INDOOR


INDOOR CHAMPS RETURN TO COVENTRY – posted 5 March 2014

 

The national indoor championships will return to Coventry Connexion on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th January 2015 when the organising committee host the 2014 championships.

 

Principal  promoter Steve Mullinder was delighted with the news.

 

“It will be all hands to the pumps again to try and make it even better” Steve told Spokesman.

 

“We've got myself, Roger Ellis and Joe McLaughlin trying to bring it together.  We are looking for sponsors for each event so if anyone is interested or knows anyone, please get in touch with one of us” asked Steve.

INDOOR IN ST LOUIS – posted 24 January 2014
 



















Indoor cycle speedway recently made its debut in St Louis in the state of Missouri.

 

Inspired by what they have seen on television and the internet, members of the St Louis Bicycle Pole club tried the sport for the first time.

COVENTRY INDOOR SEASON CLOSES – posted 17 January 2014

 

The highly successful indoor season of indoor training and racing, promoted by Coventry CSC, has come to a close after nearly three months of increasingly high attendances.

 

Club bosses are delighted with the latest series of sessions, following on from their successful launch at the end of the 2012 season. Held at the Sports Connexion, Ryton, the sessions have grown in popularity, peaking at a whopping 45 riders just before Christmas 2013.

 

The venue was also successfully used for the 2013 British indoor finals, promoted by the Midland League regional committee. Plans are afoot to make the Sports Connexion the regular home of the championships in future years.

 

Dave Foster, Coventry CSC chairman, said: "We are delighted with our indoor promotions. We thank all the clubs and riders who have supported the venture and officials like Bernie Kemp and Carl Wassall who have helped organise the activities."

 

The Sports Connexion venue will return at the end of the 2014 outdoor season.

 

HOYLAND FAVOURITE TO DEFEND TITLE – posted 4 January 2014

 

With the tapes due to go up on the national indoor championships in just over an hour’s time, the men’s title will be a two horse race according to Spokesman readers.

 

Reigning champion Ryan Hoyland is the people’s favourite to successfully defend his title.  He polled a remarkable 25% of the votes cast, well clear of British outdoor champion Tom Reed who attracted 18% of the poll.

 

Surprisingly Poole’s Wil Bristowe came third in our snap poll, winning 13% of the votes.  Bristowe has yet to show any real form in the indoor scene but has clearly attracted a lot of support, finishing ahead of former winners Mark Boaler (10%) and Mike Morgans 8%.

 

Over 120 votes were cast.

CONNEXION READY AND WAITING – posted 3 January 2013 


















Over 30 volunteers from Midland clubs swung into action like a well oiled machine earlier this evening to prepare Coventry Connexion for this weekend’s indoor championships.

 

The most prominent feature is the blue and yellow air fence which completely encloses the circuit.  Hired at a cost of £1,500 and funded by British Cycling, the air fence has been introduced after a spectator was allegedly struck by one of the wooden perimeter boards at a previous event, leaving him with a sizeable splinter in his leg.  It is rumoured the spectator subsequently successfully lodged an injury claim against British Cycling and received substantial damages, running into several thousand pounds, as a result of the accident.

 

While rider and spectator safety has rightly been given top priority, the immediate downside is that seated spectators will be unable to see the action as the air fence is four feet high.

 
















By all accounts the rubber composite flooring provides excellent traction but is more taxing than traditional Granwood flooring surfaces.  Regular visitors to Coventry’s Sunday evening training sessions will find that the track, which is slightly shorter than Eccles last year, is much tighter, calling for better technique and bike control.
 

















Principal organisers Dave Jewkes and Roger Ellis (pictured above) were delighted with the new set up.  “It looks great” Ellis told Spokesman.  “It should be a bustin’ weekend.”


TEAM WHITEHEAD PREPARE FOR INDOOR CHAMPS – posted 2 January 2014

 

The record book will be re-written this weekend when Leicester duo Steph and Mark Whitehead both compete in the veterans’ individual championship, the first father and son to do so.

 

Team Whitehouse, cycle speedway’s biggest and best known family, will be out in force at Coventry Connexion.  The remarkable cycle speedway dynasty has entered riders in all but the under-19 category.  As well as dad Steph and son Mark racing in the vets, grandson Luke competes in the under-16s, grand-daughters line up in the under-13s, and sisters Jenna and Lucy race alongside grand-daughter Michelle in the women’s event.

 

Not content with that, several of the family are also expected to represent Leicester in the team competitions.

GREAT INDOOR CHAMPS IN PROSPECT – posted 13 December 2013

 

Arrangements for next month’s national indoor championships are progressing well and organisers are hoping the 2013 event will be one of the best ever.

 

“The Connexion, British Cycling, Steve Mullinder, Dave Jewkes, Joe Mc'laughin, myself and the Midland committee are all working to make these championships a great success” principal organiser Roger Ellis told Spokesman.

 

“The track and gates are there already and the air fence is booked.  Everything  is coming together nicely and hopefully we are now getting people on board to help run the event.

 

“The hall itself is very big.  The track will be down one side of the hall, pits the other side and spectators down the side of the home straight.  We are working on seating at the moment.  Also upstairs there is a viewing gallery, catering bar, television and pool table.  Downstairs is the food and drinks hall.

 

“It should be a great British indoor championships” promised Roger.

TIMMS TO MISS VETS FINAL – posted 11 December 2013

 



One of the favourites for next month’s British Veterans Indoor Championship has
spectacurlarly crashed whilst training for the event and is out of the final set for Coventry`s Sports Connexion venue on Saturday 4th January.

 

Paul Timms, one of the leading vets over the past decade, fell at the Coventry venue last Sunday evening and withdrew from the rest of the evening. Suffering pain, he visited Sutton Coldfield`s Good Hope Hospital on Monday afternoon, where a broken collarbone was diagnosed.

 

It’s a crushing blow to the popular 56-year-old, who recently won the over-50s Eurovets championship at the end of the outdoor season. Timms will now rest and concentrate his efforts in getting fit for the new season in March.

INDOOR PLANNING RACES AHEAD – posted 5 December 2013

Plans for the 2013 British indoor championships are racing ahead with organisers of the event pleased with progress thus far ahead of the January 2014 staging.

Members of the Midland League committee met at the venue - the Sports Connexion near Coventry and made plans for the event after an extensive tour of the facility.


The track will be in roughly the same position as the normal indoor track as used by Coventry CSC at their popular Sunday night indoor sessions. However, with safety in mind, a full speedway style `air fence` is set to go around the whole outside of the circuit. This should significantly enhance rider and spectator safety at the event.

The corners and inside lines of the indoor track are all set to be transported from Manchester this Sunday to the Connexion venue, with Steve Mullinder and Roger Ellis supervising the operation.


Organisers have also ensured in their planning plenty of food outlets and bar facilities at the finals, including a kiosk at track side and gallery viewing. Lee Marsh, of Coventry CSC, is providing a PA system for the championships.

Entries for the finals, to be staged on 4th and 5th of January, are reported to have speeded up in the past week before deadline date and officials have also been busy in rostering key officials from all the Midlands clubs to man the hectic racing calendar.


The official hotel of the British Indoor Finals will be the Village Hotel, Dolomite Avenue, Earlsdon, Coventry, CV4 9GZ – just over the road from the Coventry track at Hearsall Common. The Village Hotel is just four miles – straight down the main A45 – from the indoor venue.


Organisers have secured both Friday night (3rd January 2014) and Saturday night (4 January 2014) accommodation for just £50 per room.  Family rooms are also available for a supplement of just £5 per child.


All accommodation includes full English breakfast and the use of the Village Hotel`s luxurious swimming pool and leisure facilities.


The Village Hotel was a hospitable and welcoming venue for riders, parents, friends, families and supporters who used the hotel whilst attending the recent British Final at Hearsall Common. It boasts award winning restaurants, bars and a Starbucks franchise.

To reserve your hotel room for the British Indoor Finals, managed by Roger Ellis and Dave Jewkes, could not be simpler. Just call: 0871 
222 4582, ask for/select option one and then quote "BRIT 030114".

Please note, no on-line bookings can be accepted in order to obtain the special £50 (or family room) rate, only telephone bookings.

LICENCE WARNING AHEAD OF INDOOR CHAMPS – posted 
20 November 2013

A top cycle speedway official has urged riders to renew their British Cycling licences well ahead of the national individual championships which take place in Coventry early in the New Year.

Wednesfield’s Glyn Rowley has made the suggestion following his own discussions with British Cycling.

“Just a heads up to riders competing in the indoor British championships.  My boy's license expires on December 31st, however speaking to Paul West this afternoon, he said that riders will be cut a little slack when it comes to licence expiry at this event providing it's within a week or so, but did advise to renew for 2014 as soon as possible” Rowley told Spokesman.

“Now, BC are not taking applications for the 2014 season until December and are expecting high demand with the likelihood that applications may not get processed in time, so can I suggest that anyone wishing to compete on January 4th and 5th to get applications in early to be on the safe side” urged Glyn.

LEGEND TO MISS INDOOR CHAMPS – posted 22 October 2013

 

If the national indoor championships go ahead in Coventry over the weekend of 4th and 5th January as planned, one of the biggest names in the game will be missing.  It will also mark the end to one of the most remarkable records in the history of the sport.

 



For the past 24 years, the indoor championships have been synonymous with one rider, Steve Harris.  The Poole veteran has ridden in every open final, winning the title six times as well as taking three silvers and five bronze medals – a truly remarkable statistic.

 

But that proud record is likely to come to an end as Harris will still be on holiday when the indoor championships take place.

 


“That’s true” Harris confirmed to Spokesman.  “I won't be racing in the indoor championships as I'm away for New Year and I don't fly back until Monday 6th January, so with the indoor being held on the 4th and 5th January 2014, it's unfortunate but I won’t be there.  Unfortunately my run will come to an end but nothing lasts for ever and I fully intend to compete in the 2014 indoor championships”.

 
EDINBURGH STAND ASIDE – posted 15 October 2013

 

Edinburgh have withdrawn from the chase to host the 2013 British indoor championships leaving the way clear for Coventry to stage the event at the city’s Sports Connexion complex in the New Year.

 

“It’s great news that Wednesfield are prepared to stage it” said an Edinburgh spokesman.  “Coventry would be a more favourable location.  The Edinburgh club's attempt to save the championships was just that - not a competitive bid to stage the championships.  We will now step aside and not make any formal approach to allow the Wednesfield club time to concentrate on planning the event.”

SECOND BID TO SAVE INDOOR – posted 15 October 2013

 

Hot on the heels of Edinburgh’s announcement that they are considering stepping in to save the British indoor championship comes news of a second potential bid to host the event.

 
















Wednesfield management team of Roger Ellis (pictured above) and Dave Jewkes are putting together a consortium to stage the championships in Coventry early next year – and Ellis has made a plea to other Midland clubs to help make it happen.

 

“Me and Dave Jewkes are working towards making the indoor happen in Coventry.  All I need from the Midlands clubs is their help over the weekend of the 4th and 5th January 2014.  What we would want is help running the meetings over the weekend, sharing them out with our people helping one another.  We would set up a group once we know the format” Ellis told other Midland clubs.

 

It is expected Ellis’s proposals will be discussed at the Midlands regional annual meeting to take place at the Wednesfield clubroom on 3 November.

 

In the meantime the Edinburgh club intend having a meeting to see if it would be practical and logistically possible to stage the 2013 championships at the Jack Kane Centre.  If the meeting gives the proposal the go-ahead, a formal approach will be made subject to British Cycling subject to approval from all parties.

 

The Jack Kane Centre is in the South-East of Edinburgh and is within a straight three to four mile distance from many hotels and B&Bs in the affluent Craigmillar Park and Dalkeith Road district.

DRAMATIC BID TO SAVE INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – posted 
14 October 2013

 

Edinburgh cycle speedway club have made a dramatic bid to save the British indoor championships.

 

After reading about the plight of the long established championship, the Edinburgh club wants to explore the possibility of hosting the 2013 championships at the Jack Kane Centre.

 

“Yes we would be interested” said a club spokesman.  “This would be subject to British Cycling and Cycle Speedway Commission approval and availability of the sports hall.  However we would only be able to do this in January at the earliest, at least giving time so that the returning party from the World championships are fully recovered back home.”

 

The Jack Kane Centre was used for extensive training by the Edinburgh club in 2011 and has been used by the Scottish Schools Cycle Speedway for the past four years.


INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DOUBT – posted 13 October 2013
















It is unlikely that cycle speedway's national indoor championships will go ahead this year as no one has come forward to host the events.

 

Both team and individual championships, scheduled to take place over consecutive weekends in late November and early December, have been dropped from British Cycling’s official e-calendar, giving credence to the wide-spread rumours.

 

In recent years the indoor has been promoted, sometimes reluctantly, by the Northern region in sports halls in the Manchester area.  The North have made no secret that they would like another region to take up the cudgel and host the event which takes considerable planning and is labour intensive.

 

“The Northern League took the unanimous decision at our annual meeting twelve months ago not to host the 2013 indoor championships.  We have staged the indoor fourteen times and felt it was time for one of the other regions to have a go” regional chairman Tony Mann told Spokesman.  

 

Rumours that the indoor championships could be held in the Midlands have not materialised and no other region or club has expressed an interest in staging the event.

 

Ironically, it appears that neither venue availability nor finance is the stumbling block.  It is understood British Cycling would be prepared to underwrite the championships provided a suitable, cost effective venue could be found.  Surprisingly it’s the lack of volunteer helpers that threatens the popular event.

 

 


 
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