While speedway had taken place pre World War 2 in Glasgow, it was not until 1946 that the Glasgow Tigers were born, growing up through their formative years with intermittent periods of residence at the White City Stadium during the late 1940’s and 1950’s, legends such as Tommy Miller, Ken McKinley, and Junior Bainbridge perhaps being the first riders to be afforded the accolade “I remember him”.

After a few years of non activity, the Tigers returned to that venue in the early 1960’s, and while the side was never close to honours during their spell there, their shining light was Australian Charlie Monk, from Adelaide, who became virtually unbeatable around the track until his move south at the end of the 1967 season. White City was subsequently closed in 1968 to make way for the M8 motorway, but not before a young Scotsman from Bearsden, in the shape of Jim McMillan (whose older brother Bill had already made his mark in the team), had shown the early signs which saw him move up to the ranks of established international star.

Tigers had a brief 4 year spell at Hampden Park, the home of Scottish football, from 1969-1972. While crowds by today’s standards were excellent, they were “lost” in the 134,000 capacity venue and thus the atmosphere generated by the traditionally noisy Tigers’ fans was muted, although with McMillan and the returning Monk in the side, and the next
international talent, in the form of Bobby Beaton, emerging, teams were moderately successful. The on track death of Svein Kaasa on 29 September 1972 cast a shadow over the whole club and at the end of that season the nomadic Tigers were on the road again to a new home.

In the history of the club, its deadliest enemies have been the Edinburgh Monarchs, who had briefly raced at Cliftonhill Stadium in Coatbridge for two seasons in 1968/69, so it therefore came as something of a surprise when it was announced that it was to be the new residence for the Tigers prior to the 1973 season. It was McMillan’s last season with the club, due to his desire to be domiciled further south, and in a winter transfer both he and Beaton moved in a deal which saw the Hull Vikings swop licences with the Tigers and acquire the two riders. Since that time the Tigers have competed in the second tier of speedway racing.

Tigers opened strongly in 1974 with a team which effectively had FIVE heat leaders in the form of Dave Gifford, Brian “Pogo” Collins, Graeme Dawson, Robin Adlington and Jimmy Gallagher, but in spite of an impressive lineup they did not bring home any honours, although the brief appearance of the Paisley Lions in 1975 and 1976 did permit them
to exercise full mastery over their nearest rivals. By 1977, and, unusually in the middle of the season, Tigers again upped sticks, this time to Blantyre Sports Stadium, and after another four and a half seasons, and once again, due to the construction of a new road passing through their home, they moved the very short distance to the Lanarkshire town’s Craighead Park. By this time, the rider voted the “Greatest Ever Tiger”, Cumbrian Steve Lawson, had made the journey up the M74 in 1978 and for the next decade and a half regularly topped the averages both at home and over the length and breadth of the UK.

With 4 years of residency in any one venue appearing to be the norm for the Tigers through the late 60’s up until then, they found themselves homeless at the start of the 1987 season, various suggested venues on paper in the Glasgow area failing to produce a race track on shale. As a last resort they moved to Workington (that’s right, the Cumbrian
town!), but the venture failed and the season ended prematurely due to various issues associated with the track. The good news was that in 1988 the club moved to the somewhat salubrious Shawfield Stadium. Ironically, following Steve Lawson’s eventual retirement at the end of the 1992 season, the club then entered its most successful period ever, being the first Scottish team to win “back to back” titles (ie League and Cup winners) in 1993 and 1994 with riders of the calibre of Riders’ Championship winner Robert Nagy, Shane Bowes, and an emerging young Scottish hopeful by the name of James Grieves. The Tigers, by their standards, had a long residency there (with the exception of the 1996 season when the Scottish Monarchs were the home team at the venue), until 1999 when they moved to their current home at Ashfield, a switch which evoked many memories for fans old enough to remember the “other” Glasgow side, the Giants, who had been domiciled there shortly after World War 2.

The Tigers celebrated their 10th season at Ashfield in 2009, in itself something of an achievement by the standards of the previous 60 odd years! In the middle part of new decade they did manage to win the Premier League Best Pairs title on two occasions (club icon of that decade, Australian Shane Parker, being one half of the “pair” on each
occasion). With a re-shaped track, and British speedway legend Joe Screen leading the side in 2011, in its 65th Anniversary year, hopes are high that a return to the the glory days for the world famous Glasgow Tigers are just around the corner