Leicester Lion Cubs
| Leicester Lion Cubs | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Track address | Paul Chapman & Sons Arena Beaumont Park Sports Complex, 1 The Lions, Leicester, LE4 1DZ | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country | England | ||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team manager | Dave Darcy & David Howard | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team captain | Joe Lawlor | ||||||||||||||||||
| League | National League (speedway) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||||||||||||
| Colours | Red and Yellow | ||||||||||||||||||
| Track size | 300 metres (330 yd) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Track record time | 59.94s | ||||||||||||||||||
| Track record date | 23 March 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Track record holder | Josh Bates | ||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Major team honours | |||||||||||||||||||
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Leicester Lion Cubs are a speedway team that was formed in November 2018 to partake and race in the National League at the Beaumont Park Sports Complex in Leicester.[1] This team is the second and junior Leicester speedway team racing at this venue. They replaced the Coventry Bees who rode at Leicester in 2018 after their Brandon stadium was closed and continued racing to keep the Coventry Bees name alive and kicking.
2019 season[]
The Leicester Lion Cubs first two signings for the 2019 Speedway National League season were the Thompson twins Dan and Joe as their reserves.[2] Ellis Perks was confirmed as the third signing for the Lion Cubs, he would start the season at number 1 and also double up with the first team Leicester Lions.[3] On 18 December 2018, the Lion Cubs announced their next two signings which were Danyon Hume and Kelsey Dugard.[4] The final two signings for the Lion Cubs were confirmed as Luke Ruddick and Jamie Halder.[5]
On 3 January 2019, Leicester confirmed that the new National League team would be managed by club co-promoter Dave Darcy and he would be assisted by David Howard.[6] Danyon Hume was named as team captain, on 31 January.[7]
On 11 April 2019 it was announced that following injuries suffered in a crash during the Leicester Press and Practice day on 15 March, that Kelsey Dugard would not be riding in 2019 and that the Lion Cubs had signed Ryan MacDonald to complete their line-up for the start of the National League season.
On 28 October 2019 in their first ever league season the Leicester Lion Cubs won the 2019 National Development League title after home and away victories in the play-off final against Kent Kings, and the next evening (29 October 2019) they completed an opening season League and Cup double by winning the National Development League Team KO Cup with an aggregate victory in the final over the Belle Vue Colts.
2021 season[]
After a Challenge Match victory away at Scunthorpe 61-53 in their only meeting in the COVID-19 hit 2020 season, the Lion Cubs built a new look team for the 2021 season in the much changed National Development League, with the team building points limit reduced to 35 with a new League focus on youth development. Only Dan and Joe Thompson returned from the double-winning side of 2019, with Joe Lawlor and Tom Spencer being joined by Jamie Halder and first year riders Ben Trigger and Kai Ward making up the Lion Cubs initial 2021 declaration.
However, after his unlucky injury in his first race of 2019, Jamie Halder suffered a broken ankle in an unlucky and unfortunate domestic fall prior to the first Lion Cubs meeting. This meant after being granted a short term R/R facility for Jamie to start the season, a change was needed to be made and a third first year rider, Mickie Simpson joined the Lion Cubs to complete the Lion Cubs seven.
References[]
- ^ "Lion Clubs are Launched". Speedway GB. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Twin Threat for Lion Clubs". Speedway GB. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Perks on Double Duty". Speedway GB. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Two in for Lion Clubs". Speedway GB. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Lion Clubs are Complete". Speedway GB. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Lion Clubs Announce Bosses". Speedway GB. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Hume Captains Lion Clubs". Speedway GB. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- National League speedway teams
- Sport in Leicester