Glasgow Tigers (speedway) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glasgow Tigers
Club information
Track address	Ashfield Stadium Possilpark Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Founded	1928
Team manager	Cameron Brown
Team captain	Chris Harris
League	SGB Championship
Club facts
Colours	Red and White
Track size	306 metres (335 yd) (pre 2011 302 metres (330 yd))
Track record time	55.08 seconds
Track record date	21 May 2021
Track record holder	Scott Nicholls
Current team
Rider CMA Chris Harris Ashton Boughen Leon Flint Dan Thompson Kyle Howarth Max Perry Freddy Hodder
Major team honours
League (tier 2) 1993, 1994, 2011, 2023 Knockout Cup (tier 2) 1993, 1994, 2016 Pairs champions (tier 2) 2005, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2023 Scottish Cup 1953

The Glasgow Tigers are a motorcycle speedway team from Glasgow, Scotland. They were started in 1928. The team got their "Tigers" nickname in 1946. They race in the British SGB Championship. The Tigers' home track is Ashfield Stadium. In 2021, the club celebrated its 75th birthday.

History of the Tigers

Early Days: 1920s and 1930s

White City Stadium

Speedway racing began in Glasgow in 1928. The first races were held at different places. The Glasgow Tigers team started at White City Stadium in June 1928. This stadium was built for greyhound racing. A Glasgow White City team raced in 1929. They then joined the Northern League in 1930.

The team's first league race at White City was in April 1930. They finished tenth in their first league season. However, the team stopped racing in the middle of the 1931 season. Speedway racing then stopped in Glasgow for seven years. It returned briefly in 1939 with a team called 'the Lions'.

The War Years and New Name: 1940s

The team raced as the Tigers for the first time in 1946

A few races happened in 1940. But then World War II caused the track to close for five years. Racing started again in late 1945. League speedway returned in 1946. This is when the team first used the name 'Tigers'. Will Lowther was their top rider.

Even with new riders like Junior Bainbridge and Ken McKinlay, the White City Tigers did not do very well. They finished eighth in the league by the end of the 1940s.

Ups and Downs: 1950s

The 1950s started much better for the Tigers. They finished second in the 1950 season. They were just one point behind the Norwich Stars. The team had new rider Tommy Miller. They also had the Hodgson brothers, Frank and Jack. Another Glasgow team, Ashfield Giants, raced at Saracen Park.

Tommy Miller was the best rider in the league in 1953. The team also won the Scottish Cup that year. But things got worse in 1954. The club stopped racing in the league. They said they were losing money. Speedway then stopped for another ten years.

Return and New Homes: 1960s

Jimmy McMillan was signed in 1966

The White City track reopened in 1964. Trevor Redmond rode for the Tigers that season. He then became the team's promoter. The 1964 season started with Australian rider Charlie Monk. But the team finished last in the league.

In 1965, the team finished 13th in the new British League. Jimmy McMillan joined the team in 1966. In 1969, the Tigers moved to Hampden Park. This was because White City stadium was going to be knocked down. The club then had to move around a lot.

Moving Around: 1970s

Cliftonhill

A sad event happened at Hampden Park in 1972. Rider Svein Kaasa died during a race. The club had problems at Hampden Park. There were not many fans, and costs were high. So, the club moved again in 1973. They went to Cliftonhill in Coatbridge. They became the Coatbridge Tigers.

In 1977, the owners of Cliftonhill wanted to change the track. They wanted it for greyhound racing. So, the Tigers had to move again. They moved to Blantyre Greyhound Stadium in Blantyre. Fans were happy when the club brought back the name Glasgow Tigers. Steve Lawson joined in 1978. Kenny McKinna joined the next year.

More Moves and Success: 1980s and 1990s

The greyhound stadium in Blantyre was knocked down. So, the Tigers moved again in 1982. They went to Craighead Park. This was their fifth home. The team did not win any trophies during these moves. In 1987, things got even worse. The Tigers moved to Derwent Park in Workington, England. They were called the Workington Tigers for a short time. This was the only time they were based in England.

Shawfield, the seventh home of the Tigers

In 1988, the club returned to Glasgow. They moved into Shawfield Stadium in Rutherglen.

The team started to get better in the 1990s. In 1991, James Grieves joined the club. The team finished second in 1991. In 1993, Glasgow won their first major trophies. They won both the League and the Knockout Cup. The winning team included Shane Bowes, Mick Powell, James Grieves, Róbert Nagy, Nigel Crabtree, Jesper Olsen, and David Walsh. The next year, 1994, they won both the League and Cup again!

The league system changed after this success. In 1996, the Tigers and Edinburgh Monarchs joined together. They were called the Scottish Monarchs. This was not very popular. Later, the Tigers and Monarchs went back to being separate teams.

The 1990s ended with another move. The club moved to Ashfield Stadium. This stadium used to be for greyhound racing.

New Millennium and Trophies: 2000s and 2010s

The first five years at Ashfield were tough. But in 2005, Shane Parker and George Štancl won the Premier League Pairs Championship. Glasgow won the Pairs event again in 2006 with Shane Parker and Danny Bird.

Before the 2011 season, the club made big changes to the Ashfield track. They made it longer and wider. These changes helped the team. The Tigers won the league title in 2011. Top riders were Joe Screen, Josh Grajczonek, and James Grieves. Joe Screen and James Grieves also won the Premier League Pairs Championship.

After the 2012 season, the club was sold to a new company. Some key fans took over the club. In 2015, the stadium had a big upgrade.

In 2016, the Tigers won the KO Cup final. They beat the Newcastle Diamonds. In 2018, the Tigers signed Craig Cook. He became the Riders' Champion. Glasgow finished second in the league that year.

The 2019 season saw the Tigers finish second again in the SGB Championship. They reached the play-off finals but lost to the Leicester Lions. However, they did win the Pairs Championship with Craig Cook and Rasmus Jensen.

Recent Success: 2020s

The 2020 season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, the Tigers finished second in the SGB Championship. They lost in the play-off final both times to the Poole Pirates.

In 2023, the team finally won the league title! They won the play-offs and got their revenge on Poole. They had already won the Pairs title with Chris Harris and Benjamin Basso. The team signed Vadim Tarasenko late in the season. This helped them win the play-offs. They beat Oxford Cheetahs and Poole to claim their fourth league title ever.

Season Summary

Club Honours

The Glasgow Tigers have won several important titles:

Division Two League Winners

• Champions: 1993, 1994, 2011, 2023.

Division Two Knock Out Cup

• Winners: 1993, 1994, 2016

Pairs Champions

• Champions: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2019, 2023.