geoff100 Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 9 minutes ago, comet49 said: Yeh, shame more didn’t go, never seen costs outlined like that. I can understand paying for flights for riders but van hire shoudnt be down to laura ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenga Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) why have riders got these all singing and dancing vehicles . next thing they will be hiring bikes for the season and expect promoters to pay for them . get back to basics or the sport is dead . there is no coming back from the dead . going out to test drive my new H18TORY BEANIE HAT . get one now and beat the cold . on E BAY or from OFFICIAL COMETS ONLINE SHOP . t Edited February 3, 2019 by jenga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.N.Other Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 2 hours ago, geoff100 said: I can understand paying for flights for riders but van hire shoudnt be down to laura ! 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 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 1 hour ago, A.N.Other said: 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 ! Riders dont have to buy a van though, Rentruck have 45 available for hire. I have huge sympathy for Laura Morgan and the position Workington Speedway finds itself in, but reading this article it seems Workington were paying money for riders living costs. https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17404834.taking-a-season-out-will-give-us-time-to-save-the-comets/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR0SEKtkCelP3wH-0NtVGWmSrWGKvzfYrPL8LGICNIwwjJ6g778T6HNVhZY 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penchev Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, screm said: Riders dont have to buy a van though, Rentruck have 45 available for hire. I have huge sympathy for Laura Morgan and the position Workington Speedway finds itself in, but reading this article it seems Workington were paying money for riders living costs. https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17404834.taking-a-season-out-will-give-us-time-to-save-the-comets/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR0SEKtkCelP3wH-0NtVGWmSrWGKvzfYrPL8LGICNIwwjJ6g778T6HNVhZY Ridiculous amounts of money no wonder clubs are in trouble 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byker Biker Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 What Laura has described is no different to any other club in the top 2 leagues it is the scale of it that brings Promoters to their knees. All of the northern clubs have over the years struggled to get Midlands and southern based riders to join them. Pre Facennas Glasgow was wholly reliant on "sponsorship" to get a decent rider there (Like Danny Bird), Edinburgh likewise and Berwick even bought/rented a house for the Czech contingent. Ironically it was Peterborough then in the top league and Newport in the PL that were to my knowledge the first teams to provide 7 riders with 7 vans all cutely signwritten. Fuel, tyres, insurance, mechanics and living allowances are not unusual at all but it is the Promoters who are armholes when they don't want to meet those demands and even worse when they close a club because of it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenga Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, screm said: Riders dont have to buy a van though, Rentruck have 45 available for hire. I have huge sympathy for Laura Morgan and the position Workington Speedway finds itself in, but reading this article it seems Workington were paying money for riders living costs. https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17404834.taking-a-season-out-will-give-us-time-to-save-the-comets/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR0SEKtkCelP3wH-0NtVGWmSrWGKvzfYrPL8LGICNIwwjJ6g778T6HNVhZY its heartbreaking reading that from the local paper . everything that could have been done to save the club , has been done , you can now see just why every young gun thats decent on a bike wants to ride speedway . free vans and stuff are making this glorious sport extinct . the sport cant and will not survive much longer and thats not just in workington .. so who is to blame ? the fans that dont come anymore , the entrance fee too high , or has boredom really set into our great sport . the new ish thumb brigade get their excitement from moving buttons about now and sucking fizzy drink that gives you wings ! i , like many others will lose our Saturday speedway fix and if the costs keep going up and up . we will never see speedway at workington again . but if its not to be , then so be it . but we said goodbye in the best way . . anyone that has promoted or had dealings with running a speedway circus deserves more than . a pat on the back . it shows how the sport is being run by the goonies when they lose the shield trophy and cant/wont even pay for a few medals for the riders competing in the finals . remember , just support your team till the bitter end, because one day it might be . (i have not spell checked or read this , so there will be mistakes ) Edited February 3, 2019 by jenga yep , just added the word BEST TRIPLE WINNERS IN 2018 .. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 3 hours ago, A.N.Other said: 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 ! Don't sign them then. I'm quite sure other riders would have signed without the extra cost to the promotion. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Unless costs come down across the board, speedway will struggle to survive as a professional sport. The fans can't afford what the promotors want and the promoters can't afford what the riders want. It's a vicious circle that has to end eventually. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Are the costs really too high for a 2nd tier professional sports team? An attendance of just 750 would see a break even position There are other clubs with higher crowds and we hear few if any clubs are making profits. This must mean those clubs have even higher costs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff100 Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 5 hours ago, A.N.Other said: 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 ! Point taking rider power wins the day i know am old school but remember the good old days of trailors and bikes on car racks and riders with day jobs ! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin man 76 Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 (edited) If the figures quoted in the News & Star article are true, it is evidently clear that without Laura Morgan, Workington speedway would have folded years ago. Like others, I am grateful for the fact that she kept Workington going for so long. The only sour taste in my mouth is the fact that having invested in a season ticket for the 2019 season at Workington, I am still waiting for the promised refund. On two separate occasions, my wife has made contact with the promotion to be assured that 'we will post out the refund next week,' for no refund to be forthcoming. Refund or no refund, I am now faced with the prospect of a two hour drive to see any speedway; in reality, I am all but certainly going to be a fan lost to the sport, or someone who will watch the sport from the periphery. Edited February 3, 2019 by moomin man 76 Spelling error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neila Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Yea 2 hours plus to see speedway, I did it after we closed in 1981, but then I was young and daft with money to buy petrol which was relatively cheap,and traveled all over the country and to overseas world finals, now I'm older and more sensible !!! And petrol more expensive and takes longer to get to places, so will have to be more selective on my travels, going to Warsaw gp for 3 nites cheaper than Cardiff for 2 nites, so maybe more of this to be done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 1 hour ago, moomin man 76 said: If the figures quoted in the News & Star article are true, it is evidently clear that without Laura Morgan, Workington speedway would have folded years ago. Like others, I am grateful for the fact that she kept Workington going for so long. The only sour taste in my mouth is the fact that having invested in a season ticket for the 2019 season at Workington, I am still waiting for the promised refund. On two separate occasions, my wife has made contact with the promotion to be assured that 'we will post out the refund next week,' for no refund to be forthcoming. Refund or no refund, I am now faced with the prospect of a two hour drive to see any speedway; in reality, I am all but certainly going to be a fan lost to the sport, or someone who will watch the sport from the periphery. 15 minutes ago, Neila said: Yea 2 hours plus to see speedway, I did it after we closed in 1981, but then I was young and daft with money to buy petrol which was relatively cheap,and traveled all over the country and to overseas world finals, now I'm older and more sensible !!! And petrol more expensive and takes longer to get to places, so will have to be more selective on my travels, going to Warsaw gp for 3 nites cheaper than Cardiff for 2 nites, so maybe more of this to be done Why don't you get together and come across to Newcastle on a Sunday night starting at 6.30pm. Plenty of time to get home after the meeting and Half petrol costs should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenga Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 10 minutes ago, Tsunami said: Why don't you get together and come across to Newcastle on a Sunday night starting at 6.30pm. Plenty of time to get home after the meeting and Half petrol costs should be good. i dont think Newcastle is a fav track for any workington fans . . now Redcar is a totally different animal .. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 25 minutes ago, jenga said: i dont think Newcastle is a fav track for any workington fans . . now Redcar is a totally different animal .. Too easy to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neila Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 11 hours ago, Tsunami said: Why don't you get together and come across to Newcastle on a Sunday night starting at 6.30pm. Plenty of time to get home after the meeting and Half petrol costs should be good. Thanks for the invite but rough park is one of my least favourite tracks, it was bad enough going to watch comets beat the diamonds, never mind coming to watch any team beat the diamonds no offence 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWC Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 Workington like other clubs relied on riders from the Premiership and visa verse. So who pays for the van and accommodation? The doubling up and down has, in my view accelerated the decline of clubs at this level. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.N.Other Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 18 hours ago, StevePark said: Don't sign them then. I'm quite sure other riders would have signed without the extra cost to the promotion. 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 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.N.Other Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 14 hours ago, Tsunami said: Why don't you get together and come across to Newcastle on a Sunday night starting at 6.30pm. Plenty of time to get home after the meeting and Half petrol costs should be good. 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 ! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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