Gemini

Beaumont Park undergoes a new identity It was officially announced today that Leicester’s Beaumont Park Speedway Stadium is to be renamed and will now be known as the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium. “The partnership between the two companies brings a high profile and respected name to the sport. Leicester Speedway is no different to any new business as it is forever evolving and we see the rebranding of the stadium as a significant milestone in the life of the club as the venue will take on a new identity” stated the Lions Promoter David Hemsley. The company was founded by Barry Jordan in 1995 and since then Jordan Road Surfacing Limited has grown into one of the largest and independent surfacing and planning contractors in the Midlands with Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s amongst its clients. The company has worked with and alongside Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire Councils and in conjunction with the Highways Agency on major trunk roads nationwide. “It is a great honour for Jordan Road Surfacing to be associated with Leicester Speedway and we are proud to become part of the club and having the stadium named after the company. We are a local company with a working presence in Leicestershire and with seventy-five per cent of our workforce living in the county there is already an affinity with the area and so we are pleased to add our support to the Leicester Lions team” commented company owner, Barry Jordan. Leicester will race their first meeting of the new season at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium on Saturday 16th March when the Lions meet their near neighbours the Coventry Bees in the East Midlands Bowl.

LEICESTER SPEEDWAY..................with apologies for the white on black writing because I know it sometimes sends eyes 'funny' but that's how it copied/pasted. Work commenced over the weekend to alter Leicester’s speedway track at Beaumont Park when a group of volunteers assisted in the reshaping of the entry into the first bend and exit leading off the pits turn. “We first floated the idea of changing the track shape with the team during last summer but decided to defer the project until the winter months” commented the Lions co-promoter Alan Jones. “After an indifferent start in the League Cup competition when we lost at home to Ipswich and Somerset, results improved and the question was posed at a time when the team was on a winning sequence in the Premier League. The riders did not want to lose their home track knowledge and were concerned that results could slip so they asked us to leave the shape just as it was until the end of the season so that’s what we did” added Jones. The Lions remained unbeaten at Beaumont Park in the Premier League which created a club record as they became the first team in thirty-five seasons of league racing when a Leicester side went through the whole season without losing a single league fixture at home. Weather permitting the plan is to commence similar changes to bends three and four this weekend which will allow sufficient time for the new inner lines to settle before the Lions pre-season opening night which is the East Midlands Bowl challenge against their near neighbours the Coventry Bees on Saturday 16th March.

Perhaps there's more work to be done? From the photos it looks like they were moving the inside line in on the bends to make them wider.

Training day on Sunday so if they're digging some of the the track up it should make the racing interesting. Now I've seen at the photos it looks like it's all been done, graded and ready for tomorrow so that was quick. Tell Glyn he can have another couple of weeks in Australia.

I think Coventry have plans for some pre meeting entertainment this season with live bands etc.

Would that include the British G.P? I'm rather hoping not because quite a lot of fans head to Somerset/Wales for Friday and Saturday. Not me though - I'll be in Dorset and hoping not to miss a National League match as the cottage is booked Friday to Friday.

Presumably the G.P's cost more for Sky to show? I think you are probably right and a lot of fans stay at home rather than getting out to their local track because the Elite League is shown on T.V. so they get their weekly 'fix' that way in the comfort of their own home.

It's so long ago now that I can't exactly remember his/her original name but think it was King Kenneth Speed. Since then he/she has used numerous different log ins, after being continually banned, so unfortunately any new member is immediately treated with suspicion. Actually I thought he/she was quite funny sometimes.

Look on the bright side - no-one has accused you of being KKS yet.

Unfortunately won't be able to watch as I always cancel Sky Sports in the Winter.

Never met him in my life....unfortunately. Was my favourite rider at Leicester though.

Blimey! How do I answer that one. Let me know who your father is, by Private message or email amyellen1@ntlworld.com if you prefer to not say on here, and I'll let you know.

I won't be renewing in March either so what I save a month will be used on more live Speedway - National League at Coventry and probably a few trips to Beaumont Park throughout the season.

John Boulger, Ray Wilson, Vic White.... ??..... Graham Plant..... ??...... Two I can't get. Graham Plant hasn't changed.

It's supposed to be just 'banter' but personally I hate it and although I'll probably be at the match I doubt if I will be wearing a Bees scarf. I will just try to enjoy the racing as a neutral fan. Don't say that - we've got 4 of them!

Thank you dj350z. Some names to get the memories stirring in that programme! Wasn't looking good for Leicester then if we'd already lost at home by 8 points. Regarding the attendance of 20,000 I think the capacity now is set at around 12,000 so what has happened to the extra room for 8,000 fans? I don't think the terraces have ever been altered so it must just be down to good old 'Health and Safety' restrictions these days.

Brilliant and thanks for the confirmation that I haven't gone completely senile yet. Don't suppose you know what the first leg score of the Leicester v Coventry match was? Hardly worth us turning up really for that battering. (I say 'us' because back then I was supporting the Lions.)

Although it's a good idea to ride against Coventry I've got to agree with you that they will beat the Lions easily. Best idea would be to have some sort of handicap system with Coventry starting 25 yards back or something similar. Shame Chris Harris isn't still riding for the Bees because they could have let him start from the gate to give him a better chance of at least reaching the first bend with two other riders.

Great to read all this positivity.

Blimey! Remembered something right for once. I think a lot of the Leicester fans went to Coventry in a double decker bus (or two) and this was before the M69 was built so it meant travelling along country roads. I seem to remember having to duck several times when tree branches hit the side of the bus upstairs.

Wasn't that a double header against Leicester as well or is my memory wrong as usual?

Hope you think that's worth a 25% warning.

Okay thanks. Can't rely on my memory these days. I could 'see' his face but obviously got the wrong name as I don't watch Eastenders. I think I've got the newspaper cutting somewhere in one of my seven speedway scrapbooks.

I don't know but it's bound to be all Mick Horton's fault.

Perhaps he can move in with Chris Harris - at least they will both talk the same language.