TotallyHonestJohn

Breaking News The play off dates have been announced for the Glasgow Tigers Vs Workington Comets meetings Friday the 23rd at Glasgow and Saturday the 24th at Workington These two dates in November suit both clubs as it will mean they both race on their chosen race nights and it will give Craig Cook time for his injury to fully heal and for Glasgow to put James Sarjeant on the Atkins Diet and get a stone off him as he has been looking a bit chunky lately, both should be fighting fit and raring to go... Cant beat a bit of clout eh! Regards THJ Oops sorry just been advised "Fake News"

Honestly You can put a 1 in front of that £75 K singy13 as the cost to run the Comets this year will be in excess of £175 K with a generated income of around £115 K on the original 16 home + 16 away meetings so that is a £60 K shortfall before you turn a wheel (so this is where sponsorship would fill the gap). To cover this cost with paying customers (crowd) alone there needs to be approximately 850 fans through the door and that is at a combined rate of £12.50 per person to allow for concessions, the last two crowds were 391 for the Newcastle meeting and 497 for the Scunthorpe one so working it out on the back of a fag packet those two meetings will have cost the promotion the thick end of a £10 K loss to run over the two meetings. Also the crowd for these two meetings needs to cover the cost of the away legs where Workington performed quite well so riders wages increase because of higher points scored and there is now no contribution against rider costs from the home side as there used to be in the past. The other irony is that the more successful you are as a club the more it costs, teams not reaching semi finals, finals and play offs will obviously lose less money, due to having less meetings, but the Catch 22 on this is if you have a poor team the crowds dwindle so you end up in a spiral of lower crowds, less money to spend on the team, so poorer league position and a cycle that can be hard to break, especially in the current adversarial environment there is between promotions, there is no reward for a successful speedway team as the more meetings you run the more you lose and the "Myth" of these finals and play off meetings generating bigger crowds is just that. However I would expect (surely) the next two home meetings with Glasgow and Edinburgh to bring in a few more fans through the door and swell the numbers on the terraces as both clubs, like Workington; have a healthy travelling contingent who follow their team, but I very much doubt we will see the crowd break 1000 fans with a more realistic figure around the 650 to 700 maximum, but I live in hope and who knows the word may get out in Cumbria and those lost fans from the 70's, 80's and early 90's come flooding back Regards THJ

Agree with much of what you say here CC2 It has cost the promotion a great deal of cash and it is not sustainable Keith (not John) Denham (I believe you are referring to) had some good teams with great individuals, Peter Kilderman being the outstanding one for me, and it just didn't happen for him but as a businessman he could see the flaws in the system after trying dam hard to give the Comets fans a winning team. If you can guarantee 1000 fans I could guarantee an entry fee of £10:00 each meeting and make it work its as simple as that, Numbers! it is also the same for every other club that is struggling, a hardcore fan base of 350 to 450 does not sustain a team that's why other clubs have upped their entry fees, and set up supporter trust groups, would Comets fans be prepared to pay £20/£25 quid to watch their speedway? When the consensus is that it is a £10 sport (I very much doubt it) (Although I do know one promoter who will argue reasonably well as to why it isn't a 10 quid sport as we have recently and he put a reasoned argument across) Why have people stopped attending is a good one and if I had the definitive answer to that I would remedy the situation in a once but many theories have been put forward on here and all are valid to a point, but who honestly knows. You are right the Comets are not the only team struggling most are, and their promotions are pumping in monies to keep the sport afloat but they seem blinkered to the extent that they will collectively kill the sport off, there needs to be a rationalisation and maybe go back to the "good ole days" of the 60's where the sport was primarily amateur in this country which may reduce costs, but again I don't think anyone has a magic wand. You hit the nail on the head a radical shake up and radical change are required and more passionate and knowledgeable fans than me have outlined the issues on here more than once and like you say every year it comes up and Barry Hearn is a fantastic example and I wholeheartedly agree he is the type of entrepreneur the sport needs. However I feel the grip the promoters hold over the sport are to great and they all look out for their own interests to the detriment of everyone else and no matter how much they polish the turd it's still a turd to my mind. Maybe one day they will see the light and work for the benefit of the sport, the fans the riders et al. Finally you are doing the right thing and definitely do not hold your breath, keep breathing but count to 10, I was once told that counting helps, that was a load of old tosh as well... Regards THJ

Honestly Its all a bit pointless really as there wont be Speedway at Derwent Park next year, or anywhere else in Workington for that matter (with the exception of Northside) unless there is a serious benefactor out there who is prepared to run the sport as a hobby. Someone who has cash to spare and can inject between £50/£75 K per annum into the speedway, or they have someway of reinvigorating the crowds back to the heyday levels when anything from 1500 to 2500 people would pack out DP to watch the likes of Carl Stonehewer. Furthermore it goes to show that the "Myth" about a winning team brings people in is absolute total rubbish and the best laugh is people who no longer attend (and haven't for a few years) will be on here bemoaning how awful it is not having a team to support in the town. At the current rate the club need around 850 people/fans through the doors to break even and this just isn't happening, without additional income streams the sport has no chance, whether that's a combination of the following like a bar facility, a room for hire, catering facilities, stock cars or any other motor sports, Kart racing, lawnmower racing drone racing or anything else you can think of but (and I hate saying this) speedway is no longer sustainable anymore in Workington Sorry to be the harbinger of doom but that's how I see it personally. Regards THJ

Honestly That looks like the only available date for Workington/Glasgow is the 5th/6th October 2018 to run this play off Semi Final? Interesting If Workington get past Newcastle in the Knock Out Cup tomorrow I would assume that the Edinburgh Semi Final would be run over the 29th/30th September weekend and if they get past the Monarchs and the Scorpions in the Shield on Saturday it would leave the last three weekends in October reserved for the three finals Or will we run into November? No surely not! no one would have that much clout! would they? Regards THJ

And with the guarantee of 5 rides would you advocate an average maximum of 12 or 15 for riders? Which would make a difference when building to 45? and of course only having 6 riders Regards THJ

Honestly Just a quick question What would you suggest a team build limit should be if it were 6 man teams rather than 7 with a 15 heat programme and each rider had a guarantee of 5 rides per meeting? Regards THJ

Honestly It does? as do many European Clubs, (oops we are coming out of Europe so that might not be a good analogy) however the one thing that would stop Workington FC from being promoted to the football league I believe would be the 3G/4G pitch and although quite recently the Conference League changed its rules to allow synthetic pitches to be used to avoid the possibility that they might have to refuse promotion to that League to a club with a 3G/4G pitch should they be promoted, I honestly don't think there is a ban by the Football League for pitches with Running, Speedway or any other extraneous tracks encompassing the pitch. I stand to be corrected however currently artificial surfaces as far as I am aware are not allowed in the Football League, I remember when Luton Town had their plastic pitch and one or two other clubs followed suit but as I remember it (not very well as it happens these days) the fad for plastic pitches did not last very long. I believe the plug was pulled on quality which with these new 3G/4G is becoming less of an issue so no doubt there will be a change of heart on these plastic pitches and they will be everywhere sooner than we think. As "mikebv" points out "the NSS shows that a great race track can be built around an artificial grass rugby and football pitch" however as "Derwent " also correctly states "The problem the Comets have is that they have nothing to contribute financially to the new stadium project." other than fans who have spending power and that's why the project I believe should include something for the Speedway to maximise the use of the new stadium, Just been watching a new synthetic pitch being installed at Wallsend Boys Club at the thick end of £500,000 which is a hell of an investment and outlay. So this new stadium will not come cheap and I would like to think that the Council will look to accommodate the Speedway Club at the new stadium with an inclusive outlook and knowing the conflict and animosity between the football and rugby clubs that has endured over the years the common sense approach could be to let the speedway club take the lead and manage and run the new venue. After all it is what the current promotion do "its their thing" having been the facilities operation responsible for running Carlisle United FC until very recently and still run the Sands Venue in Carlisle. But when has common sense had anything to do with it, (with anything for that matter) Regards THJ

Honestly I should have taken my mothers advice I give in xxx Regards THJ

Honestly From what I am hearing its definitely true, things may change because of the shenanigans going on within the council, like I stated earlier but I cant go into much detail as much of it is not out into the public domain yet but it will come out. (or it should) but ultimately that will only delay the inevitable in my view. If Workington Speedway continue to run we could end up the sole users of the site for a couple of seasons once the Rugby Club move out, (possibly)(as I was advised from a Rugby Club source) but my personal opinion is the clock is running and "If" (but more likely) "When" the plug is pulled on the stadium; something will need to be in place ready to go for the following season or in my view the sport will be lost. That's why we need the support and the fans trough the door and the glory days might just come back however if we had half of those original 2500 fans coming in you could run a Premiership side let alone a Championship team or if you remained in the Championship you would definitely be in the running each season for silverware. Only my personal view however support and a solid fan base are critical (as in almost all other team sports) Finally if Derwent Park is "like losing my second home" as singy13 puts it where is is first home? Muncaster Castle!!! All of the above is only my personal opinion and could/should/will be (hopefully) subject to change Regards THJ

Honestly Apologies mauger65 but I must correct you there. Not every time Workington visit does TalorJ slate the track so I must leap to her defence on that one. Newcastle vs Workington Knock Out Cup 8 July 2018 18:30 hours Unfortunately you missed the meeting by all accounts so let me enlighten you; Worky won by 10 points with a much depleted team and fair play to them they wanted it more and deserved the win on what I would have considered a much worse track that which was raced on this Sunday as it was as slick as a "Tesco Car Park with French Chalk on it". Also due to the weather which was "El Scorchio" to say the least meant the track required well watering (and often) to keep the dust down, so Workington got a 10 point victory. My point? Well not a squeak from TaylorJ not a peep, a yelp, a whimper, a whisper, an undertone, a mutter, a mumble, a complaint, a grumble, a moan, a grouse; a mutter, a gripe, a beef, a bitch not a murmur in any way shape or form about the track, not one post on that thread saying there was any issues with the track (which take it from me is amazing cos if moaning ever becomes an Olympic Event!!! Shoe in!!! Honest ) So as stated previously it is amazing how track conditions don't count a jot when you pick up an away win, you could be riding round the local scrap metal yard knee deep in mud but that's okay we won. Yeah!!! But lose, Crap Track end off... Nothing to do with the guys on the track who fancied it when they won but didn't when they lost for whatever reason which is possibly the real reason. Then of course there is always the conspiracy theory that the shape gets changed from week to week just to confuse the opposition and get that fantastic home track advantage I keep hearing about... (Roll on square corners eh!) However you have to love the passion commitment and loyalty to the team... Brilliant... PMSL Like Eh!!! Regards THJ

Honestly This is a real genuine concern as no consideration has been given to the Speedway Club and talking to a friend who used to be on the Allerdale Borough Council he has said there is a bit of a power struggle going on at the moment in the "corridors of power" for want of a better phrase and obviously I cant go into much detail but it would appear that the struggle is between the two sporting factions and it is common knowledge that there is a long-standing dislike between the factions who will be putting up Councillors in the forthcoming elections and this will impact the Speedway and you are correct that DP will be going soon with the Football and Rugby sharing a new facility sooner than you think. The new proposed site I believe is Lonsdale Park which was the old dog track and ironically the original Speedway track as well. In my (unqualified) opinion DP has about 7 years left if the "powers that be" get their way and you will see new (Sellafield, BNFL possibly!) offices on that site in the none to distant future. Again you are correct in stating that all three sports average between 450 to 700 fans for various fixtures, (excluding international and one off events) however Football and Rugby seem to carry much more popular support than Speedway. The ideal situation would be if the Speedway maintained the higher crowd levels which would give the promotion more clout in negotiations and I am not talking thousands here. If the Speedway could pull in another 200 to 300 more fans through the gate the impact would be immense (colossal, huge, massive) in the negotiating power the promotion would have with regard to negotiating and obtaining a new stadium. (Which there is some council support for I must add) The other issue is the location of any new Speedway Stadium as Northside would have been the natural go to site (I would have assumed) however as you will be aware this site is now being proposed as a new permanent site/home for the "Travellers" who are local to the area and this has cast a major shadow on the proposed development of Northside as a motor sports venue. As stated there is some support on the council for the Speedway at present and I would urge any local Speedway fan to question their counsellors on their view of the sporting allocation and structure in the borough and what importance they (both) place on Workington retaining a Speedway team as there are (as stated) council elections due in the area within the next 18 months I believe. If the old counsellor isn't up for Speedway or wont support it! change your vote! if the other person is for supporting and retaining Speedway regardless of Red, Blue, Yellow or Green party colours (others available) as they are all the same (and just tow the party line rather than support the local community) give the person who is advocating retaining Speedway and promoting a new venue your vote. The old adage of "if you don't use it you will lose it" has never been more true. Not just your vote but your sport and a possible venue to run it) I am also aware that the promotion have been in discussions with the council to see what the prospects are for the sport going forward and what help and assistance they can expect once the old stadium goes and I have been led to believe that currently there have been positive noises coming out of the Local Authority with regards to the retention of a Speedway team. This however could all change following the elections. We need to give the promotion all the support and encouragement possible to show them that Speedway is viable in Workington and the fans want to see the club go on for many more years to come. What better opportunity over the next 6/7 weeks as we come to the business end of the season, still in two cup competitions with an excellent chance of progressing in those and a play-off semi final against Glasgow (who will come down in numbers to shout their team on), to show your support for the Comets. The next few weeks could be the catalyst for Speedway in the area, because this team could achieve things no other Comets team has and if that doesn't get the juices flowing and generate some support and interest bringing folk back through the doors I don't know what will. Get out there, tell people what is happening, bring a neighbour, bring a mate, drag them off the streets and through the doors and cheer this team on to success (you can go to Spoons once the season is finished). #WeBelieve Regards THJ

Honestly My mother always said never argue with a woman (but here goes) I don't think I said "the track was crap" for the first meeting , if you read the post properly I think I have said ;or more over; what I was trying to purvey was; that I have seen the track prepared to a better condition following more adverse weather conditions leading up to a meeting than experienced leading up to this meeting, now whether that was down to having an hour less for preparation due to the earlier start time or down to a "devil may care" attitude with it being the last meeting of the season I could not honestly say. However on my travels this season with Workington I have seen and watched meetings at 4 tracks in a worse state than Brough Park was on Sunday pre-start and you were definitely at two of those meetings (possibly 3) and had a fair bit to say about one of those meetings on here to be honest; (and possibly quite rightly as well) and as pointed out Dewent Park was a "tad rough" (primarily very wet) prior to the Peterborough meeting and took a few heats to settle down however in defence it must be stated that it absolutely battered down one hour before the start of the meeting undoing all the hard work and effort put in by Steve Lawson and Chris that morning to get the track ready. So you can end up with a poor starting surface for the most genuine of reasons. (and one should not throw stones in a glass house) So I fully understand anyone jumping to the defence of their home track when it comes under the spotlight on here and gets criticised, my only thought is that a poorly prepared track (for whatever reason) detracts from the entertainment as I would have rather had 15 heats like the last 6.7 or 8 heats in both those meetings without having to go through the first 6 or 7 where it would appear the riders and their bikes are doing the track grading rather than the tractor. (that is a purely personal view) Finally it wasn't the track that did for Workington on Sunday an unwell Rene Bach and Arron Summers didn't have any issues with the track or the surface and once Mason had done his pirouette in the first heat soon got to grips with it, (which was good to see) I would suggest that it was the lack of a third guest (who Tony Jackson tried so hard to arrange) with 3 points for Rider Replacement for Ty Proctor and an under-performing Rasmus Jensen and Kevin Doolan were the issue, Rasmus scored 13+ 2 on his last visit to Brough and Kevin had 5 and 8 points respectively on his last two trips to Newcastle. So if these two could have mustered 5 additional points from the 9 rides they had between them instead of running 5 last places and only achieving 5+1 off those 9 rides or a guest for Proctor then it would have potentially been a 46-44 win. But again if my Aunt had a pair of balls she would be my Uncle. Oh and on a real last point "its funny how there is no moaning about any track when there is an away win and never any credit for the track its surface or condition in contributing to that win" (possibly with the exception of Belle Vue which seems to get positive revues by most on here in equal measure from both home and away fans)(again that is just my perception which may be totally wide of the mark) Regards THJ

Honestly Brough Park will never be a favourite track of Taylorj however we have had worse weather on a lead in to a meeting to be honest and ended up with a better prepared track to be fair, I think there may have been a little "end of season with nothing much in it for Newcastle attitude" as it took 5 or 6 heats for the track to settle down before we seen any quality racing (which was no different to Derwent Park on Friday after horrendous weather over there; so pot/kettle black?) however the track was spot on for the kids after the Diamonds/Comets match and well done Archie it was good to watch, kudos! Oh and the times in the second meeting which were only 8/10 seconds more than some of the "big boys" were doing on 500cc bikes rather than 150cc says so much and this again sort of says to me that the track after 15 heats of racing then with a good period of grading was in a much better state for this meeting than the first event. Just my humble opinion of course. Regards THJ

Honestly I can print it off, sign it, and present it to you Friday if you want, not a problem Regards THJ

Honestly I got that; however as good as Bomber is he wouldn't be my first choice for the reasons stated, but knowing Ged he will do his own thing and whatever that is it will be what he considers to be the most beneficial option for the Panthers regardless. However my point was giving Bomber practice now with the Panthers before the play offs when you might meet them in those matches doesn't appeal and that's why I suggested Barker who has no potential conflicts of interest now (or in future matches) added to which as a Panthers asset he may have more loyalty and connectivity with the club than some other riders Possibly? Regards THJ

Honestly Panthers have about 10 more fixtures to fit in possibly, Ben Barker is an asset and as Redcar have finished their season I can see Ben being utilised to the max as it will give continuity, also I cant see the reason to use a rider from a team who could be in the opposite side of the pits come the play offs! Regards THJ

Honestly Apologies to all Scunny fans and to get right back on topic if we do end up with one big league the Double up Protocol will go, If Belle Vue don't use Steve Worrall I believe Rob will have the backbone of a good team with Steve W, Jason G and Josh A and will build around these three guys with the other riders. The question is who? and of course that will depend totally on what the points limit will be for team building in 2019. Regards THJ

Honestly Jenga is that the best snide remark you can come up with “are you J.C.F. in disguise” and accuse me of posting “bilshot” Well Geoffrey we all know who the “King of Bilshot” is don’t we. You keep posting constant diatribe and vitriol under the guise of “it’s a joke marra” it’s just a bit of craic marra” “can you not take a joke marra” “it’s all done tongue in cheek marra” but it’s not Geoffrey is it, you are just an odious little man who gets pleasure from trying to wind people up and some sort of sad pleasure when you get a bite. Well go on I will bite. As after watching you cry like a baby in front of Steve Whitehead when he gave you a solicitor’s letter for the rubbish (bilshot) you had been posting on here then turning away after apologising profusely and still in floods of tears stating to your marra Scarra “I told him’ he’s just a Muppet” wow what a comeback and especially when Steve did not hear it, well what have I got to lose. On my first ever post I had to apologise to all my loved ones, family, friends and Stuart Robson as I vowed to all of them that I would never post on here, unfortunately the straw that broke the camel’s back was something that you posted on the Lakeside Hammers v Workington Comets - Friday 1st June thread and as a new poster I could not get my content uploaded and passed in time to enter the debate, however you have given me the golden opportunity here to respond. There had been four previous occasions where I had come mightily close to posting on here twice to Mr Snackette who could be rather condescending at times to say the least and twice to your good self and my intention was to be the “Voice of Reason” but that pen name was taken so I run with THJ as I will always endeavour to be honest in whatever I post and likewise if I am wrong I will be just as quick to retract and apologise. Remembering the issue you posted on the Lakeside Hammers v Workington Comets thread - Friday 1st June which was Libel, plain and simple. You accused Steve Whitehead of “taking money” off the riders to fund Mr Whitehead’s “Playboy Lifestyle” and as Libel is defined as defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures. You basically accused Steve Whitehead of theft and of living the high life on the proceeds of taking money off the riders which is totally untrue and as such; Libellous. Now Geoffrey I don’t know how you could perceive Mr Whitehead is a Playboy as I can confirm Steve is a hard working straightforward guy who has a regular 8 till 5 job and works dam hard at juggling this job, his commitments to his Sister and ongoing commitments to Workington Speedway on top of regular family commitments (like most of us). Oh but he wears casual shorts when it’s only warm outside and sunglasses on the top of his head, in Workington of all places, how very dare he, LOL The efforts Steve Whitehead has put in behind the scenes at Workington are often underappreciated and I have heard various comments from people deriding him and his efforts and actually quoting from ludicrous and inaccurate posts made by you Geoffrey, and at the start of the season you were a one man wrecking crew with the damage you were doing to the Comets Brand and when you were chastised about it you went sarcastically the other way and tried to tone it down but your obnoxious inner self is starting to show through again Geoffrey and you are reverting to type. Steve is “marmite” to be honest but there is not a malicious or dishonest bone in his body and if you don’t like him; his view is “that’s your choice” and he would not lose any sleep over any statements or comment made (especially on here) If they were nothing more than personal thoughts stating perceived facts. However to actually state that someone was stealing from riders to fund a Playboy Lifestyle was bang out of order especially when it is common knowledge that the club have had some financial issues especially towards the end of last season and the start of this one. The “Poor Jenga” brigade need to be made aware of a long (very long) past history of antagonistic and obnoxious posts not just on this web site but on the “Workington Speedway Unofficial Forum” which was shut down by the promotion due to the continuous diatribe being posted by Jenga and his terrace buddy and partner in verbose malfeasance Scarramanga. The promotion could have (and should of in my opinion) taken action at this time but chose not to do so in the belief they would keep the peace and by not stating the real reason as to why the plug was pulled on the unofficial forum however they got absolutely slaughtered by you Geoffrey and Scarramanga for shutting the forum down. So they were condemned for keeping a discreet silence. It is a complete contradiction for the promotion as they are dammed for perceived heavy handedness in one breath and then slated for not passing out information or keeping the fans informed in the other. So if they had of informed the fans of the real reason why the unofficial forum was shut down they believed it would have stirred up a hornets nest so as a Service Recovery Strategy they decided to say nothing. Honestly they can’t win!!! Not just this promotion have felt the wrath of Geoffrey and friend thought as the previous promotion was targeted by these two with some pretty nasty and cheap shots and can I add unequivocally that Keith Denham was (and still is) a gentleman and was always approachable (as is Steve) and neither deserve the abuse they received through these forums. Keith like Steve is a hard working (and successful) businessman who has a passion for Speedway and both opted to become Speedway Promoters and I don’t think Keith would have left the club as a promoter if it was not for the vitriol being spouted not just against him which he accepted (just) but when the attacks become very personal and directed towards his family this I believe was a major factor in why he decided to call it a day as a promoter What if these forums had been around when your dad was a promoter Geoffrey what would you have made of it? If there were vitriolic and disparaging comments made about Eddie Thornborrow (Thornbarrow Thornburra Thornborough Wheelbarra, Peterboro, whatever the spelling is. LOL "just a joke marra") during his tenure in charge of the Comets which was not very successful in the one year (1980 I believe) he ran the club as a promoter. I could make other cheap shots here but what’s the point I don’t want to sink to the depths you “troll” Geoffrey. Two wins in the whole season and then the club folding the next, wonder what the "Jenga" of the day would have made of that, More to follow eh! Further if disparaging comments had been made public about what Eddie was up to; or not; whether true or not: whatever the case may have been when he was running the club and someone like your good self was making disparaging comments about his family would you carry on the way you do now. Or is this why you do go on like you do. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there was no internet in Eddie’s day and with the team being bottom of the league and with only two wins to their name all season, surely even a team full of your favourite rider “James Sarjeant” couldn’t have performed that badly. Could they? You scream that as a paying customer you are entitled to information, what happened when Daddy was running things in the 1980's before instant media? You waited for the local paper, the Speedway Star or on rare occasions a radio or TV report, the opportunity to vent your spleen was very limited. Everyone has the “Right of Free Speech” will be the cry and yes I agree they do; to a certain extent however there is no such thing as Freedom of Speech without accountability. Legal systems sometimes recognise certain limits on the freedom of speech, particularly when freedom of speech conflicts with other rights and freedoms, such as in the case of libel amongst others. Justifications for limitations to freedom of speech often reference the "harm principle" or the "offence principle”. Limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction or social disapprobation, or both. Therefore Geoffrey you can state anyone is a miserable s*d, ugly s*d, tight s*d, old g*t etc. as a statement of fact, however you put thieving in front of those then you better have the evidence to prove it or be prepared to face the consequences that come with making that statement (especially in writing). This is why Steve Whitehead asked for a retraction by you and an apology as the post was offensive, totally untrue and constitutes Libel and I don't think Mr Whitehead was being unreasonable in what he was asking. I suppose the crocodile tears were just for added effect once you had been outed. Geoffrey I find you a morally reprehensible misanthropic miscreant who tries to play the “cheeky chap” card with his cute spelling mistakes in his barbed comments writing them down like a school kid new to the scene and when challenged about your reprehensible behaviour you try to play it off as a joke and turning it around on the other person with the “can’t you take a joke like” adage or “it’s just a joke get over it” or the delightful “am just joking Marra” Sorry Marra I am not buying that in the slightest. As I have stated I was there when Steve Whitehead politely and discretely pulled you to one side and explained what he (Steve) was upset about; and you in floods of tears vowed to mend your ways, post an apology and said you didn’t mean what you said and fully understood Mr Whiteheads point of view. Again sorry Marra I am not buying that one in the slightest either. Not with all the crocodile tears in the world then adding !I will try my best but I don't really understand this internet thing" and "I am not sure what to do"? PMSL In fact as someone previously had posted your content is a load of “Tripe” and if you had any sense of shame or even honour you wouldn’t show your face around the place ever again; you have relentlessly disparaged this promotion and the previous one for that matter and the two guys who have been at the forefront of your obnoxious, snide, misinformed, bitter and twisted comments; in Steve Whitehead and Keith Denham; who rest assured both only ever have had the best interests of Workington Speedway in their hearts and souls and all you wanted to do Geoffrey was hide behind an avatar (or a made up name at least to hide behind in relative anonymity) to put across your biter and twisted agenda you are some piece of work pal. Well I have been totally honest in my opinion and I do hope people see you for what you are “an obnoxious pathetic little specimen” and I do wonder at times is it a case of jealousy in that your old man couldn’t make a go of it but the last two promotions have at least made a good fist of the job at hand and delivered on putting out competitive teams and delivered on the entertainment factor You are a plastic fan who needs to take a long hard look at himself and stay off here and well away from Derwent Park. Oh and if you do turn up I will introduce myself and pass on some “billshot” its nice to say hello. More to follow. Finally you might consider a name change and I know you have been accused of being a “Troll” and a “Keyboard Warrior” in the past but can I suggest Gollum because I can see the resemblance with this character and yourself Geoffrey with the exception that you have more wrinkles but slightly more hair and if you are unsure who Gollum was he’s a “Lord of the Rings” character described as follows: Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk (Derwent River), who lived near the Gladden Fields (Cloffocks/Stainton Hole). Originally known as Sméagol, he was corrupted by the One Ring (The One Forum) and later named Gollum (Jenga) after his habit of making "a horrible swallowing noise in his throat" (Whilst crying like a baby) See you Friday and "More to Follow"!!! Regards THJ

Honesty If what is being proposed comes off I think you might be pleasantly surprised; Regards THJ

Honestly You are right and they are coming back before the end of the season which will be there third visit this year and they are off to Eastbourne I think next for another double header.... Regards THJ

Honestly PMSL and honestly "Trick Track" had nothing to do with it, the track could have been square, round or dodecahedron; attitude was the issue from the first run round the track to wave at the fans. Had a long chat with some of the riders from both sides at the return meeting at DP and others who were there and the differing opinions were wide ranging but its done and gone, lets see what happens when Worky are back up there for the next round of the KO Cup. Be interesting to see if they up there game Regards THJ

Honestly Knew the lad was hurting last night and fair play on his Tweet and he has gone up even further in my estimation Regards THJ

Honestly It had nothing to do with Dan being injured.... Regards THJ

Honestly It must have been the same apathy I sensed at Edinburgh on the 30th of August when I trialled up there and had to watch a Workington team get humped 65 - 25 off the Monarchs (two points less than the Diamonds) and after having only been up there in early June and seeing the Comets win a good match by two points in the Shield; and here was me thinking that they would have "perked up" for that second visit buoyed in the knowledge that they had already had a win up there. Funny old sport in'it? Regards THJ