Speedway
Star Interview
Posted 17/11/05
This weeks Speedway Star devotes three pages
to an interview with Glasgow Co-Promoter Gordon Pairman which as well
as covering his background obviously touches on the thoughts of the
current crises facing the Tigers.
The majority of the comments are nothing
new to Glasgow fans although there are one or two comments that appear
a little more surprising given some of the comments made recently
on forums.
In summary, the points mentioned relating
to the current situation are as follows: -
- poor crowds and ever increasing
costs threaten the future of Glasgow Speedway
- Odds are 'heavily tilted' in favour
of NO Premier League racing at Ashfield next year
- the deal for the hoped for alternative
venue is all but dead
- major changes are needed at the
Conference next week are needed to give Glasgow a reprieve
- the Promotion will continue to try
to find a solution but if someone else were to step in with an offer
for the club they would sell
- rider pay is a major burden
- reducing the averages is not the
way to control costs as that is 'illusory'
- Gordon wants a pay scale introduced
that clubs could afford on crowds of 600 per week
- it is not only Glasgow in this financial
situation, there are 8 other clubs similarly affected but only Glasgow
have gone public. The fact that over half the clubs in the current
Premier League are in the same situation shows the need for change
- they accept that the current Glasgow
predicament is also down tot he way the club has been run and its
location
- too many Premier League riders are
looking to earn a living solely out of speedway instead of following
the example of the likes of Stefan Ekberg and holding down a job
in addition to speedway
- Ashfield is under a death sentence
and they have been looking for a new venue but this is problematic
as Glasgow is not rural but a huge conurbation.
The outcome of the Promoters conference could be interesting
although that alone cannot solve all the problems Glasgow are currently
facing.
