Workington Comets manager Tony Jackson believes the club has put together a team of racers which can excite supporters as they look to defend their silverware next season.

Comets produced a clean sweep of the major silverware last season by lifting the SGB Championship league title, Knockout Cup and Championship Shield.

Mason Campton and Kyle Bickley will remain in that treble-winning team having signed for the new season, while former Comets Tero Aarnio, Bradley Wilson-Dean and Simon Lambert will be back in blue and white next year.

The team is completed by Great Britain international Steve Worrall, who was being tipped for a successful campaign before he sustained a broken leg in Scunthorpe’s first meeting of the season which set him back considerably.

Jackson, who is also a co-promoter for the club, hopes they have struck the right balance with a solid team built in a similar mould to last season’s all-conquering side.

“We’ve tried to make a balanced team again because it worked so well last year and I think it’s even more important this season,” he said.

“There should be a good atmosphere again and the team spirit which served us so well last year.

“Mason Campton had a bit of a breakthrough last year and I expect he’ll kick on again. 

“Kyle Bickley showed towards the end of last season what’s there and the way the reserve pairings are looking across the league, with more 2.00 riders, should help him and Josh MacDonald.

“Tero Aarnio had his best season last season, Bradley Wilson-Dean is better than a 6.00 rider and for Steve Worrall to be under 8.00 is a false average. And Simon Lambert rode for King’s Lynn and Peterborough last year and they finished top of the league.”

Jackson is keen for supporters to avoid comparing the much-changed team to the club’s most successful side ever and pointed out that teams are difficult to judge on paper after Comets were not fancied by many before last season.

“Supporters have got to remember it’s five points less for team-building than last year so it was obviously going to make a lot of difference to last year’s team,” he added.

“There’s a good blend of youth and experience so I’ve got quite high hopes.”