Crises
Rocks Glasgow
Posted 11/11/05
Tigers fans have today been rocked by the
news in an Official Press Release today that Glasgow may not after
all run next season and that the current promotion may be prepared
to listen to offers for the club assets. The full press release is
posted below with full permission of the author.
Glasgow Tiger’s promoters have
today announced that they might soon be “open to offers”
for the assets of Glasgow Speedway.
In a surprise move, the three promoters,
Alan Dick, Stewart Dickson and Gordon Pairman issued the following
statement:
“It is no secret that not only
have we had to contribute substantial sums of money this year to ensure
that Speedway continued, but also that we have been faced with various
problems which have put staying at Ashfield in doubt.
“Because of this, we have been
in detailed discussions with the owner of an alternative venue, about
moving there. We have even had Alan ‘Doc’ Bridgett in
the stadium to see what shape of track could be fitted in.
“We believe that this alternative
venue could act as an ideal opportunity to re launch Glasgow Tigers
and, if the crowd levels justified it, we also seriously considered
the possibility of applying to join the Elite League in 2007. This
would have given Glasgow Speedway television exposure through Sky
Sports live broadcasts which in turn would have helped to attract
more sponsors into the sport.
“The owner has been supportive
of our plans, but has decided that speedway and the existing use of
his stadium are not compatible. Although we are very disappointed
by his decision, we fully understand his reasons and appreciate having
been given the opportunity to discuss matters with him.
“We now have to turn our attention
to 2006. We saw the alternative venue as our last chance of continuing
in speedway. There is no long term future at Ashfield and, the way
things have gone this year, there is probably not even a short term
option. We have not been able to find any other useable sites in or
close to Glasgow and we really cannot see a way forward.
“The alternative venue would
have been ideal for us but, with that option being unavailable, we
will now have to consider dismantling the team and selling off the
assets.
“2006 would have been Glasgow
Tiger’s 60th anniversary, and we had great plans for a celebration
meeting which is now unlikely to happen. We appreciate that, if Glasgow
Speedway closes, we will be held to blame for its demise, but we cannot
see a way to make speedway viable at Ashfield, and we are neither
able nor willing to continue to pour money into an enterprise which
is unlikely to show us a return.
“There is a meeting of the Premier
League promoters on Tuesday in England, and we will discuss our problems
there. If no solution can be found, it looks likely that Glasgow has
seen its last speedway meeting.
The past couple of months have been
a roller coaster ride for Tigers fans. Things seemed to improve when
last month Alan Dick confirmed to supporters that Glasgow would run
in 2006.
It now looks as if there is a very
strong possibility that the Tigers will not come to tapes in March.
All avenues appear to have been exhausted in the search for a new
venue and unless a previously unidentified venue can be found the
future looks bleak.
It seems a very cruel irony that the
release goes from talking ambitiously about potential Elite league
speedway to closure in quick succession.
