It hasn’t taken long for Workington Comets skipper Craig Cook to be snapped up by Championship rivals.
Within hours of the 37-year-old West Cumbrian taking to Facebook to announce his surprise at being allowed to leave the Comets, he was being unveiled by Berwick Bandits as their new number one.
On their official website the Bandits announced: “Having been one of the biggest thorns in our side this Millennium, it’s a delight to know that Craig Cook will be sporting the famous Bandits’ number one racesuit in 2025.
“Once it became clear after this week’s British Speedway AGM that the 37-year-old former Grand Prix star was not returning to Workington, our management team moved quickly to secure his signature.”
Team manager Stewart Dickson admitted. “It was a no-brainer. When riders of Craig’s calibre become available you don’t have to think too hard about what he can offer to the team.
“I worked with him at Leicester in the Premiership in both 2023 and 2024 so I know the quality he brings first-hand. It is a very significant step towards our mission to build a team capable of competing for silverware on all fronts in 2025.”
The website continued: “A shoulder injury in Lions’ colours ended Craig’s 2024 campaign prematurely but he has spent the winter working hard in the boxing gym to ensure he is fully fit for the new campaign.
“The rider, from Whitehaven, brings an impressive CV with him after being crowned British Champion in 2017 and a full-time member of the 2018 Grand Prix series. No Berwick fan needs reminding of just how well he rides Shielfield Park.
“Since making his debut for Workington in 2009, Craig has rattled up over 4,700 league and cup points in the second tier with the Comets, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Peterborough along with a further 2,000 in the top flight, predominantly with Belle Vue.
“Impressive enough stats but at Shielfield Park he has been devastating and, of course, recorded the fastest four laps of the stadium, his 62.8 seconds in 2015 a tenth of a second faster than Dan Bewley’s official figure around the shortened and widened circuit in 2020.
“His previous dozen official visits produced an average return of 12.75 points per meeting and there are three full maximums – one in Glasgow colours and two as a Monarch.
“And that’s the type of scoring that both rider and club are looking to bring to the table in 2025 as, along with skipper Rory Schlein, Danyon Hume and Drew Kemp – in addition to the three remaining Bandits – he looks to secure the Bandits’ first play-off qualification.”
