In times gone by, when teams had a pool of local juniors who rode each week in second half events, these riders were often offered a team place if they were prepared to take time off work and travel to an away venue, replacing team members who were injured or just couldn’t be bothered going. For some it was a golden opportunity and led to a run in the team, sometimes establishing them as a fully fledged team member. For others it was a costly venture though they could subsequently boast that they had ridden for the team.

Glasgow Post War

A couple of riders who are well known despite barely managing a meeting and indeed a point spring to mind.

Joe “Whaler” Ferguson is the stuff of legend with Ian Hoskins telling that he was going to join a whaler ship in order to save enough money to buy better equipment. May be he did, but he never returned and never made any impact on the sport. His debut has its place in the record books – October 7, 1949, the night Glasgow were whitewashed 74-14 at Bristol, a record defeat that stood for years. Unsurprisngly Joe failed to score in his two starts at Knowle.

Jack “Red” Monteith  started in cycle speedway, being one of the guys who started the sport in Glasgow in the late 1940s. He graduated to powered bikes a few years later and, after many adventures in The White City second halfs, got the chance of a team place for the Tigers at Wigan in 1952 in a challenge match against the open licence side. He scored 1 from his 3 rides, with fellow debutant Jim Russell  taking 2 points from four starts. The duo replaced Peter Dykes and Frank Hodgson and retained their places for the following nights unusual challenge meeting (Lanarkshire Cup) against Motherwell which was held at local rivals Ashfield’s track. However they both lost their places for the next home meeting, a league match with Cradley Heath. While Monteith got a couple of more team meetings, Russell never appeared in the Stripes again.

Edinburgh Provincial League Years

In September 1961, the Monarchs were at non league Bradford for a challenge meeting at Greenfields and neither George Hunter nor Alf Wells were in the team. The little known Willie Forbes donned the blue and gold but failed to score in two attempts. The equally unknown Gordon Hessle, possibly a local junior, was more successful with 2+1 from four rides. Neither ever rode for the Monarchs again, nor did they appear at Old Meadowbank. Real mystery men!

Bert Harkins  was another to get his big chance at Bradford, though this time in a PL meeting, replacing Dick Campbell who had been excused the trip, having been withdrawn from the previous home meeting with Wolves suffering from “fatigue” which was subsequently diagnosed as heart problems which led to his retirement. Prior to travelling down to Yorkshire sought advice from Doug Templeton asking whether Bradford was big. “about two acres” was the skippers couthy reply!

 Another “null point” debut and another being dropped from the next meeting but unlike the others he would go on to become one of Scotland’s most famous riders.

Alex Hughson bucked the trend by making his  debut at home to Cradley in late August 1964, scoring 1+1 from his two reserve rides.

British League Debuts

 The injury bug struck most teams in the first year of the new British League in 1965 and Edinburgh and Glasgow had their share. With Nils Paulsen, Bruce Ovenden and Willie Templeton all out, Tigers called up Bernie Lagrosse who had an amazing debut in the second half at The White City, beating Ivan Mauger in a second half heat on a very wet night at the Paisley Road West track. However, he couldn’t repeat the feat in the trophy final where he finished last. Manchester based, he was the “go to” choice for away BL meetings at West Ham, Poole, Swindon and Newport, though he only managed one point from these four meetings. His one team appearance in Scotland was for the Tigers in their Scottish Cup meeting at Edinburgh and that was his lot. He returned home to New  Zealand that winter but returned three years later to ride as “Roy Williams” for Berwick. During his time at Shielfield he had a few second halfs at Glasgow but that was as far as he got with the Tigers.

 Brian Black was another to get his chance on the road when Edinburgh travelled down to Coventry for their BL meeting at Brandon on Saturday September 11, 1965 and at Exeter two days later.  George Hunter didn’t make this trip as he had blown his engine at the Friday night meeting against Halifax at Old Meadowbank. He scored 1 at Coventry and 1+1 in Devon. While he wasn’t called on to ride in the blue and gold in 1966 he rode against them, being called in by short handed Kings Lynn and Swindon. He got a more extended run the following year turning out seven times for the Monarchs in their last season at Old Meadowbank.

Brian Collins made his debut at home to Oxford in mid September 1966, scoring 2+1 from the reserve berth. He was just starting to press for a reserve berth in 1967 when he crashed at Hackney and suffered a broken thigh which kept him out for much of the rest of the season. However he became a full time Monarchs when they moved to Coatbridge in 1968, the start of a lengthy career in the sport.

Berwick Bound

Lex Milloy and Kenny Omand, two riders who regularly appeared in the Coatbridge second half in 1968, both got a brief run with the Monarchs. Lex rode in the back to back away meetings at Kings Lynn and Wimbledon in mid April, scoring 1 from his four rides at Saddlebow Road and Plough Lane while covering for the absent Doug Templeton, who it is thought had pressing farm commitments, which would later cause his brief retirement in late summer. However Doug was back for the home meeting two nights later. Lex did get a couple of outings in the eight man KO Cup competition.

Kenny got his chance in the home meeting against Swindon in August when Reidar Eide and Alex Hughson were missing from the Monarchs side while Barry Briggs was absent from the Swindon line up. Both Lex and Kenny subsequently joined Second Division Berwick, like Coatbridge a Satu,rday ,night track, meaning they no longer rode at Cliftonhill, clearing the way for Brian Murray.  He made his debut in the home double header against Hackney and Oxford, having previously turned out for Glasgow against Oxford the previous night.

Coatbridge Second Division

Ally Devine left it late in the 1974 season to turn out for the Tigers, now at Coatbridge and racing in the second Division. He forsook a night “guising” on Halloween, the last  night of the speedway season by driving down to Stoke where he scored 1 from three rides in what would be the only timer he wore the stripes.

Newcastle’s Brough Park was the track that both Norrie Allen and Jim Beresford had their Tigers baptisms in 1975. Neither got further bookings but Allen went on to forge a career being part of  Ivan Mauger’s support team  and Mark Loram’s manager.

Ken Jarvie’s only Tigers outing was at home to Ellesmere Port also in 1975. Harry Maclean’s record books will show he had three away meetings at Bradford, Rye House and Ellesmere Port as part of the Glasgow Fair schedule but wasn’t rewarded with a home meeting at the end of the trips. Indeed it would be over five years before he eventually became a fully fledged Tiger at both Blantyre tracks.