singy13

I follow Town too....just been to DP to get my ticket for Friday versus the big enemy. Took the opportunity to have a look at the track etc. The track is NOT in a mess - granted there is one set of vehicle wheel-marks visible around it...probably made during wet weather...and a few *human footprints surround the pit gate area..otherwise it all looks as ever was. BTW didn't find anyone to ask re the proposed removal of shale. * animals arrive Friday..lol.

Nope....whatever we put on here can't bring the Comets back in an instant for sure........so does anyone fancy exchanging views on something a bit less complex....'Brexit' for example ???

Very very sad indeed. The more info that is slowly appearing on here, (and elsewhere), regarding the Comets demise, continues to make me amazed that the 2019 season ever got any consideration at all. For example - the pitch renovations making the speedway track unavailable, the businessman who 'turned turtle', now it's a huge debt seemingly (?) owed the HMRC . Regarding the latter, there is post on the Town RL forum - from a Gentleman- who claims the promoters owed "businesses and riders"..........as Lewis Carroll wrote 'it just gets curiouser and curiouser'!!!!

Which seems sensible. Once the RL and Soccer clubs are done and dusted with Derwent Park life...and they move to the new arena....let's hope a sound financial wizard will resurrect speedway, maybe even stox too? All the talk of Derwent Park being demolished seems crazy.

Hello Marra......just a further thought on the Comets demise.....and it's something that had worried me prior to all this stuff about the track being ripped up to welcome the Reds soccer crew. I assume you'll have an idea about 'After the Lord Mayor's show' syndrome??......I had reservations about the 2019 season being able to match the wonderful stuff served up in 2018...and I feel the more 'fickle' element in the crowd would probably become stay at home folk, and therefore plunge Laura and Co into more financial hardship...just a thought- now rather irrelevant of course...what do you think??

Was that a spelling error......i.e. the word prior to big wigs??

He is clearly in the majority regarding speedway non attendees......A laal town like Workington had a high percentage pro rata re population who used to follow the Comets, I base this on the comments re Belle Vue on Wednesday. Because I was just amazed to read on the Premiership area of this forum stuff regarding Belle Vue attendances....it seems only around 700/800 turned up on Wednesday night...an obvious clash with local top soccer match would have certainly affected that figure. But what really astounded me was a guy writing "we didn't manage our usual 1800".....blimey usual 1800????.. this is for speedways most famous team in a brand new(ish) stadium....and held in the UK's third largest city to boot. It just, if ever needed, confirms speedway is in rapid decline. I can recall going to the old Hyde rd. stadium and being sat amidst 10,000 fans, but never less than 2,000.... ....oh by the way great to see that young Dan is on the way back to top form. And another 'by the way'....I see on the Town RL forum talk regarding the upcoming Allerdale council elections...it is apparently feared that if Labour do not gain the overall majority of seats on the council the 'new stadium project' could be seriously hindered by the Cons' and Independents....

Don't think you'll be visiting the area for a while.....it's sad that a stadium handy for the Town centre, next door to a railway station, 10 mins from Macdonalds, Tesco almost touching the track, is now lost to the sport.....I don't think anyone of wealth could revive very much interest if they built an 'out of town' venue either...Barrow tried this with ghastly results...no walk up support was always doomed to failure...so no DP = no speedway, sadly.

I am a Town fan, and a Comets fan.....yes some Town officials didn't like speedway. I worked, voluntary, for Town for many years and I've lost count how many arguments I won (lol) on behalf of the speedway. The main bone of contention from the RL side of Derwent Park hierarchy was simply how untidy the stadium looked after several loads of shale had been scattered onto the terracing by the bikes. Also anger was paramount regarding riders zooming out of the pits (on 2 min warning) and crossing the turf...it was a rule that no bikes were allowed on the grass. Another regular comment was re speedway in general.... for instance the much disliked 'guest system'....e.g. how could Stoney be allowed to ride for title rivals Newcastle, and top score, then ride for his Comets team against Diamonds?...comments were made comparing speedway to WWE...oh dear. Well I assume we all didn't/don't love the guest system, although Sean Wilson was always welcome to wear the blue and white. But other Town officials did honestly agree the financial gain for rent and bar profits did help the RL hosts through some dark days.........now Workington speedway is in urgent need of high finance.....but ?????

Those 'big tyres' are still on site along with other rubbish.

This is harder to grasp than flippin' Brexit....... ..I'm not really arguing THJ you have more friends in speedway circles (and Maryport pubs lol) than I do, so am often pleased for your info sharing...good reading. However if it was "purely financial" , re Comets crashing out, then why on earth did they sign up 7 riders ready for 2019??? It just doesn't add up to this bonzo. I'll try to guess the answer in that folk who were promising to 'divvy up the cash', to help the promotion, backed out at the last minute?

All very confusing for this old lad....the talk at match yesterday was re the speedway track being lost to a new/enlarged grass pitch, to comply with FA rules (for the 'Reds) with the work on this starting in May......."it needs time to settle before soccer kicks off in August". And with the RL World cup fixtures destined for the brand new stadium in Oct 2021 it is work of some urgency?( i.e. Borough Park, the Reds current home, is to be the site of this new venue.) It seems a 'chicken and egg ' scenario to my puzzled mind.....i.e. surely if speedway did run they would thereby have been ousted mid-season to allow this pitch work being on schedule? Whatever, it still leaves me hoping there is new venue on the horizon to stage speedway for Workington........and regarding that - I still can't fathom out why Derwent Park is scheduled for demolition.....now where's my tablets.

It's obvious the pitch re-alignment caused the suspension of 2019 speedway...but why not say that in the first place? Just back from Town match....stuffed Newcastle 21-20 lol. The orange van I talked about earlier on here is a 57 reg..worth nowt I guess....and some clearing up has been done...but plenty of mess to dispense with as yet.

Yeah....then most eventually found other ways of entertainment....???

It was in March 1999..but also can't recall which day.. was versus Newcastle for IT Trophy 1st leg.....recall Stoney having engine failure in 1st Heat...then he won all his other races... attendance 4,000 plus....

Don't do the latter geoff pls lol...... .....so it's Saturday and almost 6 o' clock ....time to get shoes/ coat on and head for speedway thrills at DP...I wish.

Besides the tractor, water bowser, and several containers - there's an orange coloured transit van...it seems hemmed in by all the aforementioned, tried to have a look see what reg it was but grass didn't help ( or specsavers could have). The home side of the pits are full of rubbish too.

Remember going there to watch Comets, Jack Millen was your 'Star'................did think poor crowd given it was a top quality visiting team lol.

Hello geoff100.....an angry emotion can make nonsense of inputs and I'm as guilty as anyone. But the now infamous new stadium is an 8,000 capacity (with just 2000 seats) at £25 million. It's a much needed facility for our area!!! You will have noticed I've severely edited the original post...because for some reason it was deleted off the Town forum? But having memorised some detail I do think Comets were never gonna be able to complete a full season this year(2019)...and given that DP is destined for demolition they will need another venue for speedway. Though I still can't understand why DP should be knocked down......can anyone enlighten me on that one please???? ..........................Cue for Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi'....................'.you don't know what you've got til it's gone'...

My thoughts too marra.......just hoping a new venue can be found asap.......Derwent Park is to be demolished. Now speedway teams are 'revving up' I miss the Comets even more......especially last years magnificent 7.

Thankyou.UTT By the way I didn't write the above....just copied it as I think it provides some useful info as to the Comets future, and perhaps reasons why 2019 suddenly/regretfully became a no-goer?

So a fan at vicinty of stadium but not at match.......???......you met a scouser then.

Team suits nope at Comets......do recall Chris Blythe always wore a Rugby shirt, usually flowing in the slipstream....easily recognisable.

Best of luck to all teams, and fans, in 2019......ENJOY...

not worth the effort