NEWS: Dirt Bike Club – Summary of 2016

The launch of the Dirt Bike Club, with the subsequent revival of the Brandon Bees team, will go down as one of the outstanding success stories of sport in 2016, not just in the sport of Cycle Speedway, or local sport, but its success is far wider than that.

A previously defunct and derelict sports facility has been restored, and with it, a precious rural sports facility revived in the most successful and vibrant way possible. Youngsters have found a healthy, safe off-road and exciting new sport. All have been encouraged whatever their ability. They have found a sport which locally attracts terrific Media coverage and this has allowed them to find self-expression and personal achievement by having their names in the papers.

The club has prided itself in the ethos of friendship, community and the wonderful unifying bond that is sport. New friends have been made and the club increasingly has found willing volunteers to run its activities.

Communication via a weekly `Club Information` newsletter, Facebook page, abundant Media coverage, discussions at the Dirt Bike Club and a meeting held on 20th September, have all aided a complete set of strangers, who first met at the opening Dirt Bike Club on 9th July 2016, to bond together in a tremendous spirit of community co-operation.

Attendances at the Dirt Bike Club have ranged from 12 to a high of 25, with an average attendance of 18. Race meetings have been staged for the team at the Coventry, East Park and Leicester tracks – and at home against Birmingham and East Park.

The Brandon Bees hosted the Coventry Junior Finals day in September across three age group finals and it proved a very successful event. Sixteen brand new Brandon Bees riders also rode at Coventry in the annual Chris Allen Memorial Meeting recently.

Congratulations are afforded to Brandon Bees riders Louis Westhead who won both the Coventry Under 8 final and the Chris Allen Memorial Under 8s Trophy. Jony Middleton won the Coventry Under 11s final, and finished third in the Chris Allen final. Cameron Gill took third place in the Coventry Under 16s final.

With its partners, the Coventry Cycle Speedway club gently steering the handlebars, and with a further new track in Coventry set to go ahead, the Dirt Bike Club and the Brandon Bees can look forward to an exciting future and helping restore the glory days of the sport of the 1960s in the Godiva city.