By Ian Waterhouse

Last updated 12:01, Tuesday, 25 November 2008

The news that Carl Stonehewer is to leave Workington Comets speedway team brings to an end a successful, decade-long association with the club.

• Related story: Carl Stonehewer: A photo tribute

Carl Stonehewer

Stonehewer, 36, is both the top points scorer as well as the highest appearance maker in the history of the club.

Comets fans thought that they had already lost him two years ago when he announced his retirement from the sport.

However, an injury crisis at the speedway side prompted his sensational return to Derwent Park in April 2007, and this season he achieved a long-held ambition of winning a seven-man title with the Comets.

Stonehewer has now been told that he is surplus to requirements for next season and is looking for another club.

He said: “At the moment I am hoping to continue my career in 2009, but I will wait and see what offers come along.

“I’m disappointed in the way my career has come to an end at Workington, because the vast majority of my best moments in speedway have been as a Comets rider.”

The popular Mancunian started out with his local side, Belle Vue Aces, before moving on to Peterborough, Long Eaton and Sheffield.

He had been racing for the Yorkshire side when he was brought in to captain Comets when speedway was reborn in the town in 1999.

Current team manager Ian Thomas was the man who recruited Stonehewer almost a decade ago.

He said: “I know when we were building the first team at the Comets for the re-launch, I had him up at Oily Johnnies to try and thrash out a deal but he didn’t agree terms.

“I then had to meet him and his father at a motorway service station where thankfully he did sign.”

From that moment Stonehewer was an instant success, becoming the first rider from the Premier League to qualify for the British Grand Prix, and was named Cumbria Sports Personality of the Year in 2001.

The county-wide recognition followed his achievement of winning three trophies in one season.

Stoney was Premier League Riders' champion, as well as winning the Premier Pairs and Premier Fours, and was ranked the 12th best rider in the world.

His popularity among the Comets’ fans was reflected in the fact that the annual Stoney Christmas Party became a must for many fans.

It sometimes took 45 minutes for him to sign the special Stoney calendars as the fans queued patiently.

He was also invited to turn on Workington’s Christmas lights.

On the track, he won the Premier League Best Pairs title with four different Comets team-mates, and also claimed the Premier League Individual Riders’ title for a second time.

However, Stoney’s career was to be struck a grievous blow in July 2005, when he suffered major tyre burns to his arm following a horrific crash at Derwent Park.

The injury meant that he needed skin grafts and was only able to be a spectator at his testimonial meeting at the end of that season.

Having missed the whole of the 2006 season, Stoney announced his retirement that November.

At the time, he spoke of his hope that Comets would win a seven-man trophy without him during the following season.

However, after he had ridden in the testimonial of ex-Comet Kevin Little, an injury crisis prompted Stoney’s return to the line-up in April last year.

His first race back showed that he had lost none of his competitive edge, taking victory in the very first heat and going on to score 11 points from four outings.

A second serious injury picked up at Edinburgh last season again led to questions being raised about the end of his career, but new Comets owner Keith Denham announced that Stonehewer would be retained at number three for 2008.

This move paid immediate dividends as Stonehewer produced a maximum 15-point haul in front of almost 2,500 fans in the season’s first race.

He rode in 32 matches for Comets during the team’s most successful season ever, and finished with an average of 7.42.

Stoney was also part of the side that won the Young Shield, which provided the Comets with their first seven-man title after a wait of 38 years.

Speaking at this month’s end-of-season awards night, Stonehewer revealed how pleased he had been to be the man that lifted the Young Shield, and also reflected on his two serious injuries.

“I’ve been the only captain of Workington to lift a seven-man trophy and I’m chuffed to bits with that,” he said.

“I’ve spent a few nights in hospital over the last few years and the pain isn’t nice.

“I’d like to thank the people that have stood by me - it hasn’t been easy and it’s not all gone my way.”

FACT FILE

•  Became the first rider from the second tier of British speedway to ride in the Grand Prix

•  Won the Premier League Best Pairs title on four occasions, with different team-mates on each occasion

•  Led Comets to two Premier League Fours titles

•  Cumbria Sports Personality of the Year in 2001 when he was Premier League Riders' champion, won the Premier Pairs and was also Fours champion

•  Only man in Comets history to lift a seven-man trophy