LEE KILBY IS JOINING the Eastbourne Lee was also excited to start work Robins’ fans: “Swindon is my club and HG AEROSPACE EAGLES SPEEDWAY MAGAZINE HG Aerospace Eagles management with Eastbourne’s all-British team who, that is where my heart is. I want them team on a season-long loan from he said, connected well with to come back in 2022, of course I do, Swindon. supporters. but for this year I am going to be 100 He will take responsibility for “You sense that from the moment per cent Eastbourne. commercial and community activities you step into Arlington and from a “I am looking to bring some new as well as having oversight of match commercial and promoting initiatives to the club and doing day arrangements. perspective that’s all you can ask for. everything I can to help the progress Eastbourne Speedway director Ian “It builds so many bridges. Once you and have a good year.” Jordan said Lee would be a great can hook a kid and it’s someone they Ian Jordan commented: “I think it's addition to the team during the year can look up to, the kid is hooked. You always important to clarify as clearly as Swindon cannot run while their retain that youngster and he or she possible any questions before they are No. 4 stadium is rebuilt. brings mum and dad with them,” Lee asked in any communication and, Lee is the son of Bob Kilby who was a said. therefore, it's very important for us to legend for the Swindon Robins and “Eastbourne already have a base and tell everyone not only how delighted scored more than 4,000 points for the there are great opportunities to bring we are by this appointment, but to Wiltshire club. people into the club. It’s the best night stress that we sincerely hope that the Lee told Flying High that speedway is out and we’ve had great success at Swindon Robins are back on track in in his blood and was hugely looking Swindon in bringing in new 2022 with Lee and Alun back there at forward to getting started with businesses. I am excited about a club the helm. Eastbourne. which has as much history as “This move is massively to the When it became known Swindon Eastbourne has and it is only going to benefit of the Eastbourne HG would not run in 2021, Lee said in an progress and become a bigger club,” Aerospace Eagles and is seen purely in article in the Speedway Star that he Lee said. the context of the 2021 season. I LEWI KERR hoped to find a way of staying involved Lee has an outgoing personality with would liken the scenario to that of a in the sport this year. a way of working which is all about soccer context with Eastbourne as an His comments attracted interest from meeting and greeting people and ambitious Championship Speedway a number of clubs but aer speaking to finding out what the fans are thinking. Club acquiring the services of Lee "on Ian Jordan he realised Eastbourne was He said: “The key to the commercial loan for a season" as being the where he wanted to come. success is listening to people.” equivalent of an EFL soccer Club “I thought this is fantastic, it will work He promised to give his all to the acquiring the services of Pep for everybody. The main focus initially Eagles in 2021 but wanted to assure Guardiola on loan for a season. is to help Ian out with the commercial work and get out and about and spread the word on the Eagles. There are loads of opportunities at Eastbourne. There are so many Looking forward initiatives in place. It’s like having loads of coaches ready to go but they just to a ‘miracle’ need a driver to take it to the destination and make it a good thing. I am super excited about the season opportunity. THE BIKE! “I know more about Speedway than anything else on the planet and if I cannot sell Speedway, I can’t sell anything. I can’t wait to get going. I am proud to be working for a club with such great history and one that is forward thinking.” Lee became commercial manager of Swindon at the end of 2016, a position he still holds. He added to his involvement with the Robins by becoming co-promoter at the start of Secrets from 2019 when Colin Pratt le the role for Peterborough. EXCLUSIVEthe pit lane He joined Birmingham as full-time commercial manager in 2018 and continued in the role during 2019 on a part-time consultancy basis. During this time he has also helped individual riders including Bradley Wilson-Dean, who was such a stand-out star in the Eagles first year in the National League in 2015, and Zach Wajtknecht. BEN MORLEY KO CUP FINAL 1985 Welcome FRANK to BETTIS Eagles new appointment “Lee brings Premier league Speedway “In business, which is my background, Director, and our excellent Press and winning skills and expertise on and off the you very quickly learn that you cannot Media Team, to take our off-track track and we can all learn so much from ever have enough top quality people. business on to a whole new level. him; and it can only be to the benefit of “I passionately believe in our team on “During this period we hope to build everyone at Arlington. the track, and whilst we have some and grow our commercial function and “The role that Lee had at Blunsdon outstanding talent off the track, this was for Lee to work with Ken Burnett on the dovetails perfectly for us as in Trevor Geer simply too good an opportunity to miss. outstanding work started by David we have an outstanding servant of the “In a number of long conversations with Rollison in 2019 on the community side, Eagles as team manager and co-promoter Lee, the synergy between our hopes and where we have some exciting plans in the in very much the role Alun Rossiter has at aspirations at Eastbourne to be the very post Covid future. Swindon, and Lee's skills very much cover best we can be, and Lee's proven track “When I took over the running of the the business side of the operation and record and keenness to work in the Speedway side of the operation in 2019 allow us to bring in a consummate highly environment of gradual progression and and was subsequently joined by Les skilled professional, to help us, guide us pushing the boundaries that we see as Fineing as Director, we set upon a and offer a valuable mentor service to part of our evolution, just fit so perfectly. five-year plan to firstly stabilise the Club, everyone at Eastbourne; who may be “Lee will have a completely free role, secondly to grow and improve it on and keen to learn from Lee's skills and working in tandem with the outstanding off the track and thirdly to turn it in to a experience. Ian Smalley, our Creative Media and PR successful business; capable of winning silverware on the track and being profitable and successful and seen as visionary off the track, in that regard Lee will be a very important part of the jigsaw. “We can never forget that everything we do is in recognition of the great traditions of the Club; it drives my thinking and passion for the Club, built by Charlie and Bob Dugard over many how completely focused we are; in our decades and still fantastically supported custodian role of that proud tradition; to by The Dugard family. secure and build it for future generations. “The fact that we now have on board a “I know I can't wait to start working with growing number of top quality people Lee and learning from him; and I couldn't only serves to show how great their be more excited about the season ahead, immense contribution was in the past and both on and off the track.” LEE KILBY IS JOINING the Eastbourne Lee was also excited to start work Robins’ fans: “Swindon is my club and HG Aerospace Eagles management with Eastbourne’s all-British team who, that is where my heart is. I want them team on a season-long loan from he said, connected well with to come back in 2022, of course I do, Swindon. supporters. but for this year I am going to be 100 He will take responsibility for “You sense that from the moment per cent Eastbourne. commercial and community activities you step into Arlington and from a “I am looking to bring some new as well as having oversight of match commercial and promoting initiatives to the club and doing day arrangements. perspective that’s all you can ask for. everything I can to help the progress HG AEROSPACE EAGLES SPEEDWAY MAGAZINE Eastbourne Speedway director Ian “It builds so many bridges. Once you and have a good year.” ISSUE 4 | FEBRUARY 2021 Jordan said Lee would be a great can hook a kid and it’s someone they Ian Jordan commented: “I think it's addition to the team during the year can look up to, the kid is hooked. You always important to clarify as clearly as Swindon cannot run while their retain that youngster and he or she possible any questions before they are stadium is rebuilt. brings mum and dad with them,” Lee asked in any communication and, Lee is the son of Bob Kilby who was a said.