Bees have a new home for 2018 after sealing deal with the Leicester Lions
THE Coventry Bees have a new home after sealing a deal to share a speedway stadium with Leicester Lions - a move which has effectively ruled out any return to Brandon Stadium.
The move will pave the way for a return to competition for the beleaguered Bees, who were excluded from speedway’s top league by the sport’s ruling body earlier this year following a long-running row which eventually left them homeless.
The club did have a short-term deal to race at Leicester before the start of the 2017 season and it had been hoped that would be enough to see the team compete but to no avail. The intention was that the club could start at Leicester’s Beaumont Park stadium 25 miles away but would return to Brandon as the season progresses.
The British Speedway Promoters’ Association said the former stadium share was a temporary solution and that while it was in place “strenuous efforts” would be made to return to Brandon. However when it became clear a return to Brandon was not on the cards Bees were excluded from the sport’s Elite League.
An announcement made by the club suggests the latest deal is more permanent.
A statement released by the club said: “Coventry Bees are delighted to announce that they have found a new home with immediate effect at Leicester Speedway.”
And Coventry Bees owner Mick Horton said: “We are pleased that we have facilitated a stadium share at Leicester Speed- way which secures the long term future of our club.” But Mr Horton revealed the move meant a return to Brandon Stadium, a long-held hop of Bees fans, was unlikely in the extreme.
He added: “A standalone stadium either at Brandon or elsewhere has never been commercially viable and will never be commercially viable for the club. We look forward to our forthcoming events and the continuing support of our fans at our new home.”
However it remains unclear what level the Bees would compete at and it has been suggested it is unlikely it would be able to step straight back into the sport’s top league - now called the Premiership.
A well-placed source in the sport said it might not even be able to compete in the mid-tier Champion- ship but might have to battle it out in the bottom rung of the sport - the National League.
They said: “The owner can do a deal with a stadium all he wants but needs to get into a league too. The two senior leagues have their AGMs when they will make plans for next season this weekend.
“The National League is a bit later and I would think that is where the Bees are going to apply. Coventry has always competed at the top level and the national League is the third tier. It is the league where youngsters are trying to make a name for themselves, although a few old hands are involved too.”
Brandon Estates, the owners of Brandon Stadium recently revealed plans to build up to 250 homes on the site.
It has made submis- sions to alter the Rugby Borough Council Local Plan in a move that would see the speedway and stock car racing stadium demolished to make way for housing.
The stadium has remained derelict since a long-running row between its owners and former Coventry Bees speedway team owner Avtar Sandhu ended with many of its fixtures and fittings being removed.
Brandon Estates reported their removal by Mr Sandhu to Warwickshire Police and a criminal investigation was launched but later dropped.
During the stand-off Mr Sandhu pledged to return the fixtures and fittings but the stalemate continued, meaning the Bees, now owned by Mick Horton, were excluded from speedway’s Elite League this season.