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Derwent Park..update on Town RL forum

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2 hours ago, gregory peck said:

So if and when the new stadium gets the go ahead(last I heard the powers that be were spinning a coin, heads or tails) what becomes of derwent Park?

i think in the short term nothing, longer term i don't know.

If financial problems hadn't precluded Comets running in 2019 then in the absence of any other current option it would have been their home certainly for the next 2 years and probably longer. Bearing this in mind then, the extent of damage that has subsequently been done to the track is way different to what would have  happened if Comets had  been running in 2019.

The question is then, what has/ or is going on for Town to change the scope of work to the extent where they have probably precluded speedway ever being run there again ???. 

Town are the ones with least to lose here because even if the Community Stadium doesn't happen then they have got a brand new pitch costing circa £100K and got rid of Speedway . On the face of it that is very poor form indeed and unless there is another plan (i'm dreaming on THJ) then its nothing short of dispicable by all parties concerned.

Edited by SteelShoe
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Just shows the folly of all of this?

Allerdale spending hundreds of thousands in taxpayers cash to reseed DP in order to bring it up to standard for both football and rugby, exactly the same job will be done on the new stadium, if and when it gets the go ahead, millions to be spent on the project in general which begs the question...

if Allerdale had just spent a "few" million bringing "both" existing grounds up to an acceptable standard then the speedway track could easily have been retained and kept for future re use when required, instead, they chose to build one new stadium for two crap outfits and condemn the most successful sport we had into the realms of obscurity?

I was told that, during the recent local election canvassing, that both grounds had a finite lifespan (within 5yrs) in their present condition which would have seen the H&S executive declare both to be unfit for public use therefore the new stadium was essential for the survival of both Reds and Town, I asked about the Comets and why they were not included in this and he replied, with a cheap smile on his face that, DP was there for them to use but she (Laura) had no money to invest so....goodnight Vienna?

Cant see anyone crazy enough now to try and bring speedway back in the context of having to find a completely new home/track/team/support services/access etc for possibly a couple of seasons depending on the level of support as it's just not now looking a viable proposition, with DP still on the cards then yes, a chance but, in my opinion, not even a slim one especially on viewing those pix of the current state of affairs?

Happy memories from the Comets, we just wont be making any more of those!! :(

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58 minutes ago, jenga said:

so where in Derwent park will they be situated , car park , back of tescoes  , because they cant put them in the town (rugby ) building  or are they building new ones @ DP or portacabins on the new k100,000 pitch .?

 

the new offices are to be @ the new stadium?  

Part of the deal for the new stadium was sellafield bought the land derwent park stands on dear old ian and tom mitchell are curently spinning at 78 rpm.

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1 hour ago, geoff100 said:

Part of the deal for the new stadium was sellafield bought the land derwent park stands on dear old ian and tom mitchell are curently spinning at 78 rpm.

good olde fashioned back handers . who would have though such a notion would have even entered the supreme councils mind !

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3 hours ago, Lord Lucan said:

Just shows the folly of all of this?

Allerdale spending hundreds of thousands in taxpayers cash to reseed DP in order to bring it up to standard for both football and rugby, exactly the same job will be done on the new stadium, if and when it gets the go ahead, millions to be spent on the project in general which begs the question...

if Allerdale had just spent a "few" million bringing "both" existing grounds up to an acceptable standard then the speedway track could easily have been retained and kept for future re use when required, instead, they chose to build one new stadium for two crap outfits and condemn the most successful sport we had into the realms of obscurity?

I was told that, during the recent local election canvassing, that both grounds had a finite lifespan (within 5yrs) in their present condition which would have seen the H&S executive declare both to be unfit for public use therefore the new stadium was essential for the survival of both Reds and Town, I asked about the Comets and why they were not included in this and he replied, with a cheap smile on his face that, DP was there for them to use but she (Laura) had no money to invest so....goodnight Vienna?

Cant see anyone crazy enough now to try and bring speedway back in the context of having to find a completely new home/track/team/support services/access etc for possibly a couple of seasons depending on the level of support as it's just not now looking a viable proposition, with DP still on the cards then yes, a chance but, in my opinion, not even a slim one especially on viewing those pix of the current state of affairs?

Happy memories from the Comets, we just wont be making any more of those!! :(

What you say about the lifespan of both is probably on the money. The age of these stadia 1937 Reds; 1950 Town without adequate maintenance means replacement is long overdue so replacement is probably the right option at this time but they need to make provision for speedway somewhere regardless of whether or not the previous promotion have the necessary finance. Its only right in my eyes that they make it attractive for any potentially interested parties who have the vision and determination to bring the Comets back.  

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2 hours ago, SteelShoe said:

What you say about the lifespan of both is probably on the money. The age of these stadia 1937 Reds; 1950 Town without adequate maintenance means replacement is long overdue so replacement is probably the right option at this time but they need to make provision for speedway somewhere regardless of whether or not the previous promotion have the necessary finance. Its only right in my eyes that they make it attractive for any potentially interested parties who have the vision and determination to bring the Comets back.  

Timespan is correct SS, within 5yrs, straight from an as then Labour councillor? 

Agreed provision should have been made for the Comets, there could quite easily have been other interested parties waiting in the wings but hey, we'll probably never know or, if there were already, were they advised to "step aside" and allow this new stadium to go ahead with the proviso of help towards something else for the Comets then just quietly forgotten about, who knows?

I admire your optimism but I don't think the Comets will be back, gone out with a bang tho so at least that's something we've got to be proud of!! :t:

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No matter how much football clubs are struggling not many actually fold. Speedway just doesn’t have the wider interest, we’ve had speedway recently because both Keith and Laura were fans. It was rumoured after KD that Moss Bay Metals were taking over, they soon denied it. A consortium of fans or a fan winning the lottery, as THJ said is needed. Invest in speedway, lose money...unless something drastic happens to change it. 

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I doubt anyone 'invests ' in speedway comet49. The days when promoters may have been confident of making some money seem to have gone at present, hopefully this will change because it would increase the number of potential people who would be willing to take a chance.  I think a lot of people who are in a position to put money into sports clubs do so because they are fans doesn't necessarily mean that they have to haemorrhage money though.  I just think it would be a great shame if league speedway was lost to Workington and I'm sure I'm not alone with those sentiments. Hopefully it only needs a catalyst to start the fire. Up the Comets !

When you look at both Town and Reds the officials and the club sponsors are almost exclusively local, what's the difference?. Can a squad of semi pro rugby league players plus coaching staff be cheaper to finance than 7 speedway riders ? , the rumours are the previous coach alone was on £40K a year.

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It will be interesting to see how town get on without the comets money  , rental for the stadium bar takings car park? What ever am sure it will be a miss perhaps why so keen to get the reds in !

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Bit of a setback for the new pitch operations, work was halted because it turned into an extension of siddick pond on Friday. !  Doesn't look that level through a trained eye like mine either. Some of the fence boards have gone missing now, more handy work by the track butchers !!

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2 minutes ago, geoff100 said:

It will be interesting to see how town get on without the comets money  , rental for the stadium bar takings car park? What ever am sure it will be a miss perhaps why so keen to get the reds in !

I was looking over the business case for the new stadium on the Allerdale website and it states that Town are free to charge the Reds to play on Derwent Park !

That same business case doesn't make one reference to the Comets!!  Shame on you Allerdale !! 

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If anyone wants to contact the new Allerdale executive to express their feelings and insist that all available help should be forthcoming (land, financial and infrastructure) should there be an initiative by any group or individual to run Speedway in Workington then here are the relevant e-mail addresses of the new executive members . You may also want to lobby your own councillors.

marion.fitzgerald@allerdale.gov.uk    (leader)

mark.jenkinson@allerdale.gov.uk  (dep leader) Portfolio for Economic Growth inc Tourism

mike.johnson@allerdale.gov.uk     Portfolio for Corporate Resources

paul.scott@allerdale.gov.uk      Portfolio for Transformation.

george.kemp@allerdale.gov.uk   Portfolio for Environmental Quality

stephen.stoddart@allerdale.gov.uk Portfolio for Housing, Health & Wellbeing

john.cook@allerdale.gov.uk         Portfolio for Governance and People Resources

Up the Comets !!

 

 

 

 

Edited by SteelShoe
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Guest Loose Diamond
On 6/2/2019 at 2:19 PM, Lord Lucan said:

Just shows the folly of all of this?

Allerdale spending hundreds of thousands in taxpayers cash to reseed DP in order to bring it up to standard for both football and rugby, exactly the same job will be done on the new stadium, if and when it gets the go ahead, millions to be spent on the project in general which begs the question...

if Allerdale had just spent a "few" million bringing "both" existing grounds up to an acceptable standard then the speedway track could easily have been retained and kept for future re use when required, instead, they chose to build one new stadium for two crap outfits and condemn the most successful sport we had into the realms of obscurity?

I was told that, during the recent local election canvassing, that both grounds had a finite lifespan (within 5yrs) in their present condition which would have seen the H&S executive declare both to be unfit for public use therefore the new stadium was essential for the survival of both Reds and Town, I asked about the Comets and why they were not included in this and he replied, with a cheap smile on his face that, DP was there for them to use but she (Laura) had no money to invest so....goodnight Vienna?

Cant see anyone crazy enough now to try and bring speedway back in the context of having to find a completely new home/track/team/support services/access etc for possibly a couple of seasons depending on the level of support as it's just not now looking a viable proposition, with DP still on the cards then yes, a chance but, in my opinion, not even a slim one especially on viewing those pix of the current state of affairs?

Happy memories from the Comets, we just wont be making any more of those!! :(

It's a massive disgrace.

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6 hours ago, SteelShoe said:

I was looking over the business case for the new stadium on the Allerdale website and it states that Town are free to charge the Reds to play on Derwent Park !

That same business case doesn't make one reference to the Comets!!  Shame on you Allerdale !! 

I wonder if the game plan from Workington Town RLFC is to carry on screwing all the sport in the town to maintain itself?

They've bled speedway for years and now look like they have carte blanche to do the same thing to the Reds, when exactly are they going to stand on their own two feet and generate their own income? 

Looking like they want to remove all the opposition by bankruptcy means so they are the only sport left to watch, job well and truly done then? :unsure:

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14 hours ago, Lord Lucan said:

I wonder if the game plan from Workington Town RLFC is to carry on screwing all the sport in the town to maintain itself?

They've bled speedway for years and now look like they have carte blanche to do the same thing to the Reds, when exactly are they going to stand on their own two feet and generate their own income? 

Looking like they want to remove all the opposition by bankruptcy means so they are the only sport left to watch, job well and truly done then? :unsure:

Absolute rubbish. In fact, Town are owed a substantial five figure sum by the Comets promotion which it seems highly unlikely they will ever see. Despite the Comets success last year they appear to have left a trail of unpaid bills behind.

As for the issues around the pitch/track etc - Allerdale approached Town and offered this deal, were they supposed to say no ? Town's directors have a duty to their own club not to anyone else, and certainly not to a separate commercial enterprise that doesn't even exist anymore. Plus the fact that lazy journalism and local gossip has got Allerdale paying the bill for the work at DP, I can tell you with absolute certainty that approximately 70% of the cost is being covered by a grant that the Reds secured from the FA's football foundation trust. The Reds needed to do this even if the new ground doesn't materialise, current estimated cost of essential repairs to Borough Park is in excess of £150,000 and even then it'd be in the balance whether it was granted a safety certificate.

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