John Scrutton Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 I am sad to see that the 'BEES' will be not be running his season. let us hope that they can be formed nearby but some true Speedway supporters in the Coventry area. Its a pity that this was not known several months ago giving time to do something about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete cc Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 (edited) Just watch how quick planning permission goes through. Edited February 27, 2017 by pete cc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedibee Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 This is very sad news for speedway and i can only imagine how Coventry fans are feeling right now. I put on the Belle Vue thread that maybe the powers that be could put the same effort in to helping Coventry as they have with Belle Vue. I can only hope that they can return next year as reported on the BSPA site. only need 8 teams for the sky money , once Leicester and Belle Vue were secure , Coventry were surplus to requirements.The timing of this announcement proves that beyond doubt so the bspa could sharpen their knoives and stab the bees fans /riders in the back without fear of losing any money 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g13webb Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 When Saddlebow Road first opened, and comparing it to other venues I always placed Brandon as the place to emulate. Each time we went it was usually a full house and the noise and excitement was unparalleled. So many great stars and wonderful personalities have graced this track and to acknowledge it will be no more is hard to understand........ I appreciate things change, but I can't help thinking something has to be wrong when a city as big as Coventry haven't a team when once it was the mecca of the sport. It is not for me to judge or to proportion blame, but I can't help remembering, at the time when the track was sold to a non-speedway enterprise, I thought it was only a matter of time before greedy financial decisions took control of the premises.... My main thoughts go to the fans who will miss the sport, I can only imagine how I would feel if the same happened at Lynn. Yeah, I know, I could and would go to Peterborough, but that wouldn't be the same as the team I supported through thick and thin will have gone. Nothing can ever replace the venue and team you have supported for so long and it is to you I feel for most... When our team for 2017 was announced I had them feelings that this could actually be our year. But after all that has happened recently, It doesn't seem that important any more..... Sure is sad times 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 valve Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 once Leicester and Belle Vue were secure , Coventry were surplus to requirements.The timing of this announcement proves that beyond doubt so the bspa could sharpen their knoives and stab the bees fans /riders in the back without fear of losing any money This is obviously a very sad and emotional time for the fans of Coventry and supporters of speedway throughout the UK. However, it is highly unlikely that the BSPA set out to stab anybody associated with the Bees in the back. On the contrary the BSPA extended (soft) deadlines to the promotion to give them a chance to sort out their home fixtures which eventually they did, but as it turned out there was insufficient funding to guarantee a full season of fixtures once it became clear to the promotion that they would not be able to return to Brandon after 8 meetings and run the remainder of the season there. Therefore it made no sense for the promotion to lodge money with the BSPA nor for the BSPA to allow the Bees to start a season they would almost certainly not complete. Please don't take this in any way as thumbs up for the BSPA - just that in this instance they had no choice but to take this decision. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces51 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Unfortunately, I think that Belle Vue and Coventry are two completely different situations. With Belle Vue the stadium owners, MCC, wanted speedway to continue and there were six prospective promoters wanting to take over. The BSPA didn't have to overcome any difficulties with the council or struggle to help to find people wanting to take it on. With Coventry, there is an existing promoter, a stadium requiring a large sum of money to make it fit for purpose and an apparent unwillingness of at least some of the parties involved to get together with a will to keep the Bees running. The BSPA could and may have tried to facilitate an agreement but it was a much more difficult task than they faced at Belle Vue. They do not have the money to purchase the stadium, assuming Brandon Estates really do want to sell and some of the parties are clearly being intransigent. If the BSPA have done little or nothing they deserve condemnation but if they tried but found they were facing people not prepared to listen or compromise there was realistically little they could achieve. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tellboy Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Sad day for speedway,but hopefully in the very near future they will be back. I don't know who is to blame for the mess,but i did see Jeff Davies one of the men still working hard to get the Bees back on the track next year doesn't apportion any of the blame on the BSPA.He actually said the BSPA did absolutely everything possible,and he was personally involved. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Sad day for speedway,but hopefully in the very near future they will be back. I don't know who is to blame for the mess,but i did see Jeff Davies one of the men still working hard to get the Bees back on the track next year doesn't apportion any of the blame on the BSPA.He actually said the BSPA did absolutely everything possible,and he was personally involved. Agree. There are a lot of angry people about at the moment but the bspa should not be blamed. Why on earth would they want a club to close? Imo they fell over backwatds to give as much time as possible. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Scrutton Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 I think that that the BSPA did all it could do to save Coventry..I will never believe that they didn't want them in the league . they always a good draw and the Promoters will have at least 3 weeks to fit into the season. which was very sparse in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj350z Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 I think that that the BSPA did all it could do to save Coventry..I will never believe that they didn't want them in the league . they always a good draw and the Promoters will have at least 3 weeks to fit into the season. which was very sparse in the first place. https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/update-i-think-a-new-venue-can-be-found-bspa-chairman-optimistic-of-bees-future/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunce Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 I'm no poet, but I penned this little poem as a tribute to the sadness all Bees supporters, and indeed all true speedway supporters must be feeling at this time. I've been in the same situation, and it broke my heart. With the latest news, it appears there may be a glimmer of hope for the future. lets hope so. I'm standing here this darkened night, the tears roll down my face. How could they know how much this meant, this track, this special place. The ghosts of times gone by ring out, the sounds of bikes and crowds, of giants of the speedway track, of Champions of the World. They all rode here, the best there was upon this hallowed track, the place where dreams were made, so often when I look back. We won it all in times gone by, the best team in the land, from League to Knockout Cup, oh boy we were so grand. But now the time has come, to say my last goodbye the place is quiet, the lights are out, it makes me want to cry. Why did it have to be like this, to end this winters day I guess we'll never know, as I turn and walk away. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/update-i-think-a-new-venue-can-be-found-bspa-chairman-optimistic-of-bees-future/ Wow the last quote doesn't mess around does it. "If the stadium hadn't been sold we wouldn't be here, if Mr Sandhu had done everything he promised we wouldn't he here - it ended up in a mess" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 So, according to that piece in the Coventry Observer - there never was a deal for Sandhu to re-instate Brandon after the fittings & lights were ripped out. Who did make that claim? Horton? BSPA? Cllr Stokes? Or did it just pop up like an urban myth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 So, according to that piece in the Coventry Observer - there never was a deal for Sandhu to re-instate Brandon after the fittings & lights were ripped out. Who did make that claim? Horton? BSPA? Cllr Stokes? Or did it just pop up like an urban myth? It was said by Sandhu's camp that he would put the stuff back once a deal with Horton was agreed, which we were told it was. The problem is Brandon Estates didn't want Sandhu operating at Brandon and wouldn't let him put stuff back anyway. Maybe a tad convenient. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete cc Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 What is it about Coventry? Firstly the football club & now the speedway club. ( The whole damned city is closing down.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj350z Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 What is it about Coventry? Firstly the football club & now the speedway club. ( The whole damned city is closing down.) But the London Wasps were very happy to come to the city and look what a great success they are making of it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ommer Mon Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 I'm very sad to see the Bees frozen out of the League. Having suffered similarly at Cradley I can say its a very long, hard and painful road to get back. I hope they have more luck and a more helpful Council (not difficult as Dudley have been somewhere on the scale of useless to downright obstructive). Good luck to those who try to sort it out from here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Local newspaper Coventry Observer launches a Save our Bees campaign. It's been 1 day and people are taking action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piston197 Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 But the London Wasps were very happy to come to the city and look what a great success they are making of it!! Maybe the Newport wasps would be welcomed too, another travesty of selling off a Speedway site for commercial purposes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sancho Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 So, according to that piece in the Coventry Observer - there never was a deal for Sandhu to re-instate Brandon after the fittings & lights were ripped out. Who did make that claim? Horton? BSPA? Cllr Stokes? Or did it just pop up like an urban myth? Press Release - 30th November 2016 By Coventry Stox, Nov 30 2016 01:49PM Last night Mr Sandhu held late night talks with Councillor Stokes to broker a deal to protect his assets and to allow the Stock Cars and Speedway to continue at the stadium. A deal was reached for the next three years for the continuation of Speedway and Stock Cars after an intense night of negotiations. The deal was worked on overnight and it has been confirmed this morning that all parties are happy with the resulting agreement. Mr Sandhu has agreed to replace all the assets and reinstate the stadium fit to run next season at his cost. He has agreed to fund this because he loves speedway and stock racing with a deep wish to see it continue for the next three years and beyond at a new facility. He would have rather signed the agreement weeks ago but it was important that the partnership between Stox and speedway using the building continued as one would fail without the other so his actions were always to protect not just his assets but also both sports. The agreement would at this stage never happened without Councillor Michael Stokes who has gone beyond what ever could have been expected and has managed to keep both sides in dialogue rather than allowing it to fall apart publicly. We will continue to work closely with Councillor Stokes on finding, securing and eventually building a replacement facility as we are now on a clock for the eventual closure of the stadium. Our commitment to make this happen is undiminished and if anything it has made us as a group more determined to make it happen. Lastly we would like to say how pleased we are that the employees, contractors, and suppliers have a secure future for the next three years as many have worked on site for decades so this uncertainty has hurt them the most. Without these people we would find it impossible to run the stadium to the current high standards and they have proved that they too have gone beyond what could be expected which we will never forget. We welcome our renewed relationship with Councillor Stokes, Mick Horton and the Coventry Bees as an opportunity to grow stronger together and to tackle the future jointly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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