Coventry Bees Explained

Clubname:Coventry Bees
Track:Brandon Stadium
Country:England
Founded:1928
Closed:2018
Colours:Yellow and Black
Tracksize:301m (988feet)
Track Record Time:57.6 seconds
Track Record Holder:Chris Harris
Honour1:League Champions
Year1:1968, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1988, 2005, 2007, 2010
Honour2:Knockout Cup Winners
Year2:1967, 2006, 2007
Honour3:League Cup Winners
Year3:1981, 1985, 1987
Honour4:Craven Shield Winners
Year4:1997, 2000, 2007, 2008
Honour5:British League Pairs Champions
Year5:1978
Honour6:Elite League Pairs Champions
Year6:2008, 2010
Honour7:National League Division Two champions
Year7:1953
Honour9:Midland Cup Winners
Year9:1952, 1960, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982
Honour10:Midland League Winners
Year10:1980
Honour12:Northern Shield Winners
Year12:1954
Honour13:Central Shield Winners
Year13:1961
Honour14:Midland Development League Champions
Year14:2016

Coventry Bees are a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon near Coventry, England.[1]

History

A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the inaugural season of the Southern League and then the National League from 1932 during the pre-war era at Brandon stadium. There were also meetings at a stadium at the Lythalls Lane Stadium. After the war, the club became The Bees and were involved every season from 1948 until the loss of Brandon stadium shortly before the start of the 2017 season, during which they ran a series of challenge matches at other tracks.[2] [3] [4]

Although the club have won the now defunct Midland Cup eleven times, the first silverware won at national level by the club was the 1953 Speedway National League Division Two league title.[5] The first major trophy was becoming league champions of the Great Britain during the 1968 British League season. They went on to become League champions in 1968, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1988, 2005 and 2007 and 2010. In 2010, they won the Elite League Championship, defeating the Poole Pirates in both legs of the play-off grand finals.[6]

On 28 October 2007, the Bees lifted the Elite League Knockout Cup for the second year running, defeating the Swindon Robins in the final, completing a clean sweep of all three major trophies, having already annexed the Craven Shield by beating Swindon Robins and the Poole Pirates over the three leg final. This was their third Knockout Cup success.

On 24 November 2010, following changes to the rules for rider averages made at the Annual General Meeting of the BSPA, the Coventry Bees and Peterborough Panthers walked out of the meeting.[7] As a result, on 27 November, the BSPA omitted both teams from the 2011 Elite League for failing to declare their intent to compete in the 2011 league at the AGM.[8] [9] Two months later on 17 February 2011, it was announced by the BSPA that both Coventry and Peterborough would not be competing in the Elite League after both clubs rejected an offer[10] On 8 April 2011, the BSPA officially confirmed both teams had returned to the Elite League for the 2011 season.[11]

On 11 August 2011, Edward Kennett resigned from the team, after it was deemed his silencer was 'illegal' when racing against Lakeside on 6 August.[12] Kennett said this was caused by 'a member of his team' who had 'tampered with it'. Kennett was banned from racing for 7 days by the SCB[13] and appeared in front of a disciplinary hearing on 16 August where he received a 6-month worldwide ban.[14]

On 21 September 2011, the Bees were put up for sale by owner Avtar Sandhu[15] and then taken over by businessman Mick Horton, with the promotional licence held jointly by Colin Pratt and Mick Horton.[16]

Closure

On 26 February 2017 it was announced by the BSPA that the club has had its licence frozen and therefore would not be competing in the Speedway Great Britain Premiership 2017 season. The licence being frozen was due to the club being unable to satisfy the BSPA that they can fulfil a full season of league racing. This was primarily due to having an agreement with Leicester Lions to only use their stadium for a handful of fixtures and not having any guarantees of being able to return to Brandon Stadium for the remaining fixtures.[17] [18]

The Bees were reformed to compete in the 2018 National League, with home meetings being staged at Leicester.[19] The Bees became homeless once more in 2019 as the Leicester promotion decided to run their own National League junior team (The Cubs). Brandon Stadium today lies derelict with several planning applications having been made for redevelopment. Many club enthusiasts, supported by the local council, have campaigned for the return of speedway and stock car racing to the stadium.[20]

In early 2022, an organisation advocating the return of motorsport to the site, Save Coventry Speedway, proposed to the council that speedway be restored to the stadium, along with a museum and restaurant.[21] In January 2024, Brandon Estates appeal for planning application to redevelop the site was dismissed by the Inspector.[22]

Season summary

width=350Year and leaguewidth=50Positionwidth=350Notes
3rd
6th
10th
7th
7th
8th
12th
4th
4th
2nd Midland Cup
1st Div 2 champions
8th
2nd
5th
8th
7th
3rd
9th Midland Cup
3rd
3rd
4th
2nd
3rd
2nd Midland Cup
2nd Knockout Cup winners
1st champions
14th Midland Cup
3rd Midland Cup
3rd Midland Cup
10th
15th
15th
16th
4th Midland Cup
8th Midland Cup
1st champions, Midland Cup
1st champions, Midland Cup
4th
5th League cup winners, Midland Cup
4th Midland Cup
3rd
12th
3rd League Cup winners
5th
1st champions, League Cup winners
1st champions
5th
8th
7th
8th
5th
4th
15th
10th
8th Craven Shield winners
3rd
4th
4th Craven Shield winners
3rd
3rd
2nd
10th
2nd PO Champions
4th Knockout Cup winners
1st champions, Knockout Cup & Craven Shield winners
6th Craven Shield winners
4th
4th PO Champions
5th
8th
10th
3rd PO Final
2nd PO Semi
7th

Season summary (juniors)

Coventry Storm made their competitive debut in the 2013 National League season.[23] The Bees had previously run a team in the third tier of British speedway in 2004, under the name Coventry Cougars. The initial team line-up was Joe Jacobs, James Sarjeant, Oliver Greenwood, Brendan Johnson, Richard Franklin, Trevor Heath, and Martin Knuckey, but a broken wrist for Greenwood saw Robert Branford replace him, with Tommy Fenwick also replacing Heath.[24]

width=350Year and leaguewidth=50Positionwidth=350Notes
N/A Cougars, Conference Trophy only
5th Storm
2nd Storm
4th Storm
10th Storm

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939). Official British Speedway website. 14 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Year by Year. Speedway Researcher. 14 August 2021.
  3. Web site: Coventry Bees. Defunct Speedway Researcher. 14 August 2021.
  4. Book: Rogers, Martin. The Illustrated History of Speedway. 1978. 129. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. 0-904584-45-3.
  5. Web site: BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964). Official British Speedway website. 14 August 2021.
  6. News: Coventry Bees crowned Elite League champions . 5 October 2010 . BBC Sport . BBC . 5 October 2010.
  7. News: Coventry Bees speedway future under threat. 24 November 2010 . BBC Sport . BBC . 15 January 2011.
  8. News: British Speedway Statement. British Speedway Promoters' Association . 27 November 2010 . 15 January 2011.
  9. News: Coventry Bees' Elite League exit confirmed by BSPA. 29 November 2010. BBC Sport. BBC . 15 January 2011.
  10. News: British Speedway Statement. British Speedway Promoters' Association. 17 February 2011.
  11. News: BSPA confirm return of Coventry Bees and Peterborough . 8 April 2011. BBC Sport. BBC. 8 April 2011.
  12. Web site: Coventry Bees skipper Edward Kennett resigns from club . 11 August 2011. BBC Sport. BBC. 21 September 2011.
  13. Web site: Coventry Bees skipper Edward Kennett banned for a week . 8 August 2011. BBC Sport. BBC. 21 September 2011.
  14. News: Ex-Coventry captain Edward Kennett gets six-month ban. 17 August 2011. BBC Sport. BBC. 21 September 2011.
  15. News: Coventry Bees speedway put up for sale. 21 September 2011 . BBC Sport. BBC. 21 September 2011.
  16. News: Mick Horton is new Coventry Bees speedway owner. 31 October 2011 . BBC Sport . BBC. 31 October 2011.
  17. News: BSPA STATEMENT. 27 February 2017. Coventry Bees (Official Website). 26 February 2017.
  18. News: STATEMENT: CLLR MICHAEL STOKES. 27 February 2017. Coventry Bees (Official Website). 26 February 2017.
  19. "SGB Statement: Coventry Bees", speedwaygb.co, 9 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018
  20. Web site: Fair . Thomas . 2021-11-13 . Engines roar no more - the current state of Coventry Stadium . 2022-06-28 . CoventryLive . en.
  21. Web site: Suart . Paul . 2022-04-14 . Campaigners' bid to bring speedway back to Coventry Stadium moves step closer . 2022-06-28 . CoventryLive . en.
  22. Web site: Coventry Planning Appeal Dismissed . British Speedway . 23 January 2024.
  23. News: Coventry Storm into National League . 18 December 2012 . Official Coventry Bees Website . Coventry Speedway . 25 December 2012.
  24. "Double Change for Storm", coventrybees.co, 20 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013