Derwent Park..update on Town RL forum

[cityrebel]

With an uncertain future, why commit to another year of heavy financial losses.

[A.N.Other]

9 hours ago, singy13 said:

All very confusing for this old lad....the talk at match yesterday was re the speedway track being lost to a new/enlarged grass pitch, to comply with FA rules (for the 'Reds) with the work on this starting in May......."it needs time to settle before soccer kicks off in August".

And with the RL World cup fixtures destined for the brand new stadium in Oct 2021 it is work of some urgency?( i.e. Borough Park, the Reds current home, is to be the site of this new venue.)

It seems a 'chicken and egg ' scenario to my puzzled mind.....i.e. surely if speedway did run they would thereby have been ousted mid-season to allow this pitch work being on schedule?

Whatever, it still leaves me hoping there is new venue on the horizon to stage speedway for Workington........and regarding that -  I still can't fathom out why Derwent Park is scheduled for demolition.....now where's my tablets.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2019 by A.N.Other
error

[A.N.Other]

4 hours ago, singy13 said:

This is harder to grasp than flippin' Brexit.......

..I'm not really arguing THJ you have more friends in speedway circles (and Maryport pubs lol) than I do, so am often pleased for your info sharing...good reading.

However if it was "purely financial" , re Comets crashing out, then why on earth did they sign up 7 riders ready for 2019??? It just doesn't add up to this bonzo.

I'll try to guess the answer in that folk who were promising to 'divvy up the cash', to help the promotion, backed out at the last minute?

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. 

[topaz325]

I wouldn’t believe everything you read in the BSF.

[jenga]

25 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

I wouldn’t believe everything you read in the BSF.

yep , i agree with that topaz . i am a plum , but i dont come from Plumland . .! ..for you out of townies , that a village near Wigton  .. between  Maryport and 

Carlisle . but i know someone who lives  in the area ..... . 

[moomin man 76]

There is a great deal about this whole sorry situation that doesn't quite add up. I wouldn't claim to have the inside track on what was said/discussed by whom, but I do know that the promotion openly stated that they would be refunding those who purchased season tickets.

Has anyone actually received a refund? I know I have not and I have got to the point, where I am seriously considering taking legal advice...

[SteelShoe]

It's my opinion that THJ is on point re all he has stated about this sorry situation. Derwent Park would have been available to the Comets over say the next 3 to 5 years. Unfortunately the perplexing financial situation precluded that happening. Another home would have to be found eventually but i still live in hope that something may hopefully develop.

[scaramanga]

On ‎3‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 1:53 PM, singy13 said:

Thankyou.UTT

By the way I didn't write the above....just copied it as I think it provides some useful info as to the Comets future, and perhaps reasons why 2019 suddenly/regretfully became a no-goer?

if some of the rumours are right speedway was all set for 2019 if only some who claim they wanted speedway were willing to come down from the high chair a little (and for the good of the sport)

 

 

[scaramanga]

On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 5:15 PM, gregory peck said:

So it appears that the landlords have evicted the tenants, thought it was strange to name the team then literally pull the plug a week later,and  cite finances as the reason,maybe hear more about it but something doesn't feel right 

think your on the wrong track there 

but safe to say speedway or at least the current speedway setup wont be back at Derwent park

 

[scaramanga]

On ‎3‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 3:14 PM, geoff100 said:

Easy to say but just dont pay them, if u dont order something u cant be expected to pay others to do it , see them in court.

as with all tenants 

there will have been something in contract about leaving as you found it 

 

im also gutted that speedway has been lost to the area 

especially in the way it has 

Workington town almost always had a bitter grudge against the speedway jealousy is a very nasty thing 

im no rugby fan but I do have close friends who are connected to the rugby club aswell as close friends who were involved with the speedway in the past  so I do know a thing or two about the goings on behind the scenes in the past (not so much in recent years)

 

[TotallyHonestJohn]

On 4/1/2019 at 2:56 PM, singy13 said:

This is harder to grasp than flippin' Brexit.......

..I'm not really arguing THJ you have more friends in speedway circles (and Maryport pubs lol) than I do, so am often pleased for your info sharing...good reading.

However if it was "purely financial" , re Comets crashing out, then why on earth did they sign up 7 riders ready for 2019??? It just doesn't add up to this bonzo.

I'll try to guess the answer in that folk who were promising to 'divvy up the cash', to help the promotion, backed out at the last minute?

 

On 4/1/2019 at 7:22 PM, A.N.Other said:

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 believe that this in effect cost the club £5000, as they subsequently had to notify the BSPA that they now COULDN'T 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. 

A.N.Other has it spot on

If the finances had been in place before the BSPA AGM there would not have been a problem, the Comets would have run. When the "local businessman" came in Laura thought this would be a better route in financing the club rather than the LLP proposal and went down that route. The club's licence would/could have gone "On Ice" at this AGM meeting and it would have cost them nothing, and they would not have started the team building process; However due to intervention by the Council and this "Local Businessman" this gave the false sense of security that the support would be there and in place to run and back the team in 2019, so the promotion went ahead with building the team; unfortunately nothing was forthcoming and we are where we are; and the promotion had to pay £5000 to put the licence "On Ice" post AGM.

The only saving there has been is the £3000 fine the club got for not running the last meeting of the season against Lakeside in 2018 which also went "On Ice" for 12 months and will be waived at the end of the 2019 season if no further fixture transgressions occur! obviously this will not happen with the club not running.

Keith Denham spent an awful lot of money and time setting up the track at DP and as such it could be classed as an asset of the club as without a track you can not race and how this can be ripped up unilaterally is beyond me. If the Speedway does comes back who pays for the reinstatement of the track? It is just another hurdle to overcome and I fear another nail in the coffin.

Regards
THJ

[geoff100]

I remember when a town director ran stock cars  he claimed the track belonged to town as landlords when tony mole wasnt happy with track getting ripped, so if that the case they should pay the costs for work now, did those big tyres ever get moved??

[singy13]

1 hour ago, geoff100 said:

I remember when a town director ran stock cars  he claimed the track belonged to town as landlords when tony mole wasnt happy with track getting ripped, so if that the case they should pay the costs for work now, did those big tyres ever get moved??

Those 'big tyres' are still on site along with other rubbish.

Edited April 3, 2019 by singy13

[jenga]

tyres can be recycled @ the workington recycling plant . its free .  size maybe a prob though . 

[TotallyHonestJohn]

28 minutes ago, jenga said:

tyres can be recycled @ the Workington recycling plant . its free .  size maybe a prob though . 

From what I hear Jenga "Size has always been your problem"

Regards
THJ

[jenga]

2 hours ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

From what I hear Jenga "Size has always been your problem"

Regards
THJ

you hear correctly . i wish i had a smaller one .we can exchange if you want  !

[singy13]

20 hours ago, scaramanga said:

im no rugby fan but I do have close friends who are connected to the rugby club aswell as close friends who were involved with the speedway in the past  so I do know a thing or two about the goings on behind the scenes in the past (not so much in recent years)

I am a Town fan, and a Comets fan.....yes some Town officials didn't like speedway.

I worked, voluntary, for Town for many years and I've lost count how many arguments I won (lol) on behalf of the speedway.

The main bone of contention from the RL side of Derwent Park hierarchy was simply how untidy the stadium looked after several loads of shale had been scattered onto the terracing by the bikes.

Also anger was paramount regarding riders zooming out of the pits (on 2 min warning) and crossing the turf...it was a rule that no bikes were allowed on the grass. Another regular comment was re speedway in general.... for instance the much disliked 'guest system'....e.g. how could Stoney be allowed to ride for title rivals Newcastle, and top score, then ride for his Comets team against Diamonds?...comments were made comparing speedway to WWE...oh dear.

Well I assume we all didn't/don't love the guest system, although Sean Wilson was always welcome to wear the blue and white. 

But other Town officials did honestly agree the financial gain for rent and bar profits did help the RL hosts through some dark days.........now Workington speedway is in urgent need of high finance.....but ?????

[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. 

[Neila]

3 hours ago, A.N.Other said:

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. 

Town are susposed to vacate Derwent park in may for a new pitch to be installed, return in June, the last ever reds match at borough park is around 22 April then reds will play at a lower level (Sunday !!) league from August at Derwent park, but shhhh nothing official yet !! Then in 2021 the new bells and whistles super douber new 8000 capacity stadium will open, but I doubt they Will get 8000 in total over a full season in there, white elephants spring to mind

[TotallyHonestJohn]

5 hours ago, jenga said:

you hear correctly . i wish i had a smaller one .we can exchange if you want  !

Not sure what you're on about there Biffa I was referring to your brain and if you had one more brain cell than you have now it would be lonely... Honestly...

Regards 

THJ 

Edited April 3, 2019 by TotallyHonestJohn
Missed out word