British cycle speedway final allocated to Coventry

British cycle speedway final allocated to Coventry

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Coventry Cycle Speedway Club have been allocated the 2013 British Final. The British Final is the biggest event of the cycle speedway year and will be staged at Hearsall Common on Monday 26 August.

At a meeting this week in Birmingham, Coventry won the right to be host city of the 2013 finals, against strong opposition. The British Cycling Cycle Speedway Commission, the sports' governing body, agreed to hand the final to Coventry for only the second time in the competitions 61 year old history.

The commission, as expected, rubber stamped the overwhelming endorsement and democratic process reached by regional clubs at the recent Midlands League AGM. The clubs had voted by a large 6-2 majority to award the British Final to Coventry, in the face of stiff opposition from Wednesfield Aces.

Coventry officials, who have superbly revived the pedal sport at Hearsall Common in a remarkable fashion in the past 18 months, were overjoyed that the sports’ premier event will race into the city over the August Bank Holiday weekend of 2013.

Chairman Dave Foster spoke for all the club when he said: “At last, the ghost of April 2007 has been extinguished from our minds. This decision means that our fantastic recovery is now 100% complete.”

Foster's comments referred to the club’s expulsion from the Premier League in April 2007, which led to the end of cycle speedway in Coventry for most of the proceeding four years, before a wonderful revival took place in June 2011.

Plans for the British Final are already well advanced, with a 300 seat grandstand set to be added the entire length of the home straight. A large LED video screen on the back straight will complement the action by way of action replays, pits interviews and leader board graphics.

A stunning opening ceremony of noise, colour, music and images is being planned to project the 2013 British Cycle Speedway on a par with any professional sports final. The final will be screened on Sky Sports and will also be shown in 32 countries worldwide.

The British Final is also expected to give the Coventry economy a boost. As well as staging the British Final, the city will play host to an intense three days of competition. Already 60 rooms at the Village Hotel, Earlsdon, which will act as the accommodation hub for the British Finals weekend, have been booked to house the competitors from all over the UK.

In addition to the British Final, Coventry will also host the British Woman’s Final, whilst nearby Bretford will stage the British under 10s final on Saturday 24 August. Leicester will present the British Under 16s final on Sunday 25 August.