NEWS: Brandon Bees all ready for the off

Frantic last minute work is going on this afternoon (Tuesday 12th May) at the new Brandon Bees track as Cycle Speedway`s newest club gears up for their opening match tonight, 7.15pm, at Brandon Road Playing Fields.

Thanks to the magnificent work of a number of Cycle Speedway enthusiasts connected to the Coventry club, inspired by Joe McLaughlin, Brandon will take on Coventry tonight in the Midlands League – and reversing a sad trend – the hard working group will have saved a valuable community facility and a precious Cycle Speedway track from the bulldozers.

Australian ace Bobby McMillan, teenage star Kyle Roberts and McLaughlin have spent much of the day at track today – painting, tyre packing and checking equipment. A huge effort took place last night, with the trio joined by Lee, Josh and Sammi Marsh, Rob, Tracey and Jess Barnett, Rob McGuire and Angela Hambidge.

McGuire and McLaughlin spent an afternoon at the rural village location three weeks ago weedkilling the track, which had sadly fell into decay after fantastic efforts were made in both building the track and running the club by the previous Bretford outfit. Sadly, interest waned and the remaining parents felt unable to continue the club.

The effort by the Coventry group to reinstate the track, which has also been assisted by Myke Grimes in promotional material, has been hampered by the `green` location of the venue. The track is bordered on two sides by trees and heavy bushes and the track, which was last used last August, soon became submerged in weeds, grass and moss.

Brandon will race tonight with colourful new yellow and black shirts, featuring the famous Coventry Bees Speedway fighting `Bee` emblem, recreated by Grimes, on the front of their race shirts.

The original Brandon team raced in the booming Coventry League in the 1960s at a track in the Coventry Speedway Stadium car park.

A spokesman said: “Against all the odds, a group of die-hard enthusiasts connected to Coventry CSC, have saved a Cycle Speedway facility. We hope we can create new interest in the Rugby and East Warwickshire area and help the new club be self-sustaining in time”.