Wednesday April 24, 2024
WE were devastated to learn over last weekend that long-term former Coventry sponsor John Clarke has passed away at the age of 69.

John was the public face of the Bees’ main team sponsorship deal with Buildbase which ran for 13 unbroken years between 2004 and 2016.

He held various senior roles at the company during his association with the club, but never missed a home meeting at Brandon and always used the opportunity to entertain guests and introduce new people to the sport.

Many riders will also speak warmly of John’s support and kindness towards them, and he played a massive part in the successful atmosphere at the club especially in the golden era of the mid-to-late 2000s when the Bees won three Elite League titles.

After retiring from Buildbase, John then facilitated the deal which saw Peterborough secure title sponsorship with Crendon Timber Engineering from 2019-2023.

He reprised his previous Coventry role at the East of England Arena as the Panthers enjoyed their own title glory in 2021 with their famous ‘Dad’s Army’ line-up including the likes of Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls and Hans Andersen.

Since the forced closure of Brandon in 2016, John has also been a driving force on the Campaign Group, offering valuable contributions with his years of business expertise to call upon.

Everything he did was delivered with sincerity, generosity and good humour and our meetings will certainly not be the same without him.

John became unwell around Easter time and was taken into hospital, and very sadly his condition deteriorated to the point when he passed away on Sunday morning.

We want to send all of our condolences and best wishes to his wife Jan and the rest of the family, and assure them that very few individuals who never actually raced a bike made the level of contribution that John did to Coventry Speedway.

John’s funeral will take place at Canley Crematorium on Wednesday May 15, at 11.15am.

Rest in peace, Big John.