Coventry 2017

[robert72 845]

If you're implying Sandhu I gather that's not the case although I do have doubts.

I didn't say Avtar Sandhu

[hyabb17 1,077]

I have a lot of sympathy for the riders signed by Coventry, how the riders found out by social media is excusable. The owners have to take responsibility for this. Why they've been string along is beyond me. I also have sympathy for the fans. Again led up the garden path. Am I surprised this has happened, no....am I'm surprised by the timing.....yes. Is the BSPA to be blamed for this.....no.

 

I hope that Cov can return from this in 2018.

Edited February 26, 2017 by hyabb17

[Jacques 3,114]

So did Brandon Estates call in the police reference Sandhu's actions or not?

 

If they did, it makes a nonsense of the belief that these two are one and the same.

If they did, which police force is investigating this alleged offence?

If they did, why has it taken so long to progress this investigation?

If they did, would the police not say that this is a contractual dispute and therefore a civil matter?

 

If they didn't, then we have been lied to.

 

So I challenge you Brandon Estates, Tell us which police force is dealing with this dispute and the progress of that investigation. OR admit you did nothing, meaning you were quite happy to see this stadium in an unusable condition.

Actually, I'll make it easier for you. Brandon Estates, tell us anything of any substance.

 

It is clear from only a few hours real investigation that both Sandhu and Brandon Estates do not want the rest of us to know the nature and detail of their businesses. Both are clouded in mystery, intermediaries and in the case of Brandon Estates, an off shore registration.

 

The force would have been Warwickshire police, Rugby.

 

 

 

 

The first question they would ask is, .Who owns the stadium and or the contents that were damaged. If it's still Sandhu, then it's his property to damage.

 

We've never really understood who owns what have we .............??

 

Once that has been established, then they would be able to make a decision as to what if any offences have been committed or whether it's a civil matter...

[G the Bee 639]

 

Putting your present hatred of the BSPA to one side for a moment.

 

The BSPA is set up to run speedway, not stadia. It has never been their intention to underwrite and run a club, as, with most member clubs, the members need to be responsible for it's running and viability. If Coventry had been bought by the BSPA, and support from the team dwindled to the point of not being viable they would close it. But what then. Sell it for housing, which others were/are already unable to do so to date. It would be a millstone the other promoters, who make up the BSPA, would not want, especially as the association does not have that sort of reserves, nor would the members be prepared to put it in.

YOU do not seem to 'get it' that speedway is very much a minority sport, kept afloat by mostly sincere folks who are prepared to put some money in, usually just to keep it running. In very few cases does it provide the owners with a decent wage, or even a return of their financial investment. Speedway will never get gates like other sports like Football, Rugby, etc, so there is no case for making it a 'high capital sport" as no promotion/advertising they put into it to try, will make it substantially bigger. Remember in many cases, that speedway is not the owners main business.

You must be very new or naive not to know what happened to the new influx of SKY money around 2000. Their offer to televise the Sport was very generous, and it was seen by some as the saviour of the sport to keep it running. Unfortunately riders had other thoughts, and the top riders insisted and would not sign for the same money with top riders asking for say 4 times their previous contracts. Because some clubs could still afford it, they paid the demanded money to the riders, which made it once again hard to make the sport pay. The money may be shared out to each EL club, and some to the PL, but the money went to pay the riders demands, so an opportunity to make the sport a paying concern was lost. But you probably know that, but choose not to believe it. Tough.

The tone of the some BSF members is very much that the sport will cease to exist in the near future. But that is only some BSF members.

NO.

That's what I read on here. It was stated around the time, or just after, the original head banging meeting with Councillor Stokes as part of a make and mend.

 

If anything proves what a short-sighted organisation, stumbling along from one-year to the next, the BSPA are, it is the events that have culminated in today's state of affairs.

 

We can talk all we like about whether Sandhu, Horton or the BSPA are to blame. As I said in a previous post, the real damage was done in 2002 when the Ochiltrees sold to a speedway outsider.

 

To my mind, the BSPA should never have let Brandon be sold outside the sport. It was well known around that time that the Ochiltrees were looking to sell or, at the least, looking for extra investment. The BSPA should have had a bit of foresight and purchased the stadium from the Ochiltrees. It could then have been turned into a centre of excellence for the sport. The administrative offices would have moved there from Rugby, a youth academy could have been set up, every major BSPA shared event could have been held there (it's central location with excellent motorway facilities would have made it ideal for this). The stadium could have been available for riders to practise outside of meeting times. We all know that a constant bugbear of British riders is that they struggle to get the same amount of practise time as their Polish counterparts. The possibilities were huge.

 

The running of the Bees as a speedway team could then have been franchised out to a licensed promoter at a fair and reasonable price and made money for the association. The stock cars, which draw excellent crowds, could also have made money.

 

Over time, Brandon could have become speedway's equivalent to Twickenham (albeit a stadium which also stages weekly league meetings and, of course, on a much smaller scale).

 

As good a stadium as Belle Vue's National Speedway Stadium is, I've constantly found it a source of amusement that we have spent years bigging up the development of, and giving a fancy (meaningless) name to a new stadium which is no better than Brandon (at least a Brandon which had not been allowed to deteriorate for the last 10 or so years).

 

Of course, for this to happen, it would have meant that the BSPA promoters (of all leagues) would have had to have seen past the self-interest, partisanship and short-term thinking that has always characterised their organisation.

 

It was never going to happen, was it.

 

Hence the greatest stadium in the sport at the time was sold to someone who wanted the land to build houses on. And here we are, 14 years down the line, reaping the results of the BSPA's lack of vision (in more ways than one).

Edited February 26, 2017 by G the Bee

[waiheke1 4,295]

Awful news and awful timing. Sympathies to the Bees fans and hoping this is just a single year. Fond memories of trips to Brandon as a youngster.

[Panthers89 1,922]

Looks like Coventry are riding one more meeting against Panthers, as Panthers took the challenge meeting off the homepage, and now its back on there.

[Hawk127 1,359]

Really feel for all fans and those who have supported Coventry through thick and thin. I know it might sound daft but could the bees ride at various tracks to complete the league meetings. As an example what about track share with NL tracks assuming they have available dates/track time. Not ideal I know but what about if say and it is just an example Mlldenhall, Stoke, Buxton and perhaps even Birmingham or allow the bees to join the NL to track share and keep the name alive. Cradley have done it so why not the bees. If another team is needed for the top tier, then an obvious choice is either Ipswich and/or Peterborough. Time for some outside the box thinking and forethought to keep the great name alive. I am sure all speedway fans want to bees come to the tapes one way or another this year. Hopefully a way will be found

[Jacques 3,114]

 

The force would have been Warwickshire police, Rugby.

 

 

 

 

The first question they would ask is, .Who owns the stadium and or the contents that were damaged. If it's still Sandhu, then it's his property to damage.

 

We've never really understood who owns what have we .............??

 

Once that has been established, then they would be able to make a decision as to what if any offences have been committed or whether it's a civil matter...

 

Ok, going off the stadium postcode..... scroll down and click on criminal damage and arson!!!

 

 

https://www.streetcheck.co.uk/crime/cv83gl

Edited February 26, 2017 by Jacques

[G the Bee 639]

There should be one more meeting. A proper opportunity for the Bees fans to say goodbye. Because that is what it is. I don't for a minute believe this is just a one-year sabbatical

 

And Chris Harris should be riding for the Bees as captain too. I'm sure Kenneth Bjerre would have no problem stepping aside for him for a one-off. Kenneth could ride for the Panthers to strengthen their team up to Premiership level.

 

They would be turning the fans away at the gates!

Edited February 26, 2017 by G the Bee

[Woz01 3,589]

I put this on my social media earlier.

 

A huge part of life died today, devestated.

 

The reality of it all is sinking in.

[Jacques 3,114]

There should be one more meeting. A proper opportunity for the Bees fans to say goodbye. Because that is what it is. I don't for a minute believe this is just a one-year sabbatical

 

And Chris Harris should be riding for the Bees as captain too. I'm sure Kenneth Bjerre would have no problem stepping aside for him for a one-off.

 

They would be turning the fans away at the gates!

 

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

[graz gp 184]

A very sorry state of affairs, so sorry for the Coventry fan's. This is another nail in the coffin of speedway. That will be the next thing sky pulling the plug. We need people with some forward thinking, dare i suggest our promoter at Sheffield, Damian Bates he a least is trying to bring some idea's on getting more people through the turnstyles and promoting speedway. If we just carry on as we are we will be only watching gp's.

[G the Bee 639]

 

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

 

I was responding to the post above, which stated the Panthers v. Bees challenge is still going ahead.

 

To be honest though, that would not be my ideal scenario. Ideally, a neutral venue would be hired and a Bees team (led by Chris Harris) would ride against another team made up of riders with connections to Coventry Bees (perhaps led by Scott Nicholls).

 

Profits for the meeting (which would probably draw a huge crowd) to be shared between the SRBF and GB Youth Speedway.

Edited February 26, 2017 by G the Bee

[Fourentee 987]

Dreadful news; my commiserations to all Bees supporters. An awful day.

[SCB 0]

There should be one more meeting. A proper opportunity for the Bees fans to say goodbye. Because that is what it is. I don't for a minute believe this is just a one-year sabbatical

 

And Chris Harris should be riding for the Bees as captain too. I'm sure Kenneth Bjerre would have no problem stepping aside for him for a one-off. Kenneth could ride for the Panthers to strengthen their team up to Premiership level.

 

They would be turning the fans away at the gates!

Would be nice if we could ride in the Pairs on the 30th 31st March too.

Edited February 26, 2017 by SCB