Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Glasgow Tigers Website (Official)
Glasgow Tigers Website (Unofficial)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Glasgow Tigers v Newcastle Diamonds
Premier League, 27 August 2006
Ashfield Stadium, Glasgow

Glasgow 55
1Danny Bird333.. ..90
2David McAllan112*1. ..51
3Lee Dicken002*1*. ..32
4Kauko Nieminen32323 ..130
5Shane Parker33332* ..141
6Robert Ksiezak311T0 F.50
7James CockleF312. ..60
Newcastle 40
1George Stancl23221 ..100
2Manuel Hauzinger110.. ..20
3Christian Henry2006^. ..80
4Josef Franc1*24^30 ..101
5James Grieves2R11*. ..41
6Adam McKinna20200 1.50
7Jamie Robertson01*0.. ..11

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

With Danny Bird returning to the side for Glasgow both the Tigers and Newcastle were at full strength for the home and away legs being raced over the Bank Holiday.

Glasgow looked to be in a strong qualifying position for the play-offs but, although Newcastle were desperately looking for points to finish in the top eight, they were never in the hunt after keeping the score close for the opening five heats.

With Manuel Hauzinger suffering mechanical problems in the pits, Jaimie Robertson replaced him in the opening heat. Danny Bird got the Tigers off to a winning start holding on to beat George Stancl with McAllan third for a 4-2 but the reserves race, won by Robert Ksiezak, was shared after both Robertson and Cockle had fallen. The latter, not realising that Robertson had remounted, took himself off back to the pits with the race still in progress and Robertson bearing down on him! Nieminen won heat 3 for another shared heat but Glasgow doubled their lead with a 4-2 in heat 4. Shane Parker won easily enough but James Grieves had to fend off the challenges of Robert Ksiezak for second place. The score after four races was 14-10.

Newcastle hit back with a 2-4 in heat 5. George Stancl won the race from Nieminen and Manuel Hauzinger just held on to third to reduce the gap to two points but Newcastle ‘disappeared’ over the next four heats which netted them just six points in total. James Grieves suffered an engine failure in heat 6 won by Danny Bird from Adam McKinna for a 4-2 then Parker beat Franc with Ksiezak third in heat 7 for another one. This was followed by two 5-1s to Glasgow. In heat 8 it was Cockle and McAllan who produced the maximum and in heat 9 Nieminen and Dicken the latter enhancing his cult status at Glasgow by holding off James Grieves’ challenges for all four laps much to the delight of the Glasgow support. This took the score to 34-20 and Newcastle were toiling badly.

Heat 10 saw Josef Franc take a TR but it was Danny Bird who won again although Franc took second place to share the race 4-4. Heat 11 produced another Parker win after an exciting race with George Stancl. James Cockle, who replaced Robert Ksiezak after he had been excluded for breaking the tapes, finished third so Glasgow took a 4-2 to add another two points to their lead. In heat 12 Christian Henry took a TR and won it from the gate for a 3-6 pulling three points back for the Diamonds and taking the score after 12 races to 45-32.

Danny Bird who was now feeling light-headed was withdrawn from heat 13 and replaced by Robert Ksiezak. Shane Parker kept his winning run going but Stancl and Grieves shared the race. In heat 14 Robert Ksiezak and Josef Franc were tussling for the lead when Ksiezak fell. Franc won the race from Nieminen so Newcastle took a 2-4 cutting the Glasgow lead to 11 points. Nieminen made the gate in the final heat and Shane Parker passed George Stancl to join him for a 5-1 which gave Glasgow a 15 point lead to take to Newcastle tomorrow night.

Match Report by Merlin