Coventry 2017

[Woz01]

What is it about Coventry? Firstly the football club & now the speedway club. ( The whole damned city is closing down.)

The City is actually thriving with redevelopment and 1000s of jobs coming into the city in the next few years.

[Fromafar]

This will probably be the last straw for me. I supported the Bees as a kid, then Reading with my kids, and the Bees again with my kids when I moved back to the Midlands. There's no point just blaming Sandhu or Horton or mysterious men casting spells behind the scenes. Sandhu didn't close Reading. He didn't close Oxford. He wasn't behind Eastbourne going doen the leagues, or Ipswich. This is a sport in decline and there is no collective management trying to stve off the pressures from developers or noise complainants. There is only one question to be asked on this forum:

 

 

WHO WILL BE NEXT?

I am afraid it's goodbye from me and unfortunately, I fear, many others.

No disrespect to the fans , but Swindon will be the bookies favourites.

[thebaron]

The demise of Coventry Speedway is a sad indictment of where speedway has ended up.

 

You can mess around with League branding and all you like; but you have to say that the professional structure of speedway in the UK has been declining since the mid 1990's. There is no sense of the Speedway Governing body being able to place a 'stake in the ground' and stop the 'slide' (pardon the pun) by holding existing ground; or being able to reclaim old or new ground.

 

In a nutshell we're in a 'right two and eight'.

 

Speedway has allowed itself to be shunted out into the fields; on back of the 'green' staszi's' relentless drive to close down anything that perceived as not environmentally friendly. Look at all the proper stadiums closed to speedway since the 1980's including my local tracks Bradford and Halifax.

 

What has to happen to save Speedway is for the governing body to get a grip of this extremely precarious situation and make its own statement of faith in the sport here in the UK. What I am suggesting is that SpeedwayGB after the loss of such a historic venue as Coventry should counter that by re-opening at another legendary venue to show its own faith in its own product.

 

SpeedwayGB needs to enter into negotiation with Bradford Council and the RFL to re-introduce the sport to Bradford and that would be a clear statement that the Governing body of the sport is prepared to reclaim a lost major stadium for the sport. Speedway needs Odsal Stadium and what is more it will never be easier to revive this historic track. With the Bradford Bulls RLFC on their backside financially; Odsal Stadium crying out for regular use here is a great opportunity to start reversing some of the damage.

 

We would have Cardiff; Belle Vue; and Bradford as major venues for the sport and that would help put the handbrake on what looks like a slide into professional sporting oblivion otherwise.

Edited February 27, 2017 by the outsider

[Gazc]

Come on Belle Vue - do the decent thing now and sign the Brits who need work.

And some PL clubs can ditch their lowgrade foreigners for the likes of Sarjeant and Nielson

Never done the decent thing with Richie Worrall a Belle vue assett so wouldnt hold my breath.

[robert72]

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.

That's the problem when families have a big fall out.

[mudflaps]

Mick Horton - man of straw strikes again...

Should be banned from promoting for life...

[Woz01]

That's the problem when families have a big fall out.

I do wonder if Horton or someone else will name who Brandon Estates actually are. Wouldn't surprise me if it was Sandhu's family, Heaver previously said Sandhu did persuade Brandon Estates to sponsor the Bees.

 

BBC Cov and Warwickshire radio have a Brandon special at 6pm with Bomber, Danny King and Rory Schlein

Edited February 27, 2017 by woz01

[Coventry_Bee]

With the club "on ice" how do the contracts of the riders stand? I doubt they go to the BSPA.

 

I am sure Chapman was right and if we had of gone to Leicester there was a huge chance we would have folded completely so maybe short term pain and long term gain in all this. I see Jeff and David Rowe have put out support and not letting the club die which is really good to have such backing, however its still Mick's club so we need to really hear from him and see what is his plan now. Reality will really set in come a few weeks time and when a few of our riders are named elsewhere, wouldn't be the first time team changes have been made before a wheel is turned.

 

I have had a few break ups in my time but this is 10 times worse .. Woke up this morning and had to double check I hadn't been in some nightmare.

[Meadowbank Ghost]

Not a Coventry fan (Reading Racers RIP), but hate to see speedway teams like mine disappear, and detest devious, greedy developers who haven't got the guts to front up in public about their intentions and plans.

 

Been doing a bit of digging around on the net; here's what I've found so far;

 

Brandon Estates Ltd is registered in Jersey. It's practically impossible to find out who are the 'beneficial owners' or directors of a private registered company in Jersey. However you can find out who the shareholders are, by paying the princely sum of £4.00 here to download the 2017 Annual Return : https://www.jerseyfsc.org/registry/documentsearch/NameDetail.aspx?Id=300208

 

In addition, another company called Brandon Estates Ltd was registered in the UK on 27th March 2013. Although its business was stated as real estate development, It appears to have been a totally dormant company, which never traded or had any assets, and was dissolved on 3rd November 2015. When it was registered, it had 4 shareholders (1 share each), all of whom were listed as directors; Tajerab Khan (address in Knowle), Indermohan Grewal (Walsall), Ian Butler (Sutton Coalfield), Stephen Jeffrey Butler (Solihull). Khan & Grewal resigned as directors on 2nd April 2013, but remained shareholders.

 

The names involved in the UK company may or may not provide a clue to the ownership of Brandon Estates Jersey Ltd, or may provide some kind of link to Sandhu......

 

Anybody ? In the meantime, I'll keep digging...

[Woz01]

Not a Coventry fan (Reading Racers RIP), but hate to see speedway teams like mine disappear, and detest devious, greedy developers who haven't got the guts to front up in public about their intentions and plans.

 

Been doing a bit of digging around on the net; here's what I've found so far;

 

Brandon Estates Ltd is registered in Jersey. It's practically impossible to find out who are the 'beneficial owners' or directors of a private registered company in Jersey. However you can find out who the shareholders are, by paying the princely sum of £4.00 here to download the 2017 Annual Return : https://www.jerseyfsc.org/registry/documentsearch/NameDetail.aspx?Id=300208

 

In addition, another company called Brandon Estates Ltd was registered in the UK on 27th March 2013. Although its business was stated as real estate development, It appears to have been a totally dormant company, which never traded or had any assets, and was dissolved on 3rd November 2015. When it was registered, it had 4 shareholders (1 share each), all of whom were listed as directors; Tajerab Khan (address in Knowle), Indermohan Grewal (Walsall), Ian Butler (Sutton Coalfield), Stephen Jeffrey Butler (Solihull). Khan & Grewal resigned as directors on 2nd April 2013, but remained shareholders.

 

The names involved in the UK company may or may not provide a clue to the ownership of Brandon Estates Jersey Ltd, or may provide some kind of link to Sandhu......

 

Anybody ? In the meantime, I'll keep digging...

Just to add Brandon Estates Jersey Ltd was called Investin Brandon jersey Ltd until 2015. There is an Investin Brandon Ltd based in Solihull also. Edited February 27, 2017 by woz01

[speedibee]

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.

They only fell over backwards when it looked like they would be a team sort of the 8 , once secured it was bye bye Coventry

[Woz01]

Deleted post.

Edited February 27, 2017 by woz01

[Game On]

 

https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/update-i-think-a-new-venue-can-be-found-bspa-chairman-optimistic-of-bees-future/

Just words I'm afraid

[Coventry_Bee]

CWR at 6pm

 

Harris and Rory on a speedway special.

 

Good luck trying to get a word in once Rory's on a rant.

[Midland Red]

Mick Horton - man of straw strikes again...

Should be banned from promoting for life...

Why's that? He's provided speedway at Rugby Road for the last few years, and intended to (and wanted to) do so for at least another three years

He is not to blame for the rug (or stadium in this case) being pulled from under him, meaning he couldn't continue

I can't see any blame attaching to Mr Horton for Bees not appearing in 2017

[waytogo28]

There is some blame i feel attaching to Horton because if he had tied it up earlier at Brandon all would have gone through. The calls for him to be banned are because he is a "repeat offender" at pulling out of or closing down clubs.

[Woz01]

There is some blame i feel attaching to Horton because if he had tied it up earlier at Brandon all would have gone through.

No it wouldn't.

[screm]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_coventry_warwickshire

 

Speedway debate coming up next, hopefully this link will work.

[Jacques]

At least Sandhu and Heaver have their stocks

Statement from BriSCA / BSCDA
By BSCDA, Feb 27 2017 03:00PM
As you will all be aware, the Coventry Management have endured well documented serious issues throughout the Winter period which have been both delicate and protracted.

BriSCA & BSCDA clearly understand the desire of fans and drivers for updates on the situation however given the involvement of third parties such as Rugby Council and the confidentiality of ongoing discussion we have continued to support the Coventry management whilst, at the same time, forming alternative plans should Coventry not materialise for 2017 in June as previously suggested. BriSCA are due to meet early next week to hopefully discuss and confirm alternate plans now we have come to the end of a long road for the Coventry team of trying to keep Brandon alive. Following that a revised fixture list for 2017 offering clarity will be issued.

Late last week BriSCA was informed that the return of racing to Brandon was now 'extremely' unlikely in 2017 and the management are continuing pursuing alternative options for a new site and relocation of their dates. As is now in the public domain further news developed yesterday with regard the future of Coventry Bees which in itself had to be a consideration in any release of information.

We do genuinely appreciate the patience of our fans and drivers and truly understand the frustrations of what may appear to have been a lack of any real updates however behind the scenes we have at all times tried to support initiatives to resolve the Coventry issues without prematurely precipitating 'deadlines' until every avenue had been exhausted.

The loss of Coventry, as indeed any iconic stadium, is a major disappointment to our sport. Mr Sandhu remains committed to a replacement site which hopefully will make progress in coming months. However, we have lost major venues in the past and the sport must 'continue' adapt and pull together its strengths, one being the strong relationship and commitment of BriSCA and BSCDA to continue its stability and growth,

The prevailing circumstances at Coventry and the way in which the venue exited the sport is sad but beyond control. There no doubt will be a time and place for statements and points of view as facts are made available by the Coventry management in the due course. This is respectfully not a time to speculate or demonise individuals or bodies. In the interim, we are a fantastic sport, in the short term we need to 'pull together' as we still have a great season in prospect.

Further information will be released on 7th March.

..

Edited February 27, 2017 by Jacques

[dave69]

 

We've been denied the opportunity for a farewell meeting. The stadium has been trashed. Where would you suggest it's held?

Stadium trashed.Now that's happened before somewhere.Any lorries going by at the time.