL Fours, meaning plenty more racing still to come in 2016.

 

Horton added: “It’s unfortunate the way the season has been going, although I’d like to think the entertainment has been top-drawer at Coventry, which is reflected in the crowds we’ve had for our last couple of meetings.

 

“Next year is another year and top of my priorities will be to get a winning team. The Bees deserve a winning team, and it’s my job to make sure we build a team that’s going to challenge.”

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Guessing Haters will still hate Horton and Co.

 

But he's done a lot more in getting your clubs future sorted than he did for us! So credit to him for that anyway

Yes quite surprising really, it shows he does actually care about the sport and willing to work hard for the cause. Most at the showground will still hate him no doubt especially as he seems to be working so hard for what used to be a rival club and didnt seem to when he was at Peterborough.
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