Colin Pratt set to lead Bees again for challenge clash against Wolves - The Rugby Observer

Colin Pratt set to lead Bees again for challenge clash against Wolves

Rugby Editorial 6th Apr, 2017   0

SPEEDWAY: LONG time Coventry Bees official Colin Pratt has agreed to lead the team as they take on Wolverhampton Wolves in a challenge fixture next Monday.

The former promoter spent 15 full seasons as senior promoter at Brandon in a spell from 1998 to 2012 where he worked under four different club ownerships.

Pratt’s first major move at the club – after being brought in by the Ochiltree family – came in his first year when re-uniting American duo Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock.

Later that year, Swede Andreas Jonsson was snapped up by the Brandon club as they challenged for Elite League title glory.




Colin remained with the team when Avtar Sandhu took over the club in 2003 and when Allen Trump took charge five years later.

The Sandhu years saw Pratt win three Elite League titles as promoter and joint team manager with Peter Oakes and then Alun Rossiter.


He also substantially improved the club’s asset base with the signings of riders such as Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls and Rory Schlein, plus a number of promising youngsters.

Colin again stayed with the club after it was bought by Mick Horton at the end of the 2011 season, but left in August 2012 – shortly after the staging of a round of the World Under-21 Final.

He did, however, remain very much involved in stadium matters on behalf of Mr Sandhu.

Colin took a role as co-promoter at Swindon two years ago and is also a member of the sport’s management committee.

Bees are likely to track a similar starting line up compared to the club’s original 1-7, with the exception of Kenneth Bjerre who signed for Belle Vue Aces.

Though skipper Danny King and talented youngster Josh Bates signed contracts with Leicester Lions, the duo will continue to race in Bees colours for the several challenge fixtures arranged.

Lewis Kerr has also secured a job elsewhere – riding at Poole – and James Sarjeant will fill in for the currently injured Kyle Newman at Ipswich.

Sarjeant was left looking for jobs outside of speedway following Bees’ closure, however his new temporary spot at Ipswich will ensure his talent does not go to waste.

He said: “It’s not a permanent deal, I got a call today asking if I would fill in for Kyle (Newman) for however long he is out but I’m happy to be back at Ipswich and I’m looking forward to Thursday.

“It’s been annoying over the winter really, it has been on and off with Coventry.

“We got told everything was going to go ahead so we got all my bikes built up and ready to go and two weeks before the season starts I was told I was without a team.

“It was disheartening but I have been trying to do as many individual meetings as I can but I’m happy to be league racing again.”

The Bees will face Wolverhampton Wolves at Monmore Green Stadium in Wolverhampton on Monday, April 10, at 7.30pm.

Visit www.wolverhamptonwolves.co for more information and admission prices.

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