Coventry to be 'Victor Chandler Bees' in 2003.

Coventry Bees have landed one of the biggest names in global bookmaking as their new team sponsor for the 2003 season.

Victor Chandler, known as the 'Gentleman Bookmaker', has agreed to sponsor the Bees for the next 12 months.

Chandler is a family friend of Avtar Sandhu, the Birmingham businessman who bought a majority shareholding in the Bees before Christmas.

Chandler takes over as main team sponsor from the Coventry-based Nick Whale Toyota garage, who have enjoyed two highly successful seasons backing the Bees. The team will now be known as the Victor Chandler Bees.

"Victor Chandler has agreed to sponsor us for one year to start with," said Sandhu, "and I am happy with that because I wasn't looking for a long-term sponsor. But that's not to say he won't be involved beyond one year.

"He is a close friend of my family and a very charming man. He wanted to get involved and hopefully he will be coming to some meetings this year."

Chandler took over the family business over 25 years ago and expanded it into one of the biggest bookmaking operations in the world, establishing the company as a worldwide telephone and pioneering on-line operation.

He also changed the face of betting in this country, when he took the decision to move the company's entire operation from London to Gibraltar, a move that meant he could introduce tax-free betting to all of his customers. He employs 400 people worldwide and has offices in the Far East and America.

Neal Wilkins, Victor Chandler's PR manager in the UK, said: "We are delighted to be involved with the Coventry Bees, and we hope this will prove to be a long and successful partnership."