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Glasgow Tigers (speedway)
Encyclopedia
The 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 Premier League
. The team race at Saracen Park, the home of Ashfield F.C.
, and celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2006.
's Ibrox Stadium
). Other venues were also operating open meetings around this time at Carntyne Greyhound 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.
The Tigers raced at White City intermittently (1946 until 1954, 1956, and 1964 until 1968) before moving to Hampden Park
in 1969 after the White City stadium was demolished to make way for the M8 motorway through Glasgow. 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.
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 Blantyre Sports Stadium which was a 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.
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
. 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 Premier League
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. 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..
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 8th August 2009.
The Tigers won their first Premier League title in October 2011.
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
team from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Formed in 1928, the club adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and compete in the British Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
. The team race at Saracen Park, the home of Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield F.C.
Ashfield Football Club are a Scottish football club from Possilpark in the North of Glasgow. Formed in 1886, they are based at Saracen Park, which they share with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team...
, and celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2006.
Brief history
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.Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
's Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
). Other venues were also operating open meetings around this time at Carntyne Greyhound Stadium, Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
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.
The Tigers raced at White City intermittently (1946 until 1954, 1956, and 1964 until 1968) before moving to Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
in 1969 after the White City stadium was demolished to make way for the M8 motorway through Glasgow. Johnnie Hoskins
Johnnie Hoskins
Johnnie S. Hoskins MBE is the man who is considered to have 'invented' motorcycle speedway. If it cannot be established he invented the sport, he certainly played the largest role in promoting the sport in the United Kingdom.-Early life:He left school at thirteen and worked on a farm and then as...
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
Trevor Redmond
Trevor Redmond - died 1997) was a speedway rider who mainly rode for the Aldershot Shots, and the Wembley Lions. Redmond also opened a speedway track in Neath, Wales in 1962.-Rider:...
, 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.
In 1973 the club moved to Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
and became the Coatbridge Tigers, riding at Cliftonhill
Cliftonhill
Cliftonhill Stadium is the home ground of the Scottish Football League team Albion Rovers. The ground is situated in the town of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.-History:...
, 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 Blantyre Sports Stadium which was a 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
East Kilbride
East Kilbride is a large suburban town in the South Lanarkshire council area, in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland. Designated as Scotland's first new town in 1947, it forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation...
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.
In 1987 the Tigers moved to Derwent Park
Derwent Park
Derwent Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Workington, England situated beside the Cumbrian River Derwent. It is used mostly for rugby league matches and is the home stadium of Workington Town who play in Championship 1, the third tier domestic competition in the United Kingdom...
in Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1988, the club returned to Glasgow when they moved into Shawfield Stadium
Shawfield Stadium
Shawfield Stadium is a greyhound racing venue in the town of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located close to the boundary with Glasgow. It has also previously been a regular venue for football and speedway, as home to Clyde F.C. and the Glasgow Tigers respectively...
, Rutherglen
Rutherglen
Rutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
. The Tigers achieved a 'double double' feat in 1993 and 1994, winning both the Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
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
Scottish Monarchs
The Scottish Monarchs were a motorcycle speedway team based in Glasgow, Scotland.At the end of the 1995 season, the Glasgow Tigers closed due a lack of finance and the Edinburgh Monarchs lost their home track, Powderhall Stadium, to redevelopment, leading to the Monarchs racing at Shawfield Stadium...
rode there in top flight speedway. In 1999 the club moved to its current home at the Ashfield Stadium in Possilpark
Possilpark
Possilpark is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow, situated north of the River Clyde. Following the closure of the Saracen Foundry in 1967, this section of Glasgow has become one of the poorest in the United Kingdom, with an above average crime rate....
when the speedway track replaced an old greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
track..
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
Shane Parker (speedway rider)
Shane Andrew Parker is a speedway rider, currently riding with the Sheffield Tigers in the British Premier League in what will be his last season in Britain....
on 8th August 2009.
The Tigers won their first Premier League title in October 2011.
External links
- Glasgow Speedway Official Website
- Glasgow Speedway Unofficial Website
- Shane Parker Website
- Kauko Nieminen Website