A Look Into Histories 2

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE

HAMPDEN PARK AND GLASGOW TIGERS SPEEDWAY

The original Hampden Park (1873-1883), the Worlds first purpose built international football stadium was located a short walk from the current site. After a second Hampden was built on the site of Cathkin Park the present site was opened in 1903 and has held every major Scottish football match and was capable of holding 135,000 crowds especially for Scotland v England football matches.
Glasgow Tigers opened at White City on 28th June 1928, adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and after a rocky time in the 1930’s and 1950’s when they closed in 1956, reopened in 1964.
Having called White City their home for so long the time had come for an anticipated move to make way for the building of the M8 motorway within three years. The first meet at their new venue, Hampden Park was on 11th April 1969, a week after a waterlogged track cancelled the intended visit on 4th of Coatbridge. As the visitors were committed elsewhere on 11th the new opponents were the Kings Lynn Stars and 10,860 turned up to watch. The consensus of opinion was that this was a good move to a great stadium even though spectators would only occupy the main stand. On hindsight such enthusiasm could have been muted as the filling of such a huge stadium would not be economically viable as would happen later at White City in London and Custom House in West Ham.
Our Match Programme is for the very last meeting at Hampden Park, the Scottish Open Championship on Friday 13th October 1972 and all the winners dating back to 1949 were on the back cover. Neil MacFarlane the Manager wrote the first page after a very busy week of away meets at Hackney, Oxford and Sheffield. Thanks were given to many with the main praise for Queens Park Football Club the stadium owners for their assistance. Sponsors were Dixon Travel offering holiday to Majorca. This was no small meet and some famous stars appeared such as Ronnie Moore of Wimbledon, Peter Collins of Belle Vue and every rider was an International in their own right. There were 20 heats and the winner was Ivan Mauger of Belle Vue and New Zealand, one of the greatest ever speedway riders.

The odd thing about all the articles besides saying that 1972 had been a mix of tragedy with a rider killed on September 29th was misfortune and English clubs trying to bid for their Division One licence is that not one actually mentioned this as the last ever match at Hampden Park but there had been many with poor crowds, escalating costs and the refusal of the city council to allow music to be played at the venue, so the club moved to Cliftonhill in Coatbridge, the home of Albion Rovers FC in 1973, becoming the Coatbridge Tigers.

In later years Glasgow Tigers would ride at Blantyre but that was demolished for the East Kilbride Expressway so they moved to Craighead Park but in 1987 moved to Workington in a season never finished as they were banned. In 1988 they moved into Shawfield Stadium but in later years, and in one being called the Scottish Monarchs and threatened with eviction they made what they hope will be the final move, to Ashield Stadium where they are now. In the early 1950’s Ashfield Giants had been the main rivals to Glasgow Tigers.