Worky

[van wolfswinkel 635]

Followed the Comets in 2004/5 in the days of Stoney Steady Wrighty Kauko Rusty Woodifield Collins Tacey etc., when I lived in Cumbria. Now living in Swindon so lost touch with events at Derwent Park. Loved the atmosphere on a Saturday night in the main stand, and the Premier League Fours nights with crowds of 2500. Remember the 3 streakers!!!.Read recently crowds have plummeted from 1200 10 years ago to about 800, and they're struggling... why?

[scaramanga 904]

sadly the crowds are less than 800

who knows the real reasons maybe its just run out of steam

but things were not helped when keith denham took over and started to ban people for very little

the atmosphere was lost then it started to come back a little but sadly this year there hasnt been much to shout about

the whole british speedway has lost something maybe its financial or maybe they need to have a serious look at the team building structure to get evrything competative enough to entertain the fans to a level where people struggle to stay away

[van wolfswinkel 635]

sadly the crowds are less than 800

who knows the real reasons maybe its just run out of steam

but things were not helped when keith denham took over and started to ban people for very little

the atmosphere was lost then it started to come back a little but sadly this year there hasnt been much to shout about

the whole british speedway has lost something maybe its financial or maybe they need to have a serious look at the team building structure to get evrything competative enough to entertain the fans to a level where people struggle to stay away

Bloody ell "Marra" cant see them surviving on those crowds. Were always one of the best supported teams in the PL. Swindon's crowds have dropped in the last 10 years from 1700-1800 to about 1200, but the arrival of Darcy Ward should encourage a few back. The loss of Leigh Adams here, and Stoney the legend, and Steady up there could have led to a decrease. Kildemand started up at DP then ended up at Swindon, and Steady, the two Wrighty's(pity James has gone backwards but young Charlie is doing well for the Robins)and Howarth have ridden for both clubs. Remember when Steady beat Adams to win the Stoney testimonial. The Comets always threaten to be title contenders but never quite manage it. Hull pipped them in 2004, and the battles between Zagar of Reading and Steady. That got me back into speedway after a 30-year break at Swindon from the 70s!

Remember the characters up at Worky, Mystic Mel(now deceased), and the guy who stood at the front of the seats who was murdered in the massacre. Gromet the Comet! Why have fans been banned?

Good luck for the future, still have rellies in Aspatria so may visit DP again one day...good memories.

Edited August 14, 2015 by haydon hat

[comet49 314]

I believe also that a lot of fans did not return after the floods of 2009, there was no replacement road bridge for the start of the 2010 season, I think people just got out of the habit and perhaps found something else to do. There has been some good meetings recently too.

[topaz325 1,859]

The reality is that most clubs are experiencing reduced numbers at Speedway for different reasons (cost/rules/stadia/promotion of the sport or many other forms of entertainment available) im not sure but to blame Keith Denham is laughable when the man put is heart soul and money in to keeping Workington Speedway alive.

[jamlad 48]

If and hopefully if Worky run next year one person that should stand down is Tony Jackson, might be a nice guy but useless as a Team manager . Workington have won nothing since he took the helm , top teams on paper , far too soft , wrong decisions. Football teams losing get shot of the manager and its time for a change here too !!!!! Giving Bellego 5 rides at Newcastle after scoring a point, laughable ........Nice marra but doesn't cut the chase

[To The Point 356]

If and hopefully if Worky run next year one person that should stand down is Tony Jackson, might be a nice guy but useless as a Team manager . Workington have won nothing since he took the helm , top teams on paper , far too soft , wrong decisions. Football teams losing get shot of the manager and its time for a change here too !!!!! Giving Bellego 5 rides at Newcastle after scoring a point, laughable ........Nice marra but doesn't cut the chase

I wish we had 800 at Berwick every week, you are luckier than you think

[topgun 10]

I agree with Jam lad there need to be changes if we run next year . Need some new riders that will be able to get points away from home then we might win something

[Fromafar 10,370]

I agree with Jam lad there need to be changes if we run next year . Need some new riders that will be able to get points away from home then we might win something

Workington have had some good teams on paper in recent seasons but on track it hasn't happened.Like Berwick most riders can ride Workington, as with teams with big tracks they find small tracks more difficult and is not the case vice versa.

[Lord Lucan 375]

Workington have had some good teams on paper in recent seasons but on track it hasn't happened.Like Berwick most riders can ride Workington, as with teams with big tracks they find small tracks more difficult and is not the case vice versa.

 

That's something we could always be proud of, our management can, and have, put some good sides together on paper, unfortunately, over the last few seasons, that's exactly where the form has stayed?

 

Never seem quite able to get that winning mix of big track/small track riders who can pull it out of the fire when we need it most, this year, through one thing and another, the wheels have been as straight as a die at home, but all over the place everywhere else?

 

Agree also with jamlad/baz, need wholesale changes if we manage to keep going next time inc Jacko, decent bloke by all accounts but I'm afraid it's too much carrot not enough stick with him, a bit of ruthlessness and he'd be alright?

 

I wish we had 800 at Berwick every week, you are luckier than you think

 

I wish we had 800 at DP every week, where did that figure come from TTP, think it's more like 5/600 thesedays unless, the other 2/300 were in the bar?

[Alan Cooper 61]

That's something we could always be proud of, our management can, and have, put some good sides together on paper, unfortunately, over the last few seasons, that's exactly where the form has stayed?

 

Never seem quite able to get that winning mix of big track/small track riders who can pull it out of the fire when we need it most, this year, through one thing and another, the wheels have been as straight as a die at home, but all over the place everywhere else?

 

Agree also with jamlad/baz, need wholesale changes if we manage to keep going next time inc Jacko, decent bloke by all accounts but I'm afraid it's too much carrot not enough stick with him, a bit of ruthlessness and he'd be alright?

 

 

 

I wish we had 800 at DP every week, where did that figure come from TTP, think it's more like 5/600 thesedays unless, the other 2/300 were in the bar?

Not at £3 a pint they won't be

That's something we could always be proud of, our management can, and have, put some good sides together on paper, unfortunately, over the last few seasons, that's exactly where the form has stayed?

 

Never seem quite able to get that winning mix of big track/small track riders who can pull it out of the fire when we need it most, this year, through one thing and another, the wheels have been as straight as a die at home, but all over the place everywhere else?

 

Agree also with jamlad/baz, need wholesale changes if we manage to keep going next time inc Jacko, decent bloke by all accounts but I'm afraid it's too much carrot not enough stick with him, a bit of ruthlessness and he'd be alright?

 

 

 

I wish we had 800 at DP every week, where did that figure come from TTP, think it's more like 5/600 thesedays unless, the other 2/300 were in the bar?

[TheCookster 57]

Get Dave Tattum to take over the promotion ... he'll have the crowd figures down to a couple of hundred in no time :-)

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

I fear the 600 crowd figures are about right although for my last visit - against Peterborough - it was a lot higher, with the welcome sight of cars parked on the green outside.

 

Why that is the case I am not so sure. True, the teams haven't lived up to expectation in the last few seasons but they have still been pretty decent, the racing is good and the presentation equally so. Entry, programme and car parking is the cheapest in the PL (taking into account that you can park safely outside) - £15 (compare that to Edinburgh's £21.50). The promotion have definitely tried hard to make speedway a paying success.

 

Fingers crossed that things can be turned round.

Edited August 15, 2015 by Halifaxtiger

[mac101 1,201]

The thing is do the promotors really promote it right these days looking at Glasgow now changed days since last year every social media sight has info regards results next matches riders they are even on trip adviser it needs to be put out there for people to see and there attendances have about tripled and there 3 hospitality cabins are pretty much full every week it needs to be marketed right

[MD 1,307]

Workington have had some good teams on paper in recent seasons but on track it hasn't happened.Like Berwick most riders can ride Workington, as with teams with big tracks they find small tracks more difficult and is not the case vice versa.

 

How much of that is down to having the track super slick every week, making it easy for everyone to ride. Then when you head on your travels anything more than a couple of grains of shale sends the Worky riders into meltdown as its not what they are used to.