A major deal has secured the future of two Glasgow sporting institutions – as a sweeping revamp of their shared stadium gets under way.
Glasgow Tigers speedway club has been bought by Michael and Gerry Facenna, owners of the Allied Vehicles Group, for an undisclosed fee.
As part of the deal, the Facennas also cleared the Tigers’ debts and bought Ashfield Stadium, home of Ashfield Athletic FC. The deal will see the junior football side play rent-free at the stadium, with Allied Vehicles also investing as their main sponsor.
Securing the Future
The Facenna brothers – who grew up just half a mile from Ashfield – have embarked on a far reaching redevelopment of the stadium. The first phase, scheduled for completion next spring, includes new stand roofs, improved terraces, a new entrance building and club shop, new toilets and improved disabled access facilities.
Previous speedway owner, Isle of Man-based Gordon Pairman, announced his intention to pass on the reigns of the Tigers late last year.
The potential loss of substantial rental income from the speedway team would have had a severe knock-on effect for the football club. But the ownership change and stadium investment will secure the future of these two long-established Glasgow clubs – Ashfield FC was born in 1886 and the Tigers have been racing in the city since 1946.
Gerry Facenna commented: “It would have been a tragedy for Glasgow to lose two such historic sporting institutions.
“My brother Michael and I decided we wanted to give something back to the community and saw an opportunity to help both the Tigers speedway and Ashfield football club. However, we believed we couldn’t make a success of this without significantly improving facilities for fans.
“This needs a substantial investment which we are prepared to support but only if we have security of ownership of the stadium. Now we have that in place, both the football and speedway clubs can look forward to competing in a much improved environment, as well as returning to a secure financial footing.”
Facenna added that the new regime is committed to building a winning speedway team and to working with the football club and local agencies to create modern sports facilities and youth development opportunities at Ashfield Stadium.
Ashfield FC Secretary, Tommy Robertson, commented: “It’s great to know we have a secure future for our club and that there’s going to be serious investment in improving facilities at the ground. This can only help us in developing a strong youth policy to help get Ashfield back to the top in junior football.”
Local Support
Delighted Glasgow Tigers co-promoter, Colin Hamilton, said: “This is really exciting news for speedway and it’s fabulous to know that the Tigers have a permanent home at last. I’d like to add my thanks to the many supporters and directors who’ve ploughed their own time and money into keeping the club going through hard times in recent years.”
Michael Facenna commented: “We’re grateful to Gordon Pairman for his commitment to keeping the Tigers alive over the past decade and for easing the transition process around our purchase of the club.
He continued: “Most people probably don’t even realise we have top motor sport here in Glasgow but everyone we take along for the first time says it’s one of the most exciting events they’ve ever experienced.
“Already we’ve had great practical support from West Coast businesses including Luddon Construction, WH Malcolm, Icam Steel, Universal Electrical and many other companies, which are helping rebuild this historic stadium. We’ve also had great encouragement for the project from Glasgow North Housing Association and Glasgow City Council.”
The Tigers are back in season from 29th March. Click Glasgow Tigers 2015 here to see this season’s fixture list.
