A.N.Other

I am led to believe that the Rugby Club will shortly be leaving Derwent Park, to play until the end of their season, at the soccer ground... Borough Park ! This is so that the new turf at Derwent Park can be laid, and allowed to bed in ready for their new season in August/September 2019. This would then, in effect, leave Borough Park clear for demolition. I also understand that approx 2 metres of the current speedway track will be removed to facilitate this.

Absolutely 100 per cent CORRECT ! The Comets management were literally en route to the BSPA AGM to inform them we were not able to run in 2019, when Laura received a phone call from a "local businessman", who said, "do NOT tell them that Laura...I can help". So the Comets management said at the AGM that they were able to run. But, just as you said, the promises of a cash injection did not materialise ! I am led to beleive that this in effect cost the club £5000, as they subsequently had to notify the BSPA that they now COULDNT run. If they had told them as they intended in the first place, that they were NOT RUNNING this year, then there would have been no £5000 to pay.

Geoff Just to let you know..I have sent you a PM. Cheers

Probably a meeting with the Rugby Club to see how they can extend the centre green to accomodate the Reds Football team !

I havent visited rough park for several years. There are two reasons...1. The track can be downright dangerous at times (just look at how many riders get injured there). 2. A section of the so called home "fans" are a disgrace to their club..they are compared to animals, due to their antagonistic attitude to visiting supporters, with them LAUGHING as a visiting rider is taken away by ambulance, swearing and making threats to away supporters etc etc. I am sorry if this offends genuine Diamonds fans, but it is a fact and I and my fellow Comets supporters have had experience of this quite often ! So you can understand why I am reluctant to visit !

Thats the whole point Steve....the clubs past experience is that foreign riders WILL NOT SIGN for a club these days, unless there is a big enough incentive to do so ! Plus, by the time the Comets management had received answers from the riders they wanted to sign, all decent alternative British Based riders would already have been snapped up by other clubs, leaving little quality to pick from to set up our team !

Geoff The situation that the club has been faced with for the last few seasons is this... Because of the "remoteness" of us as a town, and our distance from any major airport with decent flight destinations, then riders who do not live all year round in the UK, will not ride for us unless a van is provided ! It is too costly for them to purchase a van in March, and sell it in October ! If the club didnt offer them a van as an incentive to ride here, then they would simply choose a club that is nearer to an airport. That is the bottom line on it mate !

Hope to be bringing a few Comets supporters over with us for this one. Well done Mr Barker !

100 per cent CORRECT !

My fear is that even if they DO come to the tapes in 2020, we will already have lost even more people through the turnstiles.

Is all of that statement correct Sharon ?

Where are you Mr Trump ? !!! Lol Lol.

What Planet do you live on Jenga ? The words "Reward" and "BSPA" arent in the same dictionary ! Let alone "Cash Incentive" !! Cant say too much, but lets put it this way..to put into context what "rewards" they got as a club...shall we say that its "highly possible" that not all of the presentations to riders or club were paid for by the BSPA ! (Allegedly) You can make your own deductions from that.

A significant reason that the Comets cannot run this year, is just that...the sheer volume of meetings they were forced to fit in, within such a short space of time ! In other words, they were literally "victims of their own success" !! Whilst attendances were up on normal for a lot of those meetings, it STILL wasnt enough to pay off debts unfortunately.

You could always swap it for Whitley Bay ?

Oh...so you havent seen Trumps latest tweet about "Workington in the UK" then ?

Jenga.... as always...our upbeat, forward thinking, positive, friend...lol

Tut Tut !!!

But I have a sneaky feeling, if that is the case, that none of us will be around to see if that solution is found. !!

I would say its high on the managements list, to pay any riders unpaid wages (if that is true), asap, and I think that they wont want to move on until they have done so.

Totally Agree. People need to be positive, although I know its hard. The period on ice will give the club time to sort its debts out, and regroup and see where they are regarding running again. The way things worked out, and the fact that no one expected the club's season to last until the end of October, meant they had precious little time to assess their situation, before the AGM came along and they had to start talking about 2019 !!! Plus, although I know its unlikely, it gives a whole year almost for them to find new sponsors or for one to come along of his own volition. I think the period on ice will be an opportunity for them to run more special social events this year, all hopefully laid on to raise cash for the clubs future, and not least to ensure fans stay interested ! WATCH THIS SPACE !!

Hear Hear !

Have you not thought of the possibility that they were promised some cash injection, and as such they perhaps decided to go ahead with running this year on the strength of that promise ? And then, just perhaps,. that cash injection from whoever, didnt materialise ? In other words, "promises were broken" ?

"Not quite correct either as the riders are still assets of other clubs and as such resort back to that status just means they are back into he mix as riders without clubs; their status wont change also if any Workington assets are used they will still get the loan fees whilst the licence is on "Ice"" Absolutely 100 per cent correct THJ ! So the club hopefully will have some sort of income even when they are on ice !