Glasgow Speedway (Blantyre 1)
Blantyre Sports Stadium, Glasgow Road, Blantyre, Nr Glasgow, South Lanarkshire. Speedway took place here 1977 - 1981
Glasgow Blantyre Badges  Photo's From The Track's Last Meeting
Blantyre's First Ever Programme
Courtesy of Marcus Stokes
Courtesy of Marcus Stokes
My thanks go to Marcus for sending me the photographs of the programme.  It is always a real pleasure to see any tracks' opening meeting programme even if it hasn't been filled in
Score chart from the 1977 Tigers v Monarchs programme.  A fixture Scottish fans love to see, especially if their side beats the "enemy" from the other end of the M8.
Blantyre 1977
Back Row (L to R): Jimmy Gallagher, Derek Richardson, Grahame Dawson, Nicky Hollingworth, Mick McKeon. Front (L to R): Merv Janke & Brian Collins (on bike)  Inserts: Left: Johnny Hack Right: Benny Rourke
Name The Riders
Riders unknown send me an email if you can name them John
GEORGIOU Soteris says: Glasgow v Scunthorpe Charlie Mckinna and Alan Emerson inside the stags are Rob Woffinden outside Phil White on the inside black leathers with white stripes.
Glasgow Blantyre Badges
1977	1978	1979
1980	1981
Graham Dawson & Colin Goody
Merv Janke
Merv Janke of Tigers. these 2 photos were taken on 17th July 1977 at the opening meeting
Blantyre 1 Opening Night
Andy Reid
Derek Richardson
John says: This is  Derek Richardson.  As a Newcastle fan I remember him well when he was riding for the Diamonds, partnered with David Bargh they piled up 5-1s, usually with Derek blasting around the outside and Barghy sitting on the slower line.
Graeme Dawson
Blantyre 1978
Dave Allan's Photos etc
Taken at Mildenhall Sunday 7th May 1978 prior to the Mildenhall Fen Tigers v Glasgow Tigers National League match.  From Left to Right: Merv Janke, Bill Harrold (Team Manager), Benny Rourke, Steve Lawson, Derek Richardson (on bike), *Rod Hunter, Mick Newton & Colin Farquharson *Point of interest: This was Rod Hunter's only appearance in Glasgow colours before returning to parent club Newcastle.
This picture could be from either the abandoned National League fixture between Glasgow and Crayford Kestrels on Friday 28th April 1978 or the re-arranged fixture on Friday 5th May 1978. In either case the photo is from Heat 3 and shows Colin Farquharson (Red), Steve Lawson (B) & Alan Johns (W)
John says: Dave is giving us the helmet covers despite his photo being black and white!  Mind you, when you have seen as many black n white pics as I have you can usually work out which shade of grey is red etc!  Alright alright I know I need to get out more!
Blantyre 1979
Dave Allan's Photos
Blantyre Stadium 1979 Blantyre "Eagles", If you can name the 3 riders please email John
George Sheridan says: Photo of Blantyre Eagles on Glasgow (Blantyre Greyhound Stadium) are Willie Mirtle, Kenny McKinna,  The third rider at Blantyre MIGHT be David Cassels.
Blantyre Stadium 1979 Merv Janke
Glasgow v Scunthorpe
National League
25th May 1979
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags National League Friday 25th May 1979.  Keith Bloxsome (B) & Derek Richardson (R) are the two Glasgow riders. The Scunthorpe riders are either Rob Woffinden (Y&B) and Phil White (W) in which case it would be Heat 4, or Stuart Cope (Y&B) and Arthur Price (W) who met this Tigers pairing in Heat 7.
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags National League Friday 25th May 1979.  Heat 8: Andy Reid (R) & Arthur Browning (Y/B) Big Arthur is over 6 feet tall
Blantyre 1980
Dave Allan's Photos
Sheffield's Doug Wyer presents the Allthread Distributors Shield to Scottish Junior League Champions Darvel Rockets. Alister Craig (pictured second from the left) built a training track on his farm near Darvel in Ayrshire, and the Rockets used Blantyre Stadium as their home track. Pictured with Alister is brother Ronnie (far left) and Bill Logan (far right).
Crash Sequence
Alan Johns being brought down by Andy Reid
Scottish Pairs Championship
Scottish Pairs Championship. Sunday 6th April 1980.  Heat 11: Steve Lawson (W), Charlie McKinna (R) & Kenny McKinna (Y&B)
Glasgow Tigers v Crayford Kestrels
Glasgow Tigers v Crayford Kestrels National League.  Friday 30th May 1980  Heat 2: Ray Palmer (B), Paul Gilbert (Y&B) & Andy Campbell (R)
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags National League  Sunday 31st August 1980  Heat 6: Jim Beaton (B), Steve Lawson (R) & Phil White (Y&B)
Scottish Pairs Championship
Scottish Pairs Championship, Sunday 6th April 1980 Heat 9: Derek Richardson (Newcastle Diamonds) & Andy Reid.  Derek riding for the Newcastle Diamonds, was of course an ex-Tiger he knew his way around Blantyre and appears to be riding a tight line to stop Andy motoring through on the white line.
Glasgow Tigers v Peterborough Panthers
Glasgow Tigers v Peterborough Panthers* National League Sunday 20th April 1980 Heat 3: Charlie McKinna (R), Richard Greer (Y&B), Dave Gooderham (W - partially hidden) & Andy Reid (B)  *Peterborough's number one Andy Hines broke down en route to the meeting with team manager Brian Clark, who also had the team body colours with him. Hines was fined £50 and Clark £25 for their non-arrival, and the Panthers £50 for having no body colours. As the picture shows the Panthers were loaned a set of Scotland colours for the meeting. Tigers trounced their hapless visitors 52-26 in the meeting, despite having their man advantage negated in heat one when Colin Caffrey fell and injured a shoulder and withdrew from the meeting
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags
Glasgow Tigers v Scunthorpe Stags National League Sunday 31st August 1980 Heat 3: Charlie McKinna (B), Rob Woffinden (Y&B), Alan Emerson (R) & Phil White (W) Rob now deceased was the father of Tai Woffinden who was crowned an English world champion in 2013.
Glasgow Team
Team Picture: Back Row (L to R): Colin Caffrey, Bernie Collier, Charlie McKinna, Alan Emerson, James Beaton (Promoter), Kenny McKinna, Steve Lawson & Neil MacFarlane (Team Manager) Front Row: (L to R): Dave Thomson (Director/Team Manager), Robbie McGregor, Andy Reid (on bike) & Jim Beaton
Charlie McKinna
Alan Emerson & Andy Reid
Blantyre 1981
Dave Allan's Photos
Team picture taken prior to the Inter City Cup 1st Leg meeting with Edinburgh Monarchs at Powderhall on Friday 3rd April 1981. Left to right: Nig Close, Alan Mason, Colin Caffrey, Andy Reid, Steve Lawson (on bike), Charlie McKinna, Dave Thomson (team manager) & Kenny McKinna
Steve Lawson Wins The Silver Helmet
Steve Lawson (left) becomes the first Tiger to win the prestigious Silver Helmet after defeating holder Martin Yeates on Friday 12th June 1981. Three days before Lawson had won the first leg at Weymouth 2-1 despite losing the opening race, and he repeated that result at Blantyre to take the title, again recovering from an opening ride defeat.
John says: As a Sassenach from Newcastle I should have been willing my countryman Martin Yeates to win but as I live just 60 miles from the Scottish Border region I feel more affiliation to the Scottish cause than the south coast of England so well done Steve yes I know he is English too!
Martin McKinna
A fifteen year old Martin McKinna. Martin regularly took demonstration rides on his own at the interval and after the meeting and many reckoned he was destined to become the best of the three racing McKinna's. Not counting Adam McKinna who is from the later generation of the McKinna clan.
Alan Mason
An artistic shot of Alan.  Black n White with light and shadow.  I like it!
Kenny McKinna Nearest The Camera
Dave Allan says: Starting gate action with Kenny McKinna the rider closest to the camera. This picture featured in the Craighead Park opening night programme in 1982. I've been unable to find out who the other three riders are, but I'm 99.9% certain the picture is from 1981. The only real clue is the chequered helmet worn by the rider in gate 2, a design famously sported by Ivan Mauger throughout his career. It's definitely not Ivan though, could it be Kym Mauger riding for Newcastle? Who else sported Ivan's famous helmet design?
Dave Allan says: I've ascertained that the picture is from Heat 4 of the Glasgow v Workington match on 17th April 1981. From the inside, the riders are Kenny McKinna, Terry Kelly, Willie Mirtle and Ian Westwell.
Nig Close & Charlie McKinna
Nig (or Nigel as his mum calls him) Close & Charlie McKinna
Glasgow Tigers v Mildenhall Fen Tigers
Coming to grief!  Glasgow Tigers v Mildenhall Fen Tigers National League Friday 19th June 1981 Heat 9: Ian Gledhill (W) & Charlie McKinna (B)
Glasgow Tigers v Mildenhall Fen Tigers
Glasgow Tigers v Mildenhall Fen Tigers National League Friday 19th June 1981 Heat 7: Robert Henry (W), Harry MacLean (B), Kenny McKinna (R) & Mick Bates (Y&B)
Colin Caffrey & Steve Lawson
Charlie McKinna
John says:  My thanks go to Dave Allan for helping so much with his photo collection of Glasgow Blantyre and his occasional text captions.  The website thrives on contacts such as Dave, so if you have photos of your teams riders etc. please email me John and do for another team page in the website what Dave has done for this one.
Peter Colvin's Photographs
Peter has sent me scans of his photographs, all taken at Blantyre's last meeting so that would be late 1981 if my memory is correct.
Charlie McKinna Blantyre1 4th bend
Blantyre1 First Bend Charlie McKinna
Blantyre1 Start From 1st Bend
Blantyre1 Riders On Way Parade
All original photographs shown above are Courtesy of Peter Colvin
If you can scan any pictures, programmes or badges send me an email John
The contents of the site are © and should not be reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site gave the pictures and information on that understanding.  If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on the site please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item.  Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.