Coventry Bees Speedway - Brandon Stadium

Has anyone seen this brilliant video. I hope the link works.

Coventry Bees have announced that they will be competing for the 2017 season.... at Leicester! It seems a poor compromise following the farce that has taken place at Brandon during the winter. The aim is to get back to Brandon during the season but I suppose we will believe it when we see it! Could be worse, I guess. They could have moved to Northampton!

Thanks for that, JW - the link does appear to work. Good work by Jeff Davies - except Tom Farndon and Jack Parker, prewar Coventry riders, didn't actually "wear the colours of Coventry Bees"

BREAKING NEWS Coventry Bees ruled out of 2017 SGB Premiership and licence is on ice. BSPA : With deep regret the British Speedway Promoters' Association announce Coventry Bees will not be competing in the 2017 SGB Premiership and their licence has been put on ice. Due to well documented issues with their former Brandon Stadium home, the Bees only have an agreement in place to run a handful of meetings at Leicester. The club, therefore, are not in a position to satisfy the Association that they can fulfil a full season of league racing with no guarantee of returning to Brandon. In addition there have been developments in the past 10-days where financial support for the Coventry promotion has changed, again meaning the Association are not satisfied they can fulfil a full season. We feel extremely sad for the Bees riders, fans and officials but we believe this decision has been made in the best interests of the sport. We sincerely hope circumstances can improve for Coventry during the course of this year which will enable them to return to the track in the 2018 season.

A very sad day for Bees fans everywhere and for British Speedway in general But not unexpected - particularly when Belle Vue confirmed that they would run in 2017, meaning that the minimum number of Premiership clubs of eight for the Sky TV deal would be achieved without Coventry Shenanigans clearly in operation, the deal for Bees to run at Leicester made just in case Belle Vue dropped out But the blame lies solely with Avtar Sandhu - whose vowed intention when he purchased from Martin Ochiltree was to redevelop the Brandon site The damage he caused to the Rugby Road site this close season ensured that Bees would not be in a position financially to run this year With limited resources, Mick Horton seems to have done what he could to keep speedway running over the last few years, but there was no way that he could afford to deal with the hand Sandhu eventually dealt him

From councillor Stokes Facebook page.... I am so sorry to hear of the tragic news that The Bees have been prevented from racing in the coming season. So much work has been put in over the past year to secure another three years for The Bees and Stock Car racing at Brandon and I genuinely thought after the relevant parties had discussed all options, that a solution was in place until the events of late last year. I'd like to pay tribute to Mr Mick Horton who has worked tirelessly to secure the future of The Bees and even during the negotiations over a lease at Brandon Stadium, always ensured the discussions included the stock cars. It's easy to blame the person in the public eye, but without Mr Horton, there would have been no discussions to be had. He has never been more than a tenant at Brandon and due to circumstances beyond his control has been placed in this very difficult position and I know he is devastated by this decision. Anyone knowing all of the details would have understood if Mr Horton had of walked away at the end of the last season and many of those who knew the details, advised him to do so. But he continued to fight to ensure the survival of The Bees. There is a lot of detail I am unable to discuss because of ongoing legal matters between the new owners and other parties, but I am confident that the fans will clearly understand the events that lead to this decision in the near future. My sympathies are with the many thousands of fans who will potentially lose not only a stadium they loved, but now a team who most fans grew up supporting along with their parents, grandparents and now their children and grand children. I've been lucky enough to meet and speak to many of you over the past year and I've never met a group of more passionate people with regards to a sport they genuinely loved. There are no formal powers that I can use to change this decision, but as always I will be keeping all channels of communication open and will facilitate any discussions if it can help this situation.

From Mick Horton: IT is with deep shock and disappointment that the club will not be racing this season. This decision was made on Friday night at a meeting in Rugby that my fellow promoter Neil Watson attended. There was no indication at all to suggest the future of Coventry Speedway was the subject of debate. In fact, the meeting covered far more important matters within the sport. Their decision was relayed to me during that evening, and rightly or wrongly I waited for the BSPA press release which arrived Sunday morning. I read this at 11.00am and notified the riders at 11.16. I now accept I should have notified them sooner and can only apologise. Only the night before, I attended the NSSC fans forum with Jim Lynch to give the fans an update on Brandon and to discuss the team and our plans for racing at Leicester. Like I say, I am still in shock with what has happened. It was never going to be easy getting through this season but we were optimistic that the Coventry fans would still come and watch. With the funds available to the club, we estimated a break even figure of 800-900 fans which, with a good team like ours, was achievable. On top of this we had a promise of funding which the BSPA were involved in discussions with. Sadly, this promise did not materialise. I accept fans are very frustrated and want to blame someone, and the finger can be pointed in several directions. I may be guilty in some eyes, but in my defence I can only state the facts: 1. I did not sell the stadium; 2. I did not remove the fixture and fittings; 3. I did not bring about the ongoing criminal proceeding that Brandon Estates are still pursuing. I paid Mr Sandhu £200,000 plus VAT for the club and now I have lost it all. Am I bitter? Yes I am, but I know we are where we are, and the most important priority for me now is to do the right thing to ensure the Bees can come back next season stronger, and hopefully racing in Coventry. To do this I know I have to step aside and invite offers to take the club to the next level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cllr Michael Stokes who has been one of our greatest campaigners, his enthusiasm and desire to help both speedway and stocks has not gone unrecognised by the fans. I would like to thank the riders for their continued loyalty to the club during unsettling times during the last few months, they are true professionals and I believe they will find teams sooner rather than later. I would like to thank the sponsors and the staff who have stuck by us for many years, Buildbase, Teng Tools and NGK have been fantastic. I want to thank my fellow promoter Neil Watson, who not only has been with me through my speedway days, he has helped me through some darkest times of my life - he is my friend. A big thank-you to many of my fellow promoters who have supported me for many years. I would like to thank the fans of one the greatest clubs in speedway, you have been the best for so many years. Lastly I want to thank my family who have been by my side during all the good and the bad times at Coventry. Mick Horton

Still in shock over the Coventry Bees not taking to the track this year. I've been following them for nigh on 50 years. My first meeting was in 1967. Even since living in Cornwall I have tried to get to as many meetings as possible, travelling from Cornwall on Friday lunchtime to Brandon and then back to Cornwall that same evening. I sponsored a rider for the last two seasons which gave me a real feeling of involvement. To see the state of Brandon Stadium today is heartbreaking. What is wrong with people that they are so obsessed with money and personal gain? They care nothing for heritage and tradition. Anything can be destroyed to enhance their bank balances. I'm hoping above hope that the fighting bee of Brandon will once again be seen on speedway tracks in the near future, but it needs a wealthy, dedicated supporter and local council help to make this dream a possibility. My Historic Coventry site user name indicates my love for the Bees and words cannot describe how I feel right now.

How right you are, Beesman. I have followed the Bees since 1967 too, and the City since 1963. I fear that within a year or two both of the city's major sports teams will simply cease to exist. What a dreadful prospect. Everything is about money and turning a profit, even from things that are nothing to do with profits. It is symptomatic of the society we have become. The NHS, social care, transport, there is no walk of life that is spared from the greed of so-called entrepreneurs. Hardly surprising that we are having our country destroyed when the powers-that-be know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

New website "Save Coventry Speedway" launched to provide updates of campaign efforts to save speedway and stock car racing in Coventry.

Police probe continues - report

Not good news coming out of Poland this evening: Polish great Tomasz Gollob is to undergo emergency surgery on serious spinal injuries following a motocross crash at Chelmno in northern Poland. The 2010 world champion has been airlifted to Bydgoszcz Military Hospital, where he is under the care of expert surgeon, Professor Marek Harat. According to updates from Gollob's personal doctor Marek Rybacki, the SGP legend has sustained no head injuries. But there is reported to be damage to the spinal cord and the T7 vertebra, with the rider said to have no feeling in his legs. He is also believed to have suffered damage to both lungs. No doubt all Bees fans on the forum will wish Tomasz well at this difficult time

Latest update: Tomasz Gollob's surgeon says the Polish legend could face paralysis and admits his career may be over. The 2010 world champion was airlifted to the Bydgoszcz Military Hospital after suffering serious spinal and lung injuries during a motocross event at nearby Chelmno. Leading neurologist Professor Marek Harat carried out a three-hour operation, and revealed the five-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner sustained "very serious damage to the spinal cord", but confirmed it hadn't been broken. Gollob suffered injuries to the T7 vertebrae and is also said to be receiving support with his breathing after damaging both lungs. In a post on Gollob's official website, Professor Harat confirms the 46-year-old could face paralysis. But with the spinal cord intact, he refuses to jump to any immediate conclusions about the future prognosis of Poland's greatest speedway star. He said: "There has been very serious damage to the spinal cord, although it has not been interrupted. Tomasz is threatened with paralysis, but we will not prejudge anything - the next few days and weeks will decide. This could mean the end of his sports career.' Asked about Gollob's prospects of returning to the track, he told Polskie Radio PiK: "I think it's an end to his career. "Even taking into account the best possible course of treatment, Tomek faces a long rehabilitation that will last months if not years. "The fact the spinal cord isn't broken gives us a glimmer of hope. So, right now, I cannot state that anything is irreversible.' Gollob's 2013 season was ended by a serious crash with Tai Woffinden at the Scandinavian SGP in Stockholm. But Professor Harat insists the injuries the rider sustained then didn't take their toll this weekend. He added: "After the Stockholm crash, Tomasz had neck vertebrae damage not thoracic vertebrae, so that crash hasn't had an impact on his current situation.

Morning MR, I am not an avid fan of the tracks these days but I do read your 'Bees' posts and it's not always a happy one when reading of a rider's critical event. One can only hope of a happier outcome for Gollob. As a matter of interest at what age do riders normally retire these days? I get the idea they think they can go on for ever!

Morning! I would suggest that riders generally retire mid-30s, unless forced to earlier through injury There are exceptions of course Nigel Boocock rode in the UK leagues in his 42nd year; Ken McKinlay went on till 45; current world champion Greg Hancock is 46 Tomasz Gollob's last season was 2015 - his accident has occurred at motocross, rather than speedway