Glasgow Tigers (speedway)

Glasgow Tigers are a motorcycle speedway team from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1928, the club adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and compete in the British SGB Championship. The team race at Ashfield Stadium, the home of Ashfield F.C., and celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2021.

Glasgow Tigers
Club information
Track addressAshfield Stadium
Possilpark
Glasgow
CountryScotland
Founded1928
PromoterAlan Dick & Michael Max
Team managerCameron Brown
Team captainChris Harris
LeagueSGB Championship
Websiteglasgowtigers.co.uk
Club facts
ColoursRed and White
Track size306 metres (335 yd) (pre 2011 302 metres (330 yd))
Track record time55.08 seconds
Track record date21 May 2021
Track record holderScott Nicholls
Current team
Rider CMA
England Chris Harris
England Steve Worrall
England Leon Flint
Australia James Pearson
England Paul Starke
England Lee Complin
Scotland Ace Pijper
Major team honours
League Div. 2 champions1993, 1994, 2011, 2023
Knockout Cup Div. 2 winners1993, 1994, 2016
League Div. 2 Pairs champions2005, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2023

History edit

1928 to 1945 edit

Glasgow Speedway was formed in 1928 and were initially based at the White City Stadium on Paisley Road West in Ibrox, Glasgow (close to Rangers F.C.'s Ibrox Stadium). Other venues were also operating open meetings around this time at Carntyne Stadium, Celtic Park and Nelson Athletic Grounds in the Gallowgate area of the city. White City had been built in 1928 as a greyhound track and hosted speedway in the 1930 and 1931 Northern League and the 1939 Open/ACU Trophy. White City staged meetings from 1928 until 1931 and again from 1939 (Glasgow Lions) to 1940 and finally in 1945.[1]

1946 to 1968 edit

The Tigers raced at White City intermittently (1946 until 1954, 1956, and 1964 until 1968). Johnnie Hoskins was the promoter in 1945 and he handed the role over to his son Ian who promoted from 1946 to 1953. The track promoted two meetings staged in 1954 and ex-Tigers Tommy Miller and Junior Bainbridge were responsible for a short-lived venture in 1956. Trevor Redmond, in concert with the Hoskins family, reopened the track at White City in 1964 and rode for the Tigers that season before finally retiring as a rider. He continued as promoter until 1967. The team finished in 13th place during the inaugural 1965 British League season.[2] The history of the White City era is covered in "Tigers at White City Glasgow Speedway 1928 to 1968" London League Publications Ltd. (2023)

1969 to 1972 edit

The Tigers moved to Hampden Park in 1969 in anticipation of the White City stadium demolition to make way for the M8 motorway through Glasgow. White City did not close until a few years later.

1973 to 1986 edit

In 1973 the club moved to Coatbridge and became the Coatbridge Tigers, riding at Cliftonhill, home of Albion Rovers F. C. The Tigers remained there until they moved to Blantyre in the middle of the 1977 season and re-introduced the name Glasgow Tigers. The Tigers rode in two stadiums in Blantyre, firstly at the Blantyre Greyhound Stadium. The bends at this track were unusual; the first and second bends were sweeping whilst the third and fourth were pointed giving the track an egg-shape. This stadium was demolished in advance of the construction of the East Kilbride Expressway and the Tigers moved in 1982 to Craighead Park. The track at Craighead Park was shoe-horned into a football stadium but was a more traditional oval shape.

1987 edit

In 1987 the Tigers moved to Derwent Park in Workington and although they started the year named as Glasgow, they were renamed Workington Tigers for the rest of what was an uncompleted season. This was the only time in the team's history that they have been based in England.

1988 to 1998 edit

In 1988, the club returned to Glasgow when they moved into Shawfield Stadium, Rutherglen. The Tigers achieved a 'double double' feat in 1993 and 1994, winning both the British League Division Two Championship and Knockout Cup in consecutive years. The Tigers remained at Shawfield with the exception of the 1996 season when the poorly supported Scottish Monarchs rode there in top flight speedway.

1999 to 2020 edit

In 1999 the club moved to its current home at the Ashfield Stadium in Possilpark when the speedway track replaced an old greyhound racing track.[3] The best placed finish from 1999 to 2010 was third place in 2006.

Prior to the 2011 season the club embarked on significant changes to the Ashfield track, extending its length by 17 meters on the inside, but more significantly widening the bends and increasing the banking, especially on bends three and four, opening up new racing lines in an effort to up the entertainment value of the meetings. Therefore, the final track record for the 302 meter track was 56.2s by Shane Parker on 8 August 2009. The Tigers won their first Premier League title in October 2011 in addition to the Pairs Championship.

With debts still hanging over the club at the end of the 2012 season, following the track alterations and championship season, club owners A&S Entertainments decided to sell the club, a new company was created with several key fans taking control of the club prior to the 2013 season. The club logo was also re-branded with the change of company, the old logo continues to be the club badge, and is still used for the Hall of Fame. In 2015, the stadium went under a multi-million pound redevelopment. In 2016, the Tigers won the Premier League KO cup against Newcastle Diamonds.

At the end of the 2017 season, work got underway to redevelop the track itself to create better racing. The track got widened and improved drainage was installed to help prevent rain-offs. For the 2018 season, the Tigers signed Chris Harris and Craig Cook, who replaced Richie Worrall. The 2019 season saw the Tigers finish in second place in the SGB Championship. They reached the Play-Off Finals, but fell short by losing to league winners Leicester Lions by two points but did win the Pairs Championship. British speedway was cancelled for 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic with only a few individual meetings getting underway behind closed-doors.

2021 to present edit

In 2021, the Tigers finished runners-up in the 2021 SGB Championship play-off finals against the Poole Pirates, who completed a season double.[4] In 2023, the team won the SGB Championship league title after winning the play offs and gaining revenge over Poole for their 2021 and 2022 losses. Having already won the pairs title with Chris Harris and Benjamin Basso, Glasgow signed Russian Vadim Tarasenko late in the season, which proved to be the catalyst for winning the play offs, defeating Oxford Cheetahs and Poole to claim only their fourth ever division 2 title.[5]

Logos edit

Old Logo New Logo
   

Season summary edit

Extended content
Year and league League Position Notes
1930 Speedway Northern League 10th as White City
1931 Speedway Northern League 6th withdrew, results stood
1946 Speedway Northern League 6th
1947 Speedway National League Division Two 8th
1948 Speedway National League Division Two 6th as White City
1949 Speedway National League Division Two 8th
1950 Speedway National League Division Two 2nd
1951 Speedway National League Division Two 10th as White City
1952 Speedway National League Division Two 5th as White City
1953 Speedway National League Division Two 4th as White City
1964 Provincial Speedway League 12th
1965 British League season 13th
1966 British League season 8th
1967 British League season 13th
1968 British League season 19th
1969 British League season 8th
1970 British League season 8th
1971 British League season 16th
1972 British League season 14th
1975 New National League season 12th as Coatbridge Tigers
1976 National League season 7th
1977 National League season 11th
1978 National League season 9th
1979 National League season 7th
1980 National League season 11th
1981 National League season 5th
1982 National League season 11th
1983 National League season 13th
1984 National League season 11th
1985 National League season 17th
1986 National League season 18th
1987 National League season N/A based at Workington, results expunged
1988 National League season 10th
1989 National League season 9th
1990 National League season 4th
1991 British League Division Two season 2nd
1992 British League Division Two season 3rd
1993 British League Division Two season 1st champions & Knockout Cup winners
1994 British League Division Two season 1st champions & Knockout Cup winners
1995 Premier League speedway season 7th
1997 Premier League speedway season 6th
1998 Premier League speedway season 7th
1999 Premier League speedway season 12th
2000 Premier League speedway season 9th
2001 Premier League speedway season 13th
2002 Premier League speedway season 17th
2003 Premier League speedway season 12th
2004 Premier League speedway season 11th
2005 Premier League speedway season 12th
2006 Premier League speedway season 3rd
2007 Premier League speedway season 8th
2008 Premier League speedway season 15th
2009 Premier League speedway season 13th
2010 Premier League speedway season 13th
2011 Premier League speedway season 1st
2012 Premier League speedway season 8th
2013 Premier League speedway season 13th
2014 Premier League speedway season 11th
2015 Premier League speedway season 3rd PO final
2016 Premier League speedway season 2nd PO semi final
SGB Championship 2017 4th
SGB Championship 2018 2nd PO semi final
SGB Championship 2019 2nd PO final
SGB Championship 2021 2nd PO final
SGB Championship 2022 2nd PO semi final
SGB Championship 2023 3rd Champions & Pairs winners

Riders previous seasons edit

Extended content

2006 team

2007 team

Also Rode:

2008 team

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2009 team

2010 team

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2011 team

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2012 team

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2013 team

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2015 team

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2016 team

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2017 team

2018 team

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2019 team

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2021 team

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2022 team

Notable riders edit

STARs Hall Of Fame edit

Other notable riders edit

Club honours edit

Division Two league winners edit

Champions: 1993, 1994, 2011, 2023.[6]

Division Two Knock Out Cup edit

Winners: 1993, 1994, 2016[6]

Pairs champions edit

Champions: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2023.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
  2. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 100. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
  3. ^ Henry, J. & Moultray, I. (2001). Speedway in Scotland. ISBN 0-7524-2229-4
  4. ^ "Pirates are Champions". British Speedway website. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Tigers take title glory". Glasgow Tigers Speedway. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Oakes, P (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0.