Lord Lucan

Glad to see someone else shares my views on the town's sporting clubs and the first part of the first paragraph says it all, no matter what version your poison entertainment is secondary to success? If you are successful you can guarantee a healthy following, if your competitive you can just about get by without winning trophies but no way will people accept any old tosh week after week, season after season just on the basis of "well at least you have a team to watch" (aka, Workington RL) that's not what it's about? Comets tho, to their credit, have fielded entertaining sides, they've fielded competitive sides but they can't, for some reason, field a winning one, townsfolk see the league dwindling in size and yet despite that they still dont see Comets win any major trophies or even get into the business end of the season to even challenge for them It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what will happen? Sadly, as far as the Comets are concerned, I think the damage has already been done with regards to getting the big crowds back, there's been too many false dawn's, too many season's starting like the hare and finishing like the tortoise, too many summer breaks, too many season's racing league matches when the title has already been won, it just put's people off going, stupid rules, as suggested already, make the sport a joke and very difficult to take seriously? For the Comets to have a chance they have to have far more consistency as a team "and" continuity with regards to actually being out on track racing when you should be, rain offs aside that is, and try and keep the support focussed on Saturday night racing, no good complaining about poor crowds when you haven't been seen for weeks, do something about it, dont just stick rigidly to a fixture list, try anything and let people know that you're doing something to alleviate the issues, they'll stand a much better chance of being believed than they are now with their usual "once in a blue moon" outburst? I've already said that I just live in hope for next year, if we run I dont care what day of the week they choose I'll be there, lurking in the shadows, just like the last nigh on twenty years , to the bitter end I'll see it thru so........roll on next March?????

Wasn't a bad meeting at all that, once we got going?? Some very good racing between two pretty evenly matched sides and the tight result was indicitive of how this season has gone in all the matches we've played!! Disappointing to lose Cookie at such an important stage of the meeting but a nice rally round at the end and a last heat decider to tip the balance in our favour, despite the poor season it was good to end on a high with a win and finally seeing the "real" Robert Lambert on show!! Just hoping now that that was just the last meeting of the season at home for us and "not" the last meeting full stop??

Sorry pal but you've lost me here, where are these sour grapes anywhere relative to my post? In a jocular fashion, (hence the smiley) considering the doubt around the Comets future I merely stated that it would be quite previous to pledge yourself to a club that may not be here next year, what's wrong with pointing out that little foible? I would like to be proved wrong on that but, I think that is for the winter to decide, not right now!!

Over in your part of the world Rene Bach usually makes an appearance round about now!!

Is that the same Workington that might not even be running next year, pledged himself to a very short future then?

No, perhaps not, but it doesn't disguise the fact that many people have publicly stated he was the reason they stopped going or, were barred, whichever way you want to call it, their choice or not the point I made remains the same?

Agree with you about Bowtell, seen him several times at DP and he's so much better now than he was at the start of the season, much improved rider I think!!

Hmm, just thinking then Scarra, if Keith turns up every week and pays his £16 but has cost the club say, 10/20/50 others who now don't because of him, how much is the difference to Workington Speedway? Their choice entirely but...... just saying!!

Curate's Egg for me, tho nice to get the win!!

Probably, but that's why I said he may still have an influence being the team sponsor, he'll still be looking for a return on the investment ie: success and he ain't getting it, he's a businessman and not the type to take failure "lying down"?

That's the thing tho, even being a start of the season comp it has still gone the entire season as per normal? There has probably been plenty of opportunities to finish the rounds earlier but for some reason the event has taken a back seat to the Championship and been left til the end of the season to clear up? Fixed schedules for each round should be brought in for all concerned to make certain the event is run somewhere near a reasonable timetable?

My word, this competition is taking some time isn't it?

Jacko never tries anything new and that may very well be the underlying issue with rider performance? Perhaps certain riders are not comfortable in their current position and feel a change may help, poor scores could be a reflection of this as in my, and probably in many other people's opinion as well, I dont expect riders to become bad overnight yet ours, over the course of a few seasons now, seem to do exactly that? No one will want to ride badly deliberately as it's their job to earn money but something has to be wrong in the structure for this to be the almost regular finish to a Comets season no matter who rides here? As for the Keith Denham issue mentioned earlier, the guy did invest a lot into the club but his "my way or the highway" attitude alienated an awful lot of people, including riders I'd hazard to say, and that takes some getting over, I've no idea if he's still got an influence down there but the current management characteristics are very similar in nature? A good clear out was mooted on another thread and that may very well need to be the case if this club is to survive, who takes over and how is one for the winter? This line says it all, most locals have already made that clear and aren't really bothered one way or the other, just remember that Workington Town RL had everything going for them during the nineties and look what a mess they made of the Golden Egg? It's not just about the Comets, everything sporting in this town relies on success to survive due to our location, yet that's something that only makes a rare and fleeting appearance in these parts and you have to grab it, our sports just aren't quick enough to capitalise on it when it does?

No probs mate, I dont want to see anybody do this job for nothing and lets face it, earning nothing pays the bills of F.A.? James came in to help us out and it hasn't worked, the rules being as they are we're stuck with each other so why not just draw a line under it and see where we go? It's out in the open now, we all know where we stand, pressure is off, 10pts on Saturday James.......or else!!!! :D

Up to the point of our last programme, Sat 16th, we only have fixtures in place during September for two home meetings, 23rd v Glasgow and 30th v Peterborough, I'm sure the 7th October was mentioned for the home match v Newcastle but as for our remaining three away fixtures dates are still to be agreed?

Stoney was a one off, Mr Workington Speedway, 100% racer, GP's one night, DP the next and still gave it everything, charismatic and the fans favourite because he gave his all to the club and that's what the fans wanted and respected, top bloke off the track as well!! Cookie however has joined the club after many years away, successful years away I might add, and at a time when Workington are on a right downer? He was very much a crowd favourite while learning his trade here many years ago but once he was ousted, for whatever reason, people seemed to lose touch with his career because he wasn't here anymore? Not the same character as Stoney, has a winning mentality but thesedays that is now being directed at a more personal level which is totally understandable being as the management gave up on the season half way through so, why bother trying, his future is elsewhere and always was, joining the Comets was a last chance to get a trophy on the CV with his home town club before moving on and that hasn't happened? Many fans whom watched Craig during the early days are, like many others, lost to the club now so his ability is not recognized as much as Stoney's was, a great shame for a very capable rider, one of the best local's, if not the best, we've ever produced. If things had been better at the club then maybe Craig would have gotten closer to Stoney's iconic status but, two completely different riders racing in two completely different era's, if only?

Now that I could very well understand!! It could be that with these rumours of the Comets being bad payers many riders wont guest for us in his place, a half hearted guest would be just as bad as going RR and, considering at that time in the season, we would still be interested in some silverware possibilities, you could see the point in "not doing it" doesn't help matters but sadly that seems the way teams operate nowadays?

Sorry mate but I've no idea what your opinion has to do with my post? James was fined for gesturing to the fans and removing his helmet before the race was completed, nothing whatsoever to do with manipulating his average? As for the last sentence, yes, you could very well be right, you cant say anything thesedays in jest or otherwise without being quoted by someone?

The £300 was a reference to the fine he got on Saturday, just in case you didn't know about that bit? As for paying on time, and as there is no evidence to the contrary, we have to assume, by the same token, that Workington also pay on time?

Yes, and if Glasgow flash £300 under his nose before the meeting starts I'm sure he'll do very well for them??

Not entirely meaningless MD, it's a good forecast apparently down here Saturday so that "MEANS" another match ticked off and "MEANS" another match closer to ending what has become another wretched season for the Comets? I've also heard that excuse before from our promotion about teams not wanting to change race dates, maybe one of the teams either club "could" have approached during the barren spell, and didn't, were each other?

Yeah, so a start of the season competition still running for the entire length of the season, hmm, I could see that working ya know!!

I do, oh bollox......... there goes the cover??? I think you'll find Steve there were only "29" people on the back straight, if you catch my drift!!!!

I'm sorry but I dont even know ten fans never mind ten leaving, all I do know is that's it gotten an awful lot colder down at DP as the bodies that used to block that bloody cold wind off the Solway are no longer performing their duties, it's a very lonely place thesedays??

Dunno who's posts James Serjeant reads on here but 7+1 at Scunny tonight for us, like I said, total enigma??? :D