Family-run Somerset Rebels speedway team to retire

A family-run speedway club and team is due to close after being hit by financial hardship during the pandemic.

The Somerset Rebels were founded by the Hancock family in 2000 and reached the top division in the sport, in 2018.

After racing events were cancelled in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, the family had to sell the team's home, The Oak Tree Arena.

Speedway promoter Debbie Hancock shared the news the family were to retire from the sport with "heavy hearts".

Speedway is a motorsport on bikes with no brakes, which race at high speed around a circuit.

For 20 years The Somerset Rebels speedway team has had a successful career in the sport, winning premier league titles.

Ms Hancock said: "It is with a heavy heart that I have to advise supporters and sponsors that the Hancock family have decided to retire from British Speedway and Somerset will be no longer."

The team's owners faced further financial problems after the sale of their club in Highbridge, Somerset, when they realised it would cost them more money to reopen.

"Its core-business was the hosting of large functions and it became apparent to us that, on numbers of 30 people or less, it would cost us money to re-open on the basis of seating restrictions and social distance compliance, once the Government legislation permitted it," she added.

"We all recognised that the huge downside was that potentially we would no longer be able to run speedway, but we had to run with our heads and not our hearts."

Chairman of the British Speedway Promoters Association, Robert Godfrey, said: "I'm nearly shedding tears over it.

"Although we have tried to make an approach to stop it and get them to rent the stadium it's just not been possible with what's going on now.

"I know the level of damage the pandemic has done to them, so it's not totally unexpected.

"Knowing the family, they love speedway, you break them in half and it would say speedway, they are passionate people and I know they will be in absolute bits with tears still flowing today."