Glasgow Tigers plea for fans to help them survive past 2019

Originally founded in 1928 Glasgow Speedway’s 90 year history has been fraught with up and downs.

Almost immediately after winning their first Premier League title in October 2011, the Clubs then owners announced they were in crippling debt and selling up.

Several key fans took control prior to the 2013 season before the Facenna Brothers, who own Allied Vehicles, just along the road, swept in and brought with them, what fans hoped, would be an era of prosperity for their club.

But, just a few years on things are looking tough again for the Tigers.

The stadium’s restaurant, the Tigers Den is haemorrhaging cash and will now only operate on match days and the Facenna’s are crying out for fans to volunteer their time to make sure race days go off without a hitch.

Glasgow Tigers co-owner, Gerry Facenna said: “Against a backdrop of news that speedway clubs throughout Britain are being offered for sale or are closing down, and that the sport in general appears to be in decline, it is important that everyone connected to Glasgow Tigers is brought up to date on our current status.

“The costs associated with supporting the operations of Glasgow Tigers Speedway Ltd are very significant, and since taking over the club, each year we have incurred substantial six figure losses. This is in addition to an initial significant investment that went into refurbishing the stadium.

“Allied Vehicles are a major employer in the area and we have a great sense of corporate responsibility to our employees and the community in which we operate. From the outset of Allied’s involvement, we stated that should the stadium/club make a profit, these profits would be re-invested in the club and community, and this remains the case. However, our operating losses simply cannot be sustained. Consequently we have now closed the Tigers Den from Monday to Friday to cut the losses during these times. The Den will now only be open for speedway, football fixtures and any future major events.

“With the upcoming BSPA AGM, we have made the decision that we will continue to support the participation of Glasgow Tigers as a Championship team in 2019, but unless we can make a significant turnaround in terms of operational costs and revenue, it is doubtful we will be able to support a Championship team the following year.

“To help secure the club’s future, we are looking for volunteers across the whole club who can help with any activity from promoting, fundraising, working in the ticket office, selling food and beverage, selling programmes or 50/50 tickets, track staff, sponsorship sales, as well as off-season volunteers. No matter your skillset or capabilities, we have roles that can suit everyone, and we will provide all necessary training. As a volunteer you will gain access to the speedway for free when you are volunteering. If you feel you can help in any way, please let us know and we will be in touch. We have one of the best group of supporters in British speedway and we really need you to get behind us and help turnaround the position that we are in.

“2019 is set to be a great season. We have already started work on the track to make sure it is in perfect condition for the season starting, and our huge LED screen, which was purchased two years ago, finally has the required power supply coming into the stadium to operate it, which means it will be up in time for the start of the season.

“We are also delighted to announce that the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium has been chosen by the sport’s governing body, the FIM, to host one of four Grand Prix qualifiers on June 8, 2019. Last season we had an U21 World Cup qualifier, and the FIM were impressed so much that they wanted to reward us with an even bigger meeting. We’ve hosted a Great Britain v Australia Test Match and the League Riders’ Championship, but this is the most important event yet.

“The line-ups for these meetings are genuinely world-class, with a mix of riders who have won Grand Prix and those who have won national and youth titles in their home countries. Our race track and facilities are among the best in the country and this is a massive vote of confidence from the governing bodies in what we’re trying to achieve at Glasgow. We’d like to thank Great Britain Speedway Team for their role in helping us secure this meeting, and next summer we are ready to welcome fans from across Europe for a truly international occasion.

“The biggest support you can continue to give us is to drive new fans into our sport, spread the news of what we do here and how great the sport is. Tell your friends, your family, your colleagues, your neighbours and anyone else that will listen. To save speedway we need your help!"