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New Coventry Bees manager targets positive team spirit

Buy photos » Gary Havelock brings a wealth of experience to Coventry. (s)

FORMER World Champion Gary Havelock believes a positive team spirit can help guide the Bees to glory after being announced as the club's new team manager.

Owner Mick Horton revealed to the Observer back in January that a new team manager had been confirmed for the forthcoming 2013 season.

But due to contractual reasons, the club were unable to confirm the name of the new boss until now.

The 44-year-old will be assisted by last year’s boss Blayne Scroggins, who will provide administrative support as well as being in charge of Coventry Storm in the National League.

“It all came out of the blue really,” revealed Havelock, who won the World Championships back in 1992.

“Mick (Horton) enquired about how I was and when I told him I wasn’t riding he asked if I fancied being a team manager.

“I worked with Mick before when I rode for him at Peterborough and he was promoter, and we always got on fine, so after thinking about it for a bit I decided to go for it."

Havelock joins the Bees having recently announced his retirement from racing due to injuries suffered in a crash last March.

He enjoyed a hugely successful career in the sport, dating back to his early days at Middlesbrough in 1985, and he captained Bradford to the Elite League title in 1997.

This will be his first job in team management, but he is already familiar with several of the Bees riders, having raced in the same Redcar team as Aaron Summers and Adam Roynon in 2011, and also having worked with skipper Scott Nicholls in the Grand Prix.

“Mick has picked the riders, and my job is to work with those riders and get the most out of them on race-nights. I’ve got a heads-up on three of them already, and I know Krzysztof Kasprzak as well. I don’t know the other three guys at all, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

“We need to get a good team spirit going, and I think that’s one of the main things. The guys need to be talking to get their set-ups right, and we also need to sit down with the boys and decide how they want the track.

“I’ve always felt that to be successful you’ve got to make your home track a fortress, and try to make it a place that other teams dread coming to.”

Horton said he was delighted to bring Havelock into the club and says he has much to offer in his new position.

He added: “He’s been there, he’s done it, he’s full of experience and riders and promoters alike have full respect for him.

“Someone with that sort of experience and personality must never be lost to the sport.

“Gary is a bubbly character and he will bring a great team spirit and also a riders’ mentality.

“We now get the benefit of his experience on a rider-to-rider level and it’s great news for the club.”

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