|
Post by Pail Merk on Apr 30, 2022 10:41:29 GMT 1
When Tigers moved from Hampden, I didn’t follow them to Cliftonhill for the 1973 season. For a southside yoof, Coatbridge was a bridge too far. I got involved with the BB on Friday nights, so speedway dropped off my radar. Until 1982.
A telly sports report carried news of Tigers’ move to Craighead Park. I took a trip to Blantyre to clock the new track on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Burning red shale, a snow-white safety fence and the intoxicating whiff of engine oil blew me away. Seeing a rider (possibly one of the Craig brothers) putting in trial laps sealed the deal. It was time for me to end my years in the wilderness.
Forty years ago today, I was on the terracing for the opener against Rye House. It was due to be a National League contest, but, due to Rockets’ complaints about track conditions, it was downgraded to a challenge. The Tigers strolled it, 60-36. Before the teams locked horns, the first men to race were Steve Lawson and Middlesbrough’s Steve Wilcock, contesting the Silver Helmet. Super won 2-1.
The poor weather did its best to spoil the party by wiping out the second half. But it didn’t matter. After a 10-year gap, I was back among the red-and-white massive. Since April 30, 1982, I’ve never been away.
|
|
|
Post by coombes on Apr 30, 2022 19:01:00 GMT 1
Always amazed me how downgrading the meeting to a challenge made a supposedly unsafe track any better in Rye House eyes. The Tigers had a couple of away meetings at Exeter and Weymouth and were required to run a home meeting first on tbeir new track before racing them in a new regulation brought in after Rochester in 1972 and Berwick in 1981 started the season without a home track.
|
|
|
Post by Pail Merk on May 2, 2022 13:43:26 GMT 1
Always amazed me how downgrading the meeting to a challenge made a supposedly unsafe track any better in Rye House eyes. The Tigers had a couple of away meetings at Exeter and Weymouth and were required to run a home meeting first on their new track before racing them in a new regulation brought in after Rochester in 1972 and Berwick in 1981 started the season without a home track. Suspension of Craighead Park's track licence ruled out our meeting with Weymouth the following week. Tigers then went on tour to Exeter (23-73), Weymouth (39-56) and Long Eaton (33-63). Ouch. Our first home NL match was against Boston (53-43) on May 14.
|
|