Recent from talks
Coventry Bees
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees were a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon near Coventry, England. They are eight times champions of Britain.
The first speedway in Coventry arrived during the inaugural year of UK speedway on 21 July 1928, at the Lythalls Lane Stadium. The racing was organised by Midlands Speedways (a Manchester company) with a series of open and challenge events. In September 1928, rival venue Brandon Stadium began to host events. The first match to feature a Coventry team was an away fixture to Liverpool on 24 October 1928.
The first league speedway saw Coventry (based at Brandon Stadium) compete in the 1929 Speedway Southern League, which was the inaugural season of the Southern League. The team featuring some of the most famous names the era, including Jack Parker and Tom Farndon finished third behind Stamford Bridge Pensioners.
After the 1930 season, the team disbanded following financial difficulties experienced by the owners Motordromes Ltd. They did however return mid-way through the 1931 season to replace Leicester Stadium, who were liquidated in late May.
Coventry were founder members of the National League from 1932 to 1933. The team were all set to return to action in 1934, but the Brandon proprietor C. W. East suddenly put the stadium up for sale. Despite challenges matches taking place during 1934 and 1936, league speedway would not return to Coventry for 15 years.
Coventry was devastated during the war and it was not until 1948 that speedway returned under Coventry Stadium Ltd. Jack Parker became the technical adviser and a team entered the 1948 Speedway National League Division Three. The club also became known as The Bees and Charles Ochiltree became the team manager. In 1949 the Bees competed in the second division.
After two solid seasons in 1950 and 1951, the team won their first of eleven Midland Cups in 1952. The Bees then won the 1953 Speedway National League Division Two league title, with the team including riders Charlie New and Stan Williams. The Bees continued to compete in the second division, finishing runner-up in 1955 before they took their place in Division 1 in 1957. Per Olof Söderman, Ron Mountford and Jim Lightfoot emerged as leading riders for the club, and Nigel Boocock was signed from Ipswich.
After a second Midland Cup win in 1960, the Bees experienced limited success, even after joining the new revamped British League in 1965. However, finally in 1967 the team won the British League Knockout Cup 1967 and finished runners-up to Swindon Robins in the league. The following season for the 1968 British League, the Bees signed Czech rider Antonín Kasper Sr. to support Nigel Boocock and Ron Mountford and the consistency of other riders such as Col Cottrell, Les Owen and Rick France resulted in the Bees becoming UK champions for first time.
Hub AI
Coventry Bees AI simulator
(@Coventry Bees_simulator)
Coventry Bees
Coventry Bees were a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon near Coventry, England. They are eight times champions of Britain.
The first speedway in Coventry arrived during the inaugural year of UK speedway on 21 July 1928, at the Lythalls Lane Stadium. The racing was organised by Midlands Speedways (a Manchester company) with a series of open and challenge events. In September 1928, rival venue Brandon Stadium began to host events. The first match to feature a Coventry team was an away fixture to Liverpool on 24 October 1928.
The first league speedway saw Coventry (based at Brandon Stadium) compete in the 1929 Speedway Southern League, which was the inaugural season of the Southern League. The team featuring some of the most famous names the era, including Jack Parker and Tom Farndon finished third behind Stamford Bridge Pensioners.
After the 1930 season, the team disbanded following financial difficulties experienced by the owners Motordromes Ltd. They did however return mid-way through the 1931 season to replace Leicester Stadium, who were liquidated in late May.
Coventry were founder members of the National League from 1932 to 1933. The team were all set to return to action in 1934, but the Brandon proprietor C. W. East suddenly put the stadium up for sale. Despite challenges matches taking place during 1934 and 1936, league speedway would not return to Coventry for 15 years.
Coventry was devastated during the war and it was not until 1948 that speedway returned under Coventry Stadium Ltd. Jack Parker became the technical adviser and a team entered the 1948 Speedway National League Division Three. The club also became known as The Bees and Charles Ochiltree became the team manager. In 1949 the Bees competed in the second division.
After two solid seasons in 1950 and 1951, the team won their first of eleven Midland Cups in 1952. The Bees then won the 1953 Speedway National League Division Two league title, with the team including riders Charlie New and Stan Williams. The Bees continued to compete in the second division, finishing runner-up in 1955 before they took their place in Division 1 in 1957. Per Olof Söderman, Ron Mountford and Jim Lightfoot emerged as leading riders for the club, and Nigel Boocock was signed from Ipswich.
After a second Midland Cup win in 1960, the Bees experienced limited success, even after joining the new revamped British League in 1965. However, finally in 1967 the team won the British League Knockout Cup 1967 and finished runners-up to Swindon Robins in the league. The following season for the 1968 British League, the Bees signed Czech rider Antonín Kasper Sr. to support Nigel Boocock and Ron Mountford and the consistency of other riders such as Col Cottrell, Les Owen and Rick France resulted in the Bees becoming UK champions for first time.