Coventry 2017

[Tigerite]

A sad day for speedway. I won't pretend to know whats gone on involving the stadium, but losing a speedway giant like Coventry is awful. Feel for the Coventry fans, they've been treated terribly all winter and now this.

Edited February 26, 2017 by Tigerite

[Wiseguy]

Echo the thoughts of all speedway fans when I say i'm gutted at the news coming out, terrible news for fans and riders

 

Don't know the ins and outs of whose to blame but as an Exeter fan I feel your pain

 

I hope Coventry can find a new home and the supporters can watch their team ride again

 

I fear the longer they remain off track the less hope there is as fans drift away, Genuinely hope for a positive long term outcome.

[Stoke Potter]

BSPA does not hold massive reserves to pay for Stadium that can have a short lifespan. Why go into hock, because if one was bought another would appear straightaway and where would that money come for that one. I know you can't stand the BSPA, but you don't do joiny up common sense do you. The money that is in Rugby, either discipline, is far greater than speedway could ever hope for. It is a low capital sport, usually living in others stadia, and run by guys prepared to keep it going for the sake of the sport. Why don't you buy it ?

I'll start this reply by saying how sorry I am for the fans of Coventry, very sad news. One of the best Speedway stadiums in the country gone.

Now I'll reply to your post.

Why would the stadium in have a "short lifespan"?

Correct I do not like the BSPA as in my opinion they are, for the most part, incompetent. The latest issue with Coventry being a good example.

Please tell me what there is to like about the BSPA?

The sport at the top level in this country cannot be a "low capital" sport and survive. You don't seem to get that. The lower divisions are the place for it to be "low capital".

How long have Sky being pumping money into the sport and where has it gone? You will say it's been distributed to the various clubs. Ok, what has it been invested in? Or more accurately what has it been spent on? And how did the clubs finance those things prior to the Sky money?

The tone of your post basically reveals that the sport will cease to exist in the near future.

Is the Sky contract now in danger due to the loss of Coventry?

[kingbee]

Can you just explain to me why Mick is getting the blame for ending the club? He wasn't the one who sold the stadium to Brandon Estates and he wasn't the one who wrecked it so it couldn't be used. Just interested as I must be a bit thick.

 

If only anybody knew what has been happening behind closed doors Horton and Sandu fall out apparently about unpaid bills or rent selling to B/E in the first place and going right back to Martin Ochiltree selling to Sandu when he could off sold to a speedway person you could blame anyone

[Aces51]

A tragedy that a club with the stature and history of Coventry should end like this. Others may have contributed but the real villian here seems to be Sandhu. There was genuine reason to believe that the Bees were safe for at least one more season until the stadium was vandalised.

 

This is a sad, sad day for speedway and especially for Coventry fans. I don't know if more could have been done by the BSPA or, anyone else, but I hope that no stone was left unturned. The fans deserve at least that.

 

We know it's never easy to resurrect a team once they have closed but I sincerely hope that some way can be found for the Bees to return.

[robert72]

A very Sad day for everyone connected to Coventry Speedway but also British Speedway.

 

These are the people responsible for making decisions at the BSPA Keith Chapman, Rob Godfrey George English, Chris van Straaten & Colin Pratt.

 

Not sure why none of them with their experience could of helped to save the bees but I do feel they were waiting all along for belle Vue to run before pulling Coventry out.

 

Sad day for speedway

[Sidney the robin]

SAD day for me a great club hope it is not all doom and gloom and they will be back.What makes me ANGRY could this have been avoided? i think so.

[robert72]

SAD day for me a great club hope it is not all doom and gloom and they will be back.What makes me ANGRY could this have been avoided? i think so.

The BSPA would of made sure the Bees ran had Belle Vue not made it

[topaz325]

Sad day for Coventry fans and their club, I hope you eventually return.

Where does this leave British Speedway though.

[Fifteenpointmax]

I rarely look at the comments on this forum as I don't like the anonymity of it all. If people have something to say, then at least be prepared to reveal who you are.

And I have never written anything on here. Until today that is.

So with regard to anonymity, I reveal myself to be Jeff Davies, lifelong speedway supporter and photographer at Coventry for the last 33 years.

It is an incredibly sad day for me, for the fans loyal of Coventry and speedway in general. It's an even worse day for 7 riders, 5 of whom are British, including the British Champion.

Whilst I do not know everything that has gone on, having been involved in discussions about Coventry for the last three months, having spent literally hundreds of hours on the 'phone to all parties and having attended numerous meetings, I have a very good insight as to why we are where we are.

The BSPA are a much maligned organisation. They come in for lots of criticism, occasionally justified but more often not. They do a thankless task.

I can categorically say (as I put on twitter earlier today), the BSPA did everything possible to bring Coventry to the tapes in March. They bent over backwards. They were under immense pressure to publish fixtures, not just for the UK, but to fit in with international fixtures too. Clubs were unable to sell season tickets because they didn't know how many fixtures would be in the calendar. The list of complications brought about by the Coventry situation was endless. Yet still they afforded the club time to find a solution.

They should, in my opinion, be exempt from criticism.

To all of you on this forum, who are pointing the finger of blame at Mr Horton, Brandon Estates and Mr Sandhu - I can understand that. Like me, you are very upset and very angry. However ill informed your comments are, you want someone to blame. I get that.

I obviously have my own opinion on that which I'm not going to share on here.

I believe in the next two weeks, the facts will be revealed. The truth regarding the club's demise will come out.

Then you'll be in a position to make a more informed opinion. I'd be surprised if it didn't coincide with mine.

Finally, though we're at our lowest ebb right now, together with a handful of determined and influential people, we will battle on to make sure this iconic club with its long and proud history will re-emerge and the fighting Bee will be back to fight another day.

[Jacques]

 

You must be having a laugh

 

I can think of a few people to blame here but Laurence certainly isn't one of them.

 

 

I think you are just about spot on here. A friend of mine did some research and found that there is a lot of circumstantial evidence links Sandhu to Brandon Estates and you have hit the nail on the head : What did happen about the damage being reported to the police ?

 

I don't think Mick Horton is entirely without fault and it may not be a coincidence that this is announced immediately after Belle Vue's confirmation of running.

 

However, there's only one party who trashed the stadium and that's where the real blame lies.

 

Exactly!

 

All this, if it hadn't been for the winter of discontent, blah blah!! Yes of course there were big issues, but he was always going to build on the land and there is no way the 2010 situation should have any bearing on the disgusting behaviour this winter! He knew damn well that trashing the stadium would mean the end, that's why he did it!

[Wolfsbane]

Sympathy for all the Bees fans I've crossed swords with on here over the years. First Cradley, now Coventry. Our derbies are becoming less local as the years pass

[Bluenose]

A very sad day for speedway.

 

I want to know if there is a speedway riders union and

 

are the Coventry riders named covered for loss of work??.

 

If there is no union there should be one.

[weatherwatcher]

What a sad day!!!! This should never have been allowed to happen. A huge blow to the sport in this country to lose a club like the Bees. Just hope that things get sorted and we see them back again next year. Don't hold my breath though

[Wolfsbane]

The old 'good day to bury bad news' stunt by the BSPA. God I hate folks who do that

[proud panther]

Gutted for all Coventry fans, & the riders who stayed loyal when they could have possibly been fixed up at another club. Hope I'm wrong, but can't see any way back for the Bees from here.

[Steve Shovlar]

Been out and just got in to read this news. Sad but expected. The minute Sandhu vandalised the stadium was the minute the club died. You dont remove your belongings by ripping out seats and smashing them up. Or use a grinder to cut down every lighting stantion. That was pure vandalism. He knew what he was doing. Making sure the damage was enough to spell the end for the speedway. He succeeded.

 

The talk of putting it all back was always bs. I am convinced Brandon Estates is Sandhu. Otherwise why would a building company hide itself away in Jersey so no one could discover the owners? Brandon Estates would have no reason to hide who owns it, unless it was Sandhu. All this Brandon estates not allowing Sandhu into the stadium is utter guff.

 

I can't blame Horton. Not his fault this Sandhu vandalised his stadium. There's only one person to blame and that is Sandhu. He vandalised the stadium, pure and simple.

 

The move to Leicester was never going to work. When Horton said at the fans meeting recently that Brandon was off the table for this season I just knew this was coming.

 

Sorry for the riders who are stuffed. Sorry for the fans who now have no team. Some can migrate to Leicester to get their fix but its not the same as supporting your own club.

 

I hope the council get tough with the owners of the stadium and refuse point blank any planning permission for housing.

 

Coventry isn't much of a hot spot for sport. Football and speedway knackered. Wasps enjoying a honeymoon period as new to the area but rugby is pretty boring to watch and that novelty will soon wear off.

 

I enjoyed my trips to Brandon and the victories. They will be sorely missed.

[rocket007]

The BSPA have questions to answer. As a governing body of the sport, why did they allow all this to drag on throughout the winter without making a deadline for a decision whether Coventry ran or not. Why did they agree and allow Coventry to sign a 8 meeting contract then allow all fixtures to be produced with Coventry included, only to withdraw their licence once Belle Vue announced they were running, and then citing that as only 8 meetings were agreed this was not acceptable. I can't see how Coventry can come back in 2018, because there is very little likelihood that they can find suitable land, get planning permission, then build a Stadium all in time for next season. Brandon will never be fit for purpose for any sport unless the owners sell up to a sports minded enthusiast. A full season track share would also be financial suicide for any promoter to take on. Although Chapman is chairman, the BSPA is made up of a committee of people. Where have all the other members been all winter as none of them seem to have spoken out about anything going on at Leicester, Belle Vue or Coventry. I am not a Coventry fan, but a speedway supporter and I feel so sorry for all those Bees fans. As we know, most supporters are beyond average age(40?) and their lifetime enjoyment has been ruined by a handful of people. In future the BSPA must vet potential owners/investors to check what their real motives are.

[Bessiebee]

What infuriates and at the same time saddens me is that these money grabbing oafs have no understanding of how their decisions actually affects the fans. For my family going to Brandon for our speedway fix wasn't just about our love of speedway, it was also meeting up with the many people who we now consider to be friends. I just hope now that planning permission is never granted and that the Bees will one day return to Brandon.

[robert72]

A very sad day for speedway.

 

I want to know if there is a speedway riders union and

 

are the Coventry riders named covered for loss of work??.

 

If there is no union there should be one.

 

I believe that the BSPA will now own all Coventry rider assets and will gain monies from loaned out riders. It's so wrong.