Workington Comets

Workington Comets
Club information
Track address	GT Tyres Arena Northside Speedway Workington Cumbria
Country	England
Founded	1970, 2022
Closed	2018
Promoter	Andrew Bain/Steve Lawson
Team manager	James Denham
Team captain	Troy Batchelor
League	SGB Championship
Website	Official Website
Club facts
Colours	Blue and White
Track size	302 metres
Track record time	55.6
Track record date	20 April 2024
Track record holder	Craig Cook
Current team
Rider CMA Troy Batchelor Fraser Bowes Tate Zischke Antti Vuolas Jye Etheridge Vinnie Foord Jacob Hook
Major team honours
tier 2 League champions 2018 tier 2 Knockout Cup winners 2018 tier 2 Pairs champions 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012 tier 2 Fours champions 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 Young Shield 2008, 2009, 2010 Challenge Shield Winners 2018

The Workington Comets are a British motorcycle speedway club, based in Workington, Cumbria based at the Northside Speedway track (known as the GT Tyres Arena for sponsorship purposes). The team previously operated from 1970 to 2018 and were based at Derwent Park Stadium. ^[1] They re-opened in 2022, competing during the 2023 National Development League speedway season. ^{[2] [3]}

History

1970s

Derwent Park, Workington's first home

Speedway began in Workington after a successful application was made by the promotion team for a licence to race at Derwent Park for the 1970 season. ^[4] The promoters were Ian Thomas and Jeff Brownhut and the rugby pitch required moving 25 yards sideways to accommodate the speedway track. ^[5]

The team's inaugural league season was the 1970 British League Division Two season and the opening fixture was held on 3 April against Berwick Bandits in a Border Trophy match. ^[6] The team finished the season in 11th place. ^[7]

The 1973 season resulted in the team finishing runner-up to Boston Barracudas, a season which saw number 1 rider Lou Sansom top the league averages with an average of 10.56. ^[8] After a third place finish in 1976, the Comets struggled near the foot of the table from 1977 to 1979. ^[9]

1980s

The new decade resulted in even worse results, the Comets lost 36 of their 38 matches in 1980 and only fared a little better in 1981. This led to the teams' withdrawal from the league just before the start of the 1982 season. ^[10]

Speedway returned to Derwent Park in 1987, when Glasgow Tigers arrived to race, while searching for a new home. ^[11] However the team changed its name to Workington Tigers soon afterwards but held their last fixture against Stoke on 31 July. The team's results were expunged. ^[12] It was the last season of speedway at Workington for twelve years.

Return & 2000s

• 
  Simon Stead, pairs and fours winner
• 
  James Wright, 2007 Riders' champion

The Comets returned in 1999, when Ian Thomas, together with Tony Mole brought back the team to race in the Premier League (division 2). They also made a star signing by recruiting Carl Stonehewer, ^[13] who with Brent Werner won the Premier League Pairs Championship. ^{[14] [15]}

Stonehewer was not only Workington's top rider but was the stand out rider in the Premier League, winning the Riders' Championship in 2000 and 2001, the pairs in 2000, 2001 and 2003 and the Premier League Four-Team Championship in 2001 and 2004. James Wright replaced Stonehewer in 2006 but continued to help Workington win trophies by leading the team to the fours title again. Wright then won the Riders' Championship in 2007. The following season in 2008, the Comets won the Young Shield, pairs and fours and in 2009, there were Young Shield and fours successes. ^[16] The return of speedway in Workington had provided a golden era.

Off the track and at the end of the 2007 season, the club had been sold by promoter Tony Mole to businessman Keith Denham. ^{[17] [18]}

2010s

Despite several team changes taking place in 2010, the Comets won a third consecutive Young Shield and two seasons later in 2012 won the pairs, courtesy of Adam Roynon and René Bach. ^{[19] [20]} Craig Cook topped the league averages in 2017.

In October 2018, the Comets won the SGB Championship for the first time in their history. ^[21] In the same month, the Comets completed a treble with Knockout Cup and Championship Shield victories. ^[22] Despite such a successful season, it was announced in January 2019 that the Comets were withdrawing from the SGB Championship for financial reasons. ^{[23] [24]}

2020s

In 2021, the return of speedway to Workington was announced, with the previous Northside training track in the town being redeveloped for league racing. The team, under the control of local businessman Andrew Bain, were set to enter the 2022 National League but a series of vandalism incidents at the circuit pushed this back a year. ^[25] Having received permission to use the 'Comets' nickname, the club returned to action for the 2023 National Development League speedway season. ^[3] Following their successful return in 2023, they announced that for the 2024 season they would move up a division and duly competed in the SGB Championship. ^[26]

Notable riders

• René Bach
• Neil Collins
• Craig Cook
• Rusty Harrison
• Peter Ingvar Karlsson
• Daniel Nermark
• Kauko Nieminen
• Taffy Owen
• Mick Powell
• Adam Roynon
• Lou Sansom
• Simon Stead
• Carl Stonehewer
• Brent Werner
• James Wright

Season summary

Extended content

Year and league Position Notes 1970 British League Division Two season 11th 1971 British League Division Two season 15th 1972 British League Division Two season 7th 1973 British League Division Two season 2nd 1974 British League Division Two season 4th 1975 New National League season 6th 1976 National League season 3rd 1977 National League season 16th 1978 National League season 14th 1979 National League season 15th 1980 National League season 20th 1981 National League season 19th 1987 National League season N/A withdrew, results expunged 1999 Premier League speedway season 11th 2000 Premier League speedway season 5th 2001 Premier League speedway season 6th 2002 Premier League speedway season 15th 2003 Premier League speedway season 9th 2004 Premier League speedway season 2nd 2005 Premier League speedway season 7th 2006 Premier League speedway season 7th 2007 Premier League speedway season 7th 2008 Premier League speedway season 5th Young Shield, Premier League Pairs & Fours 2009 Premier League speedway season 7th Young Shield 2010 Premier League speedway season 6th Young Shield 2011 Premier League speedway season 4th 2012 Premier League speedway season 4th 2013 Premier League speedway season 5th 2014 Premier League speedway season 6th 2015 Premier League speedway season 8th 2016 Premier League speedway season 7th SGB Championship 2017 8th SGB Championship 2018 3rd Champions (won PO) & Knockout Cup winners SGB Championship 2024 4th

Honours

SGB Championship

• Winners: 2018

SGB Championship Knockout Cup

• Winners: 2018

SGB Championship Shield

• Winners: 2018

Young Shield

• Winners: 2008, 2009, 2010

Premier League Four-Team Championship
Winners: 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009

Premier League Riders Championship

• 2000 Carl Stonehewer
• 2001 Carl Stonehewer
• 2007 James Wright

Premier League Pairs Championship

• 1999 Carl Stonehewer with Brent Werner
• 2000 Carl Stonehewer with Mick Powell
• 2001 Carl Stonehewer with Peter I. Karlsson
• 2003 Carl Stonehewer with Simon Stead
• 2008 Kauko Nieminen with Daniel Nermark
• 2012 René Bach with Adam Roynon

References

1. Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN   0-7524-2210-3
2. "Workington Comets will ride again next year". Cumbria Crack. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
3. "Comets taking shape". British Speedway. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
4. "Speedway" . Derby Daily Telegraph. 21 November 1969. Retrieved 3 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "New Track" . Sports Argus. 4 October 1969. Retrieved 3 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "1970 season" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
7. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
8. "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
9. "British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
10. "No qualifier for Potters" . Staffordshire Sentinel. 27 February 1982. Retrieved 3 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Speedway" . Daily Record. 13 May 1987. Retrieved 3 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "Workington Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
13. "Carl joins Mole at the Comets" . Long Eaton Advertiser. 14 January 1999. Retrieved 3 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "1999 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
15. "Speedway" . Reading Evening Post. 26 July 1999. Retrieved 27 May 2023– via British Newspaper Archive.
16. Bamford, Robert (1 March 2007). Tempus Speedway Yearbook 2007. NPI Media Group. ISBN   978-0-7524-4250-1.
17. "My Plans for the Comets". News and Star. 1 November 2007. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
18. "I'll rev up the Comets". News and Star. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
19. "2012 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
20. "Adam Roynon profile". Cradley Speedway. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
21. "Comets are Champions". Official British Speedway website. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
22. "Comets are Champions". Official British Speedway website. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
23. "COMETS WITHDRAWN FROM CHAMPIONSHIP!". workingtoncomets.co. 14 January 2019. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
24. "WORKINGTON WITHDRAW - British Speedway Official Website". speedwaygb.co.uk. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
25. "Speedway set for surprise return to Workington in plans led by Comets legend".
26. "Comets moving up". British Speedway. Retrieved 18 October 2023.