george.m 3,063 Posted October 19, 2013 I'm really sorry and concerned to hear of this situation our Tigger friends are going through. There is too much negativity in the sport on the terraces, but for it to come from the Promotion, and aimed at the fans, is terrible. Especially since it can only be targeted at the people who are turning up and are supporting the club. Speedway desperately needs a positive outlook, as Lulu points out. The PL, I think, has been a very strong league the past few seasons. That is something to build on for all Promotions. It must have been a Hell of hard season for the Tigers though with one of the weakest squads I can remember. Things can only get better guys! IMHO opinion, the Promotion should be thanking the support for continuing to turn up all season. Their next move should be to acknowledge that the team on track needs to be more competitive and that they will address this. From my experience at Berwick, new people will come along and get bitten by the bug, but it is very hard and rare for this to happen. My personal view has always been for promotions to keep the begging bowls away; but also for fans to realise that turning up every meeting we can is the best thing we can do to ensure a club survives. Too many people decide to walk away from the support. This is a double whammy: it hits the club finances, and it kills the atmosphere. Now, I am saying we need a more positive attitude in the sport, but just pop along to a Berwick thread and you will see that some people are strongly against this. There are a few bad apples in the sport who really do a lot of damage, and that must also be stamped out. Finally, these "Red Alerts" come across as almost bullying towards the people who are supporting the clubs. This is not the way to treat you guys, don't stand for it, but don't walk away from it either! I really, really, hope we still have your great support coming to visit us next season. Reassuring that a neutral sees things from a similar perspective. When you're emotionally involved, from time to time you need to sense check your own thoughts in case you're biased. It's easy to be so. Based on most forum comments I read, here and elsewhere, Red Alert = Red Mist The idea of continual communication is spot on. The tone is a pain in the Archibald! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robinh88 571 Posted October 20, 2013 It doesn't look good, to be honest.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stemoc 187 Posted October 20, 2013 Just read most of this thread, somewhat depressing but unfortunately a familiar story in speedway. Glasgow supporters are some of the best in speedway very friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgable, let's hope all goes well in the closed season and that the Tigers and their supporters turn up at the tapes in 2014, it wouldn't be the same without you guys. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MD 1,319 Posted October 20, 2013 They management team and the owners are good people, sincere and fans of Glasgow Tigers. They are not alone on the losing money stakes, in this week's SS, Bob Dugard says he has lost around £70K, Redcar has lost money and don't have an air fence, Coventry have lost money and may lose the stadium, Birmingham have lost money and where/are not certain of their future, so for Glasgow to have lost money is unsurprising really, as the aforementioned clubs are stalwarts of the speedway game and they cant make it pay. The reality is unless you have surplus cash to get rid of speedway will not make you money. Its somewhat reassuring to know that experienced promoters have lost money. Looking at Eastbourne their owner has had to cover his costs of at least £70,000 in his machine tool business this year just to subsidise the speedway team. That's a phenomenal amount of money in one year. Owners or beneficiaries like this are few and far between, and I'm sure Dugard has had to subsidise Eastbourne most seasons, just not to the same extent. No one in their right mind would buy the club from him where it has shown loss after loss each year, and a phenomenal loss for 2013. As a businessman he must be considering whether to run at all next year as any venture must firstly cover its costs, and you wouldn't blame him for saying I'm not throwing any more money away, I'm closing the doors. So why do we have different expectations of the Glasgow owners? They lost £50,000 this year and are perfectly entitled to say I'm not throwing more money that my main business has to earn, out the window. Why people continually berate them as if they are the enemy is beyond me. I wouldn't do it if it were my money being lost and I doubt any of their moaners on here would either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
george.m 3,063 Posted October 21, 2013 Unfortunately James Grives Farewell Meeting has been postponed until start of next season. Due to rider availability this weekend with Edinburgh and Somerset contesting the Premier League Play Off Final. Good decision under the circumstances. http://www.glasgowtigers.co/?p=2767 No Red Alert email however, and does this mean the Tigers will be running in 2014? Wish the owners/promotion would update the support on where we stand in relation to running next year. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
albyhere 51 Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Folks. I am astonished that nobody has picked up on the significance of this decision not to hold the last meeting. Remember this meeting, as well as a farewell to the great JG, was also to raise funds for the air fence which MUST BE IN PLACE by the start of the next season. Now if the promotion have already lost £50 K from this season, are we really to assume that they are now going to cough up the needful for the new fence out of their own pockets ? £25 k I believe. I am afraid for me at any rate, the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear. I acknowledge there will be fundraising throughout the close season but what guarantees they will hit the target? Remember, the owners HAVE to promise to have that fence in place at the beginning of the season, or they will NOT GET A LICENCE to race. Unless I am very much mistaken. That brings us back to the initial question. Are they, the owners, willing to cover the cost from their own resources ? We are hearing precious little on that front. It is to my mind, highly unlikely, given the tone of the announcement on the official website. The begging bowl is definitely being rattled already. But, given the number of blank weeks we've had over the course of the season, several opportunities have already been missed to raise funds, and now we won't even get the one meeting dedicated specifically to doing just that, raising air fence funds. Cancelled. I hate to say this, and I hope to goodness I am so wrong and will happily eat humble pie if so, but I think we're going down. I think they're looking for a way out, or a new buyer. Otherwise....... We need to hear what the intentions are from the owners. Are they wanting out ? Can they find the cash, not just to start next season WITH an air fence, but also have enough to get through the year ? Just where do we, the fans, stand before we cough up our own hard earned cash towards the fund ? Right now there's too many questions and precious few answers. Edited October 21, 2013 by catseyes 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
george.m 3,063 Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Folks. I am astonished that nobody has picked up on the significance of this decision not to hold the last meeting. Remember this meeting, as well as a farewell to the great JG, was also to raise funds for the air fence which MUST BE IN PLACE by the start of the next season. Now if the promotion have already lost £50 K from this season, are we really to assume that they are now going to cough up the needful for the new fence out of their own pockets ? £25 k I believe. I am afraid for me at any rate, the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear. I acknowledge there will be fundraising throughout the close season but what guarantees they will hit the target? Remember, the owners HAVE to promise to have that fence in place at the beginning of the season, or they will NOT GET A LICENCE to race. Unless I am very much mistaken. That brings us back to the initial question. Are they, the owners, willing to cover the cost from their own resources ? We are hearing precious little on that front. It is to my mind, highly unlikely, given the tone of the announcement on the official website. The begging bowl is definitely being rattled already. But, given the number of blank weeks we've had over the course of the season, several opportunities have already been missed to raise funds, and now we won't even get the one meeting dedicated specifically to doing just that, raising air fence funds. Cancelled. I hate to say this, and I hope to goodness I am so wrong and will happily eat humble pie if so, but I think we're going down. I think they're looking for a way out, or a new buyer. Otherwise....... We need to hear what the intentions are from the owners. Are they wanting out ? Can they find the cash, not just to start next season WITH an air fence, but also have enough to get through the year ? Just where do we, the fans, stand before we cough up our own hard earned cash towards the fund ? Right now there's too many questions and precious few answers. Good point catseyes, after all the owners did say this in their Red Alert of 11th October: The good news is if we can fund a soft fence and get in the necessary extra sponsorship then we can successfully run speedway in Glasgow on crowds of around 650 people. So where do we stand now? Edited October 21, 2013 by george.m Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boobs 140 Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) I feel the owners will not, cannot, continue if they have the same directors in place. Why should they -- the directors have already "spent" fifty grand they didn't have, what would happen in 2014? Thus, (1) the owners will pass control of the club to new investors, who may or may not continue to employ the current board, or (2) the owners will call an EGM or whatever, replace the directors and continue next year with new people in charge of the day-to-day operation, or (3) it's all dead in the water. Edited October 21, 2013 by Boobs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tyretrax 2,257 Posted October 21, 2013 (edited) Why don't STARS call a meeting for the supporters with the promotion and directors? Oh wait that would be a bit embarassing they are ex-STARS men! Edited October 21, 2013 by tyretrax Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted October 21, 2013 It will be an absolute disgrace if James Grieves does not get his Farewell Meeting. :sad: Could it be held at another Track perhaps? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur cross 492 Posted October 22, 2013 (edited) It will be an absolute disgrace if James Grieves does not get his Farewell Meeting. :sad: Could it be held at another Track perhaps? It's clearly very awkward if what's been billed by Glasgow along the lines of a joint Grievesy Farewell & Fence Fundraiser isn't now going to take place ... but I'd reckon any disgrace should land only on the Glasgow promotion. As far as I'm aware, it's only ever been Glasgow's local decision to treat that track's final action of 2013 as some degree of farewell meeting for James Grieves because the BSPA would've been very unlikely to officlally sanction such a farewell. That's because Grievesy has already had an officlal 20-year-testimonial (wasn't that held at Glasgow in October 2010 ?) as well as an official 10-year-testimonial earlier in his career. BSPA-sanctioned Farewell Meetings normally occur only for a rider whose distinguished career is ended by injury within sight of reaching the 20-year mark ... Jason Lyons is an obvious recent example after his serious crash in 2011 was followed by an official Farewell Meeting in 2012 on the Thursday night before the British Grand Prix. It's just desperately unfortunate that Glasgow's current problems have cut across any plans for rounding-off the career of someone like James Grieves who's given remarkable service to speedway (including some invaluable and sensible help behind-the-scenes as well as his performances on the track). Edited October 22, 2013 by arthur cross Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
albyhere 51 Posted October 22, 2013 "......It will be an absolute disgrace if James Grieves does not get his Farewell Meeting. " The meeting referred to was meant to be first and foremost a fundraiser for an air fence. The promotion decided, I believe at the last minute, to also hail the great JG's achievements at the same time. I am sure James would be the first to admit he's had a fair number of 'farewells' to and from his fans, all richly deserved. The only disgrace here is the way the owners have gone about their business to round off this year. No Ashfield Classic. No Heathersfield Helmet and now no final meeting to raise fence funds. There's three meetings, at least, where I am sure a fair bit of dosh could have been raised. Quite apart from depriving us fans of our speedway. May I also remind everyone? 2013 League. Matches raced 24. Points won 9. That's just plain embarrassing. My point ? Blunt I know, but I don't believe in beating about the bush. Are they up to it ? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robinh88 571 Posted October 23, 2013 If they have lost 50K this year, scoring 9 points all season how much more money would Glasgow have lost say had they put together a side (who finished 7th). How are other clubs running with similar crowds and paying out more points money? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,102 Posted October 23, 2013 The reason given for the cancelation of Sunday's meeting was that 5 of the riders booked were taking part in the PL play off final . Presumably both Edinburgh and Somerset wouldn't be too keen on the likes of Cook , Morris and Grajczonek taking part in a meaningless fixture between the two legs of the final 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,102 Posted October 23, 2013 The quoting still causing problems Boobs as are the smileys Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
