By John Connell

Last updated at 12:18, Saturday, 22 September 2012

Workington Comets’ owner is offering to give speedway fans a third of their cash back tonight in a last-ditch effort to save the team.

Keith Denham

Keith Denham’s move comes after fewer than 500 people watched Comets beat Glasgow last Saturday, prompting him to threaten to pull the plug on the club. But if 1,000 people pass through the gates today, the club will give them a £5 refund on the £15 entrance fee.

He said: “If the people of west Cumbria want speedway next season, turn up to the event.

“If they don’t come out, it will close.

“If they don’t come out, I have no chance of unloading it because it’s a dead duck.

“It takes £9,000 to run a match but when you get 500 in you have a problem.

“I agree £15 is too much but if there are only 500 people come it isn’t enough because you are not getting your costs back.”

The incentive was first mooted by supporters. Mr Denham said that the club was £3,000 down after only 495 people turned up last Saturday.

The poor turnout is a far cry from the 1,300 crowds at the ground earlier in the season, prompting Mr Denham to claim that the people of Workington had fallen out of love with speedway.

Mr Denham also revealed that he is seeking legal advice amid defamation claims after abuse was posted about him on speedway message forums.

Despite those claims, he stressed that many of the problems facing the Comets were UK-wide.

“The product itself is superb, second to none,” he said.

Mr Denham also believes that there are too many matches in the speedway calendar.

The Comets have the league cup, premier league, knock-out cup and the end-of-season play-off fixtures.

Mr Denham is contractually obliged by the Speedway Association to run the club for the remaining four weeks of the season.

First published at 10:50, Saturday, 22 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk