TotallyHonestJohn

So I take it you told him what your thoughts were on his ability and that you posted such on the 24/05/2019 Or will you be the 1st fan of the Jacob Bukhave Fan Club as there is a vacancy Regards THJ

Question answered he now has a UK team (oh and its 4.00) Oh dear!!! Has Dandelion got a "Wizards Cuff" Grumbling along the right lines... definitely a proper rider he's Danish No!!! What like she sorted the Shipyards The Mines and heavy engineering? Again No!!! We all do but will he struggle as much as Simon did at Brough? Diamond@hardheart possibly? Honestly!!! Not that he reads this forum (well not if he has any sense anyway) but good luck to the kid, Newcastle have taken on many Scandinavians over the years and good; bad or indifferent they have always been triers; hard working and professional; furthermore the Newcastle faithful have always given them a fair crack of the whip and made them feel welcome... If he hits the ground running and puts a point or two on his average everyone will be claiming him for their own, so don't be so fickle and give the guy a chance; we have with many others and been delighted; frustrated and disappointed in equal measure so lets see where he gets and how long it takes for the usual suspects to ask for him to be replaced (or sacked) if hes not scoring double figures after his first couple of meetings Good Luck to Jacob and "if not 1st; may all your places come with a bonus point".... Regards THJ

SS you're not wrong and everyone who is/was passionate about the Comets is hurting, however I am not sure any of the former promotion who quite rightly should be applauded for their success in 2018 will want to disclose their role in the demise of the club and its ultimate failure to come to the tapes in 2019 or to give any details on what has actually gone on with the track or stadium. I would also add to that (non-disclosure) list any discussions that went on with third parties; the council; or the other sporting clubs involved. What I can add is; that there was a genuine intention to run this year however finances dictated otherwise before the track/ground issues were even considered. For me and as close as I was to the promotion they did try their best but the path they ultimately chose (or were led down) was not sustainable and unless you have a vibrant club (support wise) and in the Comets case that would have been around 750 adults paying around an average of £15:00 each per meeting the whole thing financially was not viable; then of course you could always look to a benefactor who has cash to spare and loves Speedway however KD a very competent businessman sank thousands into the spot before seeing the light and bailing out and of course we all know what has happened to LM and the position she now finds herself in with regards to losing her businesses and the club she loved dearly. Also this isn't a new phenomena to the Comets as previous owners of the club Eddie Thornborrow and Ron Bagley went through similar pain in the early 80's though not dissimilar it was finances that were the main influence in folding the club. However this is all water under the bridge and everyone (including Jenga) has a view on what the real reason was then as to why the spot folded. So you may only have some of the truth as to what has gone on and some sensible suggestions on here that are very near to the truth (and some a mile off) but I doubt you will get all of the real reasons, however it is hurting everyone who is/was passionate about their speedway in West Cumbria and those loyal fans who followed the team through thick and thin up and down the country let alone home meetings. The Supporters Trust and the Friends of Workington Speedway who in two seasons sank over £20k into the club setting up direct debits and paying in additional cash all to no avail; these people need answers for sure and no doubt if it ever came back these supporters again would be at the forefront of supporting the club. However I doubt it will ever come back now and I am normally a "pot half full" type of guy but in this case the pot is definitely half empty. Regards THJ Oh!!! got called away from me desk and see you have been at it again so I will stick this one on here as well to respond to. (have you retired; are you on holiday or do you just have time on your hands?) It would be nice to hear the "Clarion Call" and have something positive to look forward to but where will that come from? who will put up the cash or take the risk to run a business that has seen off Keith Denham and Laura Morgan in recent times and has (as pointed out above) a history of being a major financial risk and a gamble business wise over the years. As you state "Something along the lines of this would be nice and something we could all get behind": 'Due to the fact that the Workington Comets have had to be displaced from their home at Derwent Park in order to facilitate construction of the new Community Stadium the Council is giving the club its full backing in developing a new home on the site of the training track at Northside. (They weren't displaced? the club run out of money and folded before the ground issues started? if they came back they would now not have a viable home granted; so I would suggest this request is made to the council as you have directed it toward them and see what they say as it is not in any promotions gift to give to the fans) Such a move would reduce the costs of running the sport whilst allowing the club to directly benefit from income generated through food and drink sales. (Why should/would the council be concerned with this (making a private individual money?) and I would suggest it would be a hard sell as the speedway in general does not generate a vast amount of jobs in the community or support any cause that the council can get behind for them (the council) to garner any kudos from the process) There will be great opportunity for local businesses to get involved in the creation of this exciting new facility which see the continuation of what is a great family sport that has been embedded in local sporting heritage and culture over the last 50 years'. (what benefit is there at present to any local business, we (my company) have supported Speedway for the last 10 years and not one job has been earned from this advertising, not one new client has banged on our door saying here is a contract mate as you support the Speedway; and we are not alone in this as speaking to Alan Hedley of Sapphire Engineering a few years back with regards to business opportunity and speedway advertising he said that even as a main sponsor of a club he had not reaped one benefit business wise in all the years he sponsored the Diamonds; not one return for all that investment; again another sensible businessman with no axe to grind being honest) What the Comets needs first is a Promoter before there is any shouting about where a track can go, then the promoter will need to know what support the council will give him/her. Then a rational business decision will be made as to whether it is viable for the club to run, but again the big issue is support as 450 fans paying on average £15;00 per meeting does not pay for a championship team without secondary income, so where is all this money coming from? sponsorship? because again and what seems only prevalent in speedway is businesses would rather give money to the riders than the club! its crazy as surely no club; no riders! or am I missing something here? maybe the sponsors should pay the riders and save the clubs money that way! Look at what is successful in the Championship; Glasgow Model: Joking apart we know how they survive; they are losing money hand over fist however they have the support of a very successful company (and family) who back (financially) the Tigers along with some very generous sponsorship, it isn't a problem and it is working for them at present and long may it last, however if this support was racked back then things could be different. Scunthorpe Model: Rob Godfrey has a great set up at Scunny but he will be the first to tell you Speedway costs him money but it is what he loves, Rob owns and runs his venue and has other revenue streams which subsidise the Speedway and Rob runs a tight ship financially and I believe this is the way to go but it is difficult; Redcar and the motor park set up would fit at Northside however Redcar have not been without their own financial problems; and not looking for an argument from any of the clubs mentioned but the woes of speedway in general have been well debated on here with some very pragmatic and sensible arguments (by the likes of mikebv; halifaxtiger; bruv and others) and have been well put and debated to the "nth degree" but will they ever influence the "Powers that be"? I very much doubt it I hope I am wrong but I think it will be difficult for the sport to return to West Cumbria not withstanding the following 1. A Promoter willing to invest and run it as a business (a hobby or a charity) 2. A Promoter with the financial clout to front up all the costs required to join the BSPA 3. Support from the Council (land; infrastructure and financially) 4. A venue to run the sport from! as the DP option now I feel is dead 5. Other revenue streams (Scunny Model at a Motor Park type venue) 6. A fan base that at least exceeds 750 people paying on average £15:00 7. A viable business plan 8. BSPA support (or 9. A mug like me to win the Euro Lottery) I have just scratched the surface here and look forward to being picked apart by all and sundry but I think you had your response from the council with regard to the stadium some time back pre local elections; however what they have said and what they have done have been a total contradiction. As Private James Frazer said on many an occasion "we're doomed! SS "we're doomed! Apologies in advance Regards THJ

Honestly I'm sorted but still absolutely gutted at what's happened and the demise of the Speedway.... Saturday's are quite honestly just not the same anymore... Also I know for a fact that many people I speak to when on the tramp in Cumbria feel exactly the same... Devastated Regards THJ

Aye Commando 20,000 rounds of ammo from a 200 round box and he managed to kill about a thousand men in the process.... but like Sully you would be definitely let go of first Jenga an you have no idea what went on or my involvement and this isnt the place to air it Regards THJ

What.... like me business has gone belly up an av run out of money.... if we could have run the football pitch wouldn't have been as wide as it is now.... we got well and truly shafted off someone who gave the impression they were going to come in with serious finances to help us out and like a mug I believed them... then the council... followed by the Rugby Club... then a provincial football team who think they will be playing in Europe by 2030!!! Think you have had all the answers your gonna get on here Biffa... could be the time that old adage comes into play and No News is Good News because no matter how much you polish a turd at the end of the day it's still what it is.... Regards THJ

What would you like to hear? Regards THJ

The Rugby pitch was big enough to take an FA approved size football pitch it was the Reds who wouldn't move unless they had the same size pitch as the one they were leaving at Borough Park. Also following the last Rugby League World Cup when the Kiwi Rugby Team nearly walked out of the match they had scheduled at DP saying they wouldn't walk their dogs on DP and they trained on better pitches the Rugby Club stated the pitch needed to be re-laid if they were going to have to share it with the football club. Honestly there was the space to accommodate everyone if the good will had of been there. You will never get the full truth but you can build a picture when you start to get snippets of what's went on and been said but the sub tenants (the Speedway) have been well and truly shafted. It was a case of me first me last and if there is owt left me again... stuff you Jack cos we are alright... Regards THJ

Removed due to double posting... doh

Jacko is still working (use that term very loosely) at Sellafield and spending the rest of his spare time looking after his elderly parents. I spoke to him about two week back and he is threatening to go to a couple of choice meetings as a spectator if he gets the chance as was the case for Ben Barkers testimonial I believe where he managed the Worky four (unfortunately I missed that one) Regards THJ

It's not the points limit at all it's because clubs can barely pay the seven riders they have so the BSPA are trying to tighten down on the build points so cheaper riders are drafted in from the leagues below... that's why 6 man teams were given such serious consideration but it's all false economy and promotions don't do the right thing. Plus there aren't enough riders in each league band level to fully support and supply riders for their respective upper leagues... If there were around 100 riders for each league structure there wouldn't be an issue... however we only have around 120 riders for the top two leagues and some riders are getting pushed on to early when they are possibly not ready and a bit out of their depth... Don't get me started on this cos it really boils my bladder... I honestly feel now the whole thing needs to collapse for a season and come back in a totally different guise... but it will never happen however here's a prediction... I don't think Workington will be the only casualty in 2019... Regards THJ

Honestly The money KD spent on setting up that track it's effing criminal... and tragic... #absolutelygutted.... Regards THJ

One team wanted (and proposed) a 32 point limit (pre AGM) for this league on the grounds of escalating rider costs and then when they arrived at the BSPA meeting they miraculously changed their mind and wanted a 42 point limit!!! Must have found some change down the back of the sofa possibly!!! Totally correct; however the top flight is only the premiership from two year back interspersed with the odd top marque rider now It is supposed to be for the next few years as didn't they say the multiplier between the leagues will go up by 0.1 each year until it arrives at 2 like the good old days!!! so in theory whatever it is now multiply or divide between the top two leagues by 1.5 that would suggest that it is in for the next 5 years, however I can see that changing as you can still have your 0.1 increase each year and build to 42 points. However the other reason for this was to supposedly allow a reduction in the rates paid to riders and spread the available riders more fairly across the leagues (as there is a rider shortage) pushing the better riders up but personally I don't think it will work and some other bright idea will raise its head within the next couple of years (that wont work either) the "System" never works!!! Regards THJ

Honestly What would the council have done if the Speedway had run? they certainly couldn't have widened the pitch if the Speedway had of been operating that's for sure!!! the football club would have had to play on a narrower pitch!!! Not all football pitches are the same size? The length of a pitch must be between 100 yards (90 m) and 130 yards (120 m) and the width not less than 50 yards (45 m) and not more than 100 yards (90 m). However all rugby league pitches I believe are the same size and rugby league is played on a field 112–122 metres long by 68 metres wide. When you look at the aerial shots of the two grounds it is noticeable that Borough Park is wider than Derwent Park however you could still have fit an "FA sized" approved pitch onto the Derwent Park footprint without "Butchering" the Speedway Track. I hold nothing but contempt for the shower of "A Wipes" who are driving and delivering this death blow to the Speedway, A common accusation of Speedway promotions is that they are self-indulgent self-serving and self-centred; However the local council along with the management committees of the "Reds" football team and "Town" the rugby league team certainly take some beating when it comes to saying "screw you" and looking after their own interests which they have done implacably and to the Comets detriment "In Spades" I would hasten to add... I hope the the fleas of a thousand camels infest the collective crotches of all those involved in "Screwing Over" the Comets and that their fingernails drop off to stop them scratching... Pure awkwardness on behalf of the Reds who seem to think they will be in the third division of the football league within the next 5 years, what an absolute joke... who believes that is likely to happen? As for "Town" the lies and disinformation they have spread about the situation and how they would stand by the Speedway and look after their interests well "Et tu, Brute"? backstabbers to a fault... Regards THJ

Joe Lawlor to guest in Friday’s home match against Somerset and Rob Godfrey has stated: “Joe is really keen to do well for us on Friday, because he knows that a good performance could go a long way to convincing us that he deserves a full-time crack at Championship level" So here's hoping it works out for "Young Joe" and he knocks in a few points to warrant his retention in the team... Regards THJ

Honestly Being a "Tad" misogynistic there mind JJ aren't we? As this is predominantly a male run sport why are they not behaving "like a silly man"? and I appreciate the post was started by a female which is beside the point as a woman can behave like a silly man? can't they? May be if there were a few more women in the sport at the top end (management committee) (or as promoters) it may be run more professionally rather than "like a select little boys club" as it appears to be being run at present; as believe me there are just as many "Silly Men" out there as there are "Silly Women" if not more!!! Sheffield and Somerset for two have women promoters (formally Workington as well) who have more common sense and integrity than many of their male counterparts doing the same role that is for sure... Whoever starts a post male or female if they believe they have a valid point, question or query how ever daft you may feel it is we surely need to respect? defend? their right to put over that question not deride them? Regards THJ

Honestly He's more like the yeast infection Thrush and you know what that irritates... as he is definitely an irritating £@&$... Regards THJ

Aye Steve thats a combination of bad eyesight and predictive text for ya... correcting what it thought was poor spelling... Doh... my bad... I missed it... but everyone knew what I meant as you are famed for talking crepe... (that was my genuine edit for decency not a spelling mistake or a predictive text change you plum)... Regards THJ

Unlike Jenga who is more I.B.S. (That's Irratable Bowel Syndrome).... Regards THJ

After the recent council elections I doubt it will be at the new Super Stadium that was proposed... especially for the Evo-Stik West Division eh.... dizzy heights there eh... Mickleover Sports North Ferriby and South Shields here we come eh... 2000 plus crowds for them matches like eh... Honestly Regards THJ Al sit back and wait for Jenga to start...

Honestly Gaz ya could be right lol... and the fist paragraph refers to George and ya man pissing on the bus... but I would never reveal my sources just to protect the innocent... anyway when's the truth ever got in the way of a good bit of craic... just finished me mixed kebab an two cans of Guinness a found in the fridge an honestly gutted we lost this evening but I'm sure a good night was had by all... even those who pissed on the bus... never mind I enjoyed it anyway and I'm sure the traveling faithful enjoyed it as well... hope they all get home safe... that's me off to bed now nowt else to eat or drink... doh... Regards THJ

Honestly I hoped you mopped it up... or if that's all it takes to get you an George canned it was a cheap night... good craic and enjoyed the company... apart from George coming back wid a cider instead of a bitter... yuk... nice to chat with wee Dorothy as well... good meeting although we lost and how costly were Stevie Worrall's engine gremlins in Heat 13.... never mind could have been oh so different... Oh and just to add I find it hard to believe when you told me that Gazc has such gender issues as he comes across so manly in his posts... he must have been the first publican ever in Glasgow to wear a frock... brave man... xxx Regards THJ

Oh dear the amazing vanishing posts... It reminds me of the Joke about the Lady Cleaner who whilst undertaking her job in the local working men's club and upon entering the Gents toilet found a drawing on the wall of a mans appendage, so immediately, and to protect everyone's modesty she washed it off. The next morning she did her rounds again and low and behold the offending drawing had reappeared much to her chagrin, again she washed off the graffiti and completed her tasks. Next morning she set about her work and again on the third day the appendage had reappeared even larger and bolder than before and this went on for the whole week, each morning a larger drawing on the toilet wall of a mans appendage which was starting to frustrate the Lady Cleaner so she wrote a note on the wall which said "Please stop drawing rude pictures on this wall" to which on the eight day she found a picture of the offending article that filled the full wall with the comment underneath "The more you rub the bigger it gets" Happy trails Regards THJ

Honestly I know you have put this tongue in cheek as a PT but I seriously doubt it will ever be back... There are to many things stacked against it... I would have loved to run this year just to see what the council would have done with the track as 2 or so meters of each straight were supposed to be starting to get ripped up today to facilitate the widening of the pitch... I will call down to DP Saturday to take a look but the whole thing is genuinely tragic... Regards THJ

Yes I am well aware of your origin A.N.Other... lol Regards THJ