With teams announcing whom they have signed for 2024, Doug Nicolson looks at riders who never quite made it to Glasgow.

What a Great Team We Nearly Had

In the early years of the BL the Rider Control committee largely dictated where a rider would race the following season. There were a few “refuseniks”, generally those being sent to Scotland! However Ivan Mauger’s stance, in demanding a move from Newcastle at the end of the sixties, tilted the balance in favour of “ride power”, bringing with it a flood of rumours each year about who would be riding where. It has to be said that Glasgow had more than its share! Let’s look at the “nearlies” and “what might have beens”

A

Australian Robin Amundson was known to Tigers promoter Les Whaley from his time at Rowley Park in Adelaide and was lined up to join the Tigers at Hampden, but, on the eve of his departure, received National Service call up papers. Two years later, after completing his stint, he headed over to the UK, but, with the Tigers team for once fairly settled, Whaley didn’t move to sign him and he duly put pen to paper for Hull. He did however make a guest appearance for the Tigers in 1972, failing to score in three starts.

B

When it was announced that Wembley wouldn’t be reopening in 1972, Glasgow hoped to sign Wayne Briggs, and indeed he was allocated to them as a replacement for the Templetons. He did move north, but into retirement! Although he turned out for Kirkcaldy in the ice racing venture at both Murrayfield (Edinburgh) and Kirkcaldy ice rinks that winter he never rode again although he was a regular at Berwick that summer and was always good company in pre speedway drinks at the storied Grove pub just up the road from Shielfield.

C

Along with Wayne Briggs, Brian Collins was also sought by Tigers for the 1972 season to cover for the retired Templetons, but Poole promoter Charles Knott managed to get him assigned to the Pirates, where he rode for two years before finally coming north to join the Tigers initial campaign in the Second Division. Like the Mounties, we finally got our man and what a signing he was, an inspirational skipper and runner up in the National League Riders Championship.

Phil Crump came over from Australia in 1971 and planned to seek rides at Glasgow, but Neil Street advised against this, citing the amount of travelling that would be involved. Thanks a heap, Neil! If only! If only!

D

  German Tommy Dunker came to Glasgow’s attention following an impressive ten points for Germany in a World Team qualifier against Hungary, Australia and Finland including such notable opponents as Mick Poole and Kai Niemi. He was introduced to the crowd at Shawfield in an early meeting in 1990 and had a ride in the second half but seized his engine. That was the last we saw, or indeed heard, of him, although thanks to the advent of the internet it appears he rode one meeting the following year for Opole in Poland, scoring ten points. He seemed to concentrate on long tracking, winning the World Long Track title in 1997 and taking the Australian title later that winter. Probably it wouldn’t have worked out with Tommy as the Tigers moved to a Sunday racenight in 1991, which would have clashed with his long tracking activities. 

 

E

Miles Evans had ridden for Glasgow during the 1983 season before losing his team place. However there was a real feeling that he would come back raring to go for 1984. He certainly was raring to go, joining Long Eaton with whom he won a league winners medal. Still remembered by fans of that time who adopted the “Glasgow’s Miles Better” stickers which were readily available from the City’s PR offices and stuck them on their cars and program boards.

F

    Mike Ferreira rode in about a dozen meetings for Coatbridge in 1974 but struggled for points and returned home well before the end of the season. Disappointingly, he was never put on the retained list. A few years later, after some good form in South Africa, he was on the point of trying again in the UK and supporters were hopeful he would return to Glasgow, but it was not to be. Instead he signed for Canterbury, in whose colours he won the Division Two Riders Championship. Very much one that got away!

Fans were excited about signing Mark Fiora when Dick Barrie presented him as our new signing and looked forward to seeing him in action the following week.. and ride he did – but at Powderhall for the Monarchs. Exactly how he was “sprung” was never clear but insult was added to injury when a photograph of Barrie introducing Fiora at Blantyre appeared on the cover of a Monarchs programme just a few weeks later! Revenge was eventually gained many years later when James Grieves was spirited back to Glasgow from under the noses of the Edinburgh promotion!

G

Gary Gugliemi was known as “Gary Williams” when he rode in Britain in 1977, mostly at Coatbridge, Like Ferreira, supporters were looking forward to his return but he took the big jump by going First Division with Coventry and never really looked back.  Dave Gatenby was strongly tipped to make a comeback with the Tigers in 1978 but Glasgow signed Mick Newton instead. The latter had a dreadful time at Blantyre and left after a couple of months.

H

If Charlie Monk’s replacement had proved problematic in 1968, then it was even worse when he transferred to Halifax in 1973. Bert Harkins was one of a number who were pencilled in at Coatbridge. While a return to his old stamping ground no doubt had certain attractions, he was now well settled in the south, having  signed for Wimbledon, and it would be a further four years before he returned north of the border when he joined Edinburgh. He never managed to join his boyhood team.

John Hack had impressed while on loan late in the 1977 season and was being widely tipped as a likely signing for 1978. Unfortunately he was retained by parent club Oxford. Another winter story that went awry!

I

Jacko Irving rather surprisingly moved to Berwick after a couple of seasons at Blantyre in 1982 and 1983 and there were rumours of him returning each winter thereafter until he finally did, turning out at Blantyre in their final season at Craighead Park in 1986. It all comes to those who wait!

J

Kelvin Jeleca came over to Blantyre for the 1986 season, and there were high hopes that the diminutive Kiwi would be the answer to our prayers. Sadly not, his scores were reflected by his size. What might have been!

 

K

Like Hack, Denzil Kent was an Oxford/Cradley asset, and, like Hack, he had some impressive second halves at Blantyre. Like fellow Rhodesian Ferreira, he made it big at Canterbury. Only long time supporters, with an equally long memory, rue him getting away.

L

     Coatbridge’s challenge meeting against Bert Harkins’ Globetrotters brought all kinds of issues following Ettienne Oliviere’s appearance for the visitors. That night, fans were more interested in Ulf Lovaas, whom they hoped could be persuaded to sign for “the Stripes” and they made a point of giving him a big cheer after each race. Sadly joined Cradley instead, averaging nearly 7.00 points for them.  He went on to become the Norwegian champion that year and subsequently signed for Oxford.   He could have been a valuable addition for the Tigers.

Roger Lambert was signed from Edinburgh in mid summer 1982 to boost a toiling Tigers side. His early form wasn’t great, failing to beat an opponent in two meetings but he bowled up hoping to rectify things in the third meeting – only to find he had been dropped. He loaded his bike back on the bike rack and, after toys were thrown out the pram, headed back to Edinburgh, where legend has it he got a second half ride and later went on to re-establishing himself in the Monarchs side.

M

      There can’t be many teams that get the “knock back” from two World Champions in successive months but that was what happened to Coatbridge in 1973. The Tigers were a weak team, even before Charlie Monk left and were given permission to approach Ivan Mauger who had been released by Belle Vue. For Mauger, it was a straight choice between Coatbridge and Exeter and he chose the delights of Devon. Strangely he said later that, if Coatbridge had been a Monday night track, he would have signed up. Surely a Friday night would have simplified his continental trips on Sundays and avoided the rather manic arrangements to get him back each Monday. At least he helped in contacting Egon Muller. The West German came over one weekend and rode on borrowed machinery in league meetings at both Coatbridge and Swindon, but barely scored a point. This was definitely not for him! However he would go on to win the World Final in his native Germany some years later and ride for Hull in the British League for a spell.

During the winter of 1977/78, it was apparent that none of the three heat leaders, who had started the 1977 season, would be returning. Mick McKeon moved up a division with Halifax, while skipper Brian Collins had been persuaded to return to his native Edinburgh and link up with the Monarchs at Powderhall. Thankfully Grahame Dawson had survived the life threatening injuries he sustained while guesting for Barrow but it was certain that he would not be riding again. It is only in recent times that it was revealed that Charlie Monk was approached to rejoin the Tigers for a second time that winter. In the twilight of his career, he was probably looking for a home track nearer his Yorkshire base and his only Blantyre appearance had been less than impressive, so it was always unlikely that he could be tempted back to Glasgow. He signed for Barrow and scored an impressive eleven points in his swansong at Blantyre  before returning to Australia for good.

 

N

One “N” that Tigers actually signed but soon regretted was Mick Newton, who had shown fairly solid form the previous year. However the “Glasgow Tigers 25^th Anniversary Handbook” records that “he showed no form and even less interest and eventually lost his place”. Don’t mess about, say what you mean!

O

      After all the aggravation in persuading the authorities and the SRA to allow Ettienne Oliviere to ride at Coatbridge, fans were expecting him to return to line up for the Tigers, particularly now they had dropped into the lower division. Sadly he returned home to South Africa and drifted out of the sport.

  

P

Graham Plant was on the comeback trail in 1979, after a year out of the saddle, but, after a couple of second half rides at Blantyre, decided not to take it any further, although he subsequently had a couple of seasons for the Knights of Milton Keynes.  Ray Palmer had a fine debut season at Blantyre in 1980 but returned home after getting injured. It would be six years before he returned to Britain and expectations were running high. His debut night was a disaster! Unfamiliar with the new starting rules, he was twice excluded for tape offences, but managed a legal start in the second half….only to collide with another rider and crash through the first bend fence, putting him out for the season! Sadly he returned home and never returned, but it was a measure of the esteem in which he was held, that his premature passing a few years ago was deeply mourned in the West of Scotland.

Q

Chris Quigley, the only “Q” to have ridden for Glasgow, and indeed one of a fairly limited band of riders with a surname beginning with that initial. Indeed the only one I could find – anyone know of another? He returned home for the winter nursing a badly broken arm at the end of the 1974 season and was expected to return but never did!

R

        Glasgow were finding it difficult to replace the Templeton brothers in 1972. Neither Paul O’Neill nor Kjell Gimre were impressing and the latter had been released. Preben Rosenkilde was signed and despite failing to score at Hackney, there was optimism  over his signing. Then came the bombshell. He had been banned by the DMU following an incident in a meeting in Denmark. Really that was the end of his BL career, although he returned briefly in 1976 for a handful of meetings for Newport but didn’t make any great impression on the Wasps scorecharts.

S

Moving to Coatbridge did little to enhance Tigers’ prospects of persuading a Scandinavian to come to Scotland. A couple were tried. Belle Vue initially were prepared to release Soren Sjosten for whom there was the added “carrot” of riding in the same team as younger brother Christer. This one looked a “goer” until the Belle Vue management took the sensational decision to retain the Swede, releasing world Champion Ivan Mauger instead. Jan Simenssen was the next to be approached but turned us down and rode in the UK again. 

T

There was an Ipswich junior was a really should have become a Tiger – Kevin Teager! With a name like that he would have been a journalists dream! The same could be said of Tiger Beech, the Rayleigh Rocket who made guest appearances for the Tigers in 1972 and 1973.

U

Unwanted ! No riders with a surname beginning with “U” have ever been linked with Glasgow. The only “U”s on the go – Doug Underwood and Stuart Ulph never had any desire to come north of the border.

V

Canterbury’s Ken Vale guested for Tigers at West Ham and his useful three paid five took Glasgow to a last heat decider. Indeed, had Charlie Monk been prepared to ride on borrowed equipment, it could well have been a shock away win in the capital. Vale’s score certainly captured our attention but there was little real chance of him joining the Tigers, but for a few days, at least in our young minds, we were hopeful of him signing up.

W

Tigers never really solved the problem of their second reserve slot in 1970. Mike Hiftle, the previous incumbent, had been retained by parent club Belle Vue and they were allocated Al Brady from the defunct Coatbridge when the Monarchs’ licence was sold to Wembley. Brady had barely ridden at Hampden the previous year and never really settled at the Mount Florida circuit. After a handful of meetings, he moved to Berwick, leaving the Tigers to try junior Brian Murray. Around this time former Tiger, Brian Whaley, son of promoter Les returned from his travels to the UK and rumours were rife that he would be back in “the stripes”. Sadly a couple of lack lustre second half rides were followed by similarly disappointing outings for Second Division Middlesboro and he gave up on his comeback attempt for the season. However travelling companion Bill McMillan had a far more success on his return and finished the season as the Tigers reserve.

The record books show that Dave Wheatland turned out for the Tigers in 1979 in his solitary league appearance in this country down at Weymouth. A native of Mildura, the birth place of Phil Crump, some Tigers fans hoped he would link with “the Stripes” for the following season, but in truth he was a stop gap signing based on the South coast that saved on the travelling expenses for the long trip down to Dorset.