Speedway: D-Day for Glasgow Tigers as club looks for new owners

Oct 2 2012 By Fraser Wilson

Glasgow Tigers v Newport Wasps

GLASGOW TIGERS chiefs are hoping to finalise a deal to safeguard the future of professional speedway in the city ahead of a "critical" meeting with supporters this weekend.

The 2011 Premier League champions face closure after 66 years unless a new owner can be found quickly.

Now management at the Ashfield-based club have organised a get-together with supporters this Saturday at which they have promised a "major announcement".

Current owners Alan Dick and Stewart Dickson put the cash-strapped Tigers up for sale earlier this year and have spoken with a number of interested parties including Edinburgh-based former owner Brian Sands.

However, it's understood the Sands interest has gone no further and the club is looking elsewhere for a takeover deal.

A spokesman for the club said: "I cannot emphasise this enough, we desperately need all Tigers fans and speedway-minded people of the city to turn out in big numbers on Saturday night.

"The very future of the club, after 66 years as a sporting institution in this great city, may depend on the enthusiasm and show of support of our fans. Without them there is clearly no future.

"Saturday's meeting will go a long way to helping us determine the future.

"The message is simple, if you want speedway to continue in Glasgow, please make sure you come along this Saturday night and show your support in person."

Saturday's meeting will be held at the Queen Mary Suite of the Marriott Hotel at 5pm and, as an added attraction, the Speedway Grand Prix Final will be screened live from Poland.

The spokesman added: "The management will provide a critical update as regards the immediate future of the club which has been in severe financial difficulty for the past few years.

"Given the severity of the club's current plight, and the remaining prospect of closure, it cannot be emphasised enough how important it is that as many supporters turn out as possible.

"Their response, and associated show of support at this event, may go some way to generate ideas and a plan of action which could yet turn the club's fortunes around."

Meanwhile, the club's on-track troubles continued at the weekend after they lost the services of key men Josh Grajczonek and Henning Bager for the rest of the campaign in a costly defeat at Berwick Bandits on Saturday night.

The Tigers duo were wiped out in one single incident as they tangled and crashed heavily into the Shielfield Park fence leaving Grajczonek with a fractured ankle and Bager nursing a broken bone in his upper arm.

They join captain Joe Screen on the sidelines as the club's Challenge Trophy hopes took a major blow.

The Tigers went down 62-33 at Shielfield and Sunday's return meeting at Ashfield was postponed due to heavy rain.

This weekend Glasgow face Redcar Bears away on Thursday and at Ashfield on Sunday (start time 4pm) in their home leg of the Premier Challenge Trophy.