Former Scottish speedway bad boy James Grieves believes the country is in for a “tremendous” League Cup final derby this weekend – if the current crop of riders can bring the same passion to the track that he did.
Grievesy, from Paisley, was part of the Glasgow side that beat Edinburgh in the 1994 KO Cup final – the last time the sides went head-to-head for a national trophy.
He went on to become a Glasgow legend, bagging three league titles, two cups and a Pairs championship. He also rode for the Monarchs in 1999 when he posted his best-ever scores.
But he was also involved in high drama virtually every time he took to the shale – whether through spectacular racing or heated clashes with his Monarchs rivals – helping to create what he thinks is the biggest rivalry in speedway.
The sides meet on Friday night at Armadale before the second leg at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium on Sunday.
Grieves, 40, said: “These are very big meetings – these are the kind of meetings that I would thrive on. I think it would be awesome to be part of it, with this being the new era at Glasgow – and the fact that it’s Edinburgh and Glasgow in the League Cup final. I just hope that most of our riders show the same passion I would have shown if I was riding in this kind of meeting.
“I was always the bad boy causing a bit of a fight or bringing in some of the psychological stuff. I was a local boy, it was my club and I love the club, and I was very passionate about the club. I just hope our boys are the same.
“It would be just great for the club, for everybody who’s involved at the moment, to win it – especially over Edinburgh. Obviously it would be great to go and win it on Friday – but it’s going to be very hard. We have won there before, but they’re going to be up for it as well. If we lost by say eight or 10, I think they would bring a massive crowd on Sunday – and the atmosphere at Glasgow will be electric.
“A few weeks ago when Edinburgh’s Craig Cook passed Glasgow’s Richard Lawson in the Peugeot International, even I got shivers and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. If we can get racing like that on Sunday, it will be tremendous. That’s where we need the passion.
“You need to go out there, make the gate and ride your box off. That’s all you can do. I don’t think it’s like football where you can play tactically. In football, you can play defensively so that the other team can’t score – but in speedway, you’ve just got to go out there and get heat advantages. We’ve got to make the gate and we need everybody on form. We need everybody to chip in and do their best – and nobody scoring nothings. Then we’re in with a chance.”
Grieves has spent 2015 as part of Tigers No 5 Nick Morris’s pit crew. The 21-year-old Australian has had an up and down season – but Grieves is now desperate to help the World Cup star find his very best form in time for the final
He said: “I’m hoping Nick comes to the party. Obviously I want the whole team to do well and I’d love the team to win it – but I’d like 
to see Nick click again and do the business. He has been trying to sort out a lot of engine stuff. I’ve been doing his bikes as per the start of the season.
“If it was a case of me being able to jump on the bike and ride it while he’s down on confidence I would love to. It’s just one of these things that happens – you have your ups and downs. Look at Aaron Summers at the start of the season – he wasn’t setting the world on fire at the start of the season, but now he’s flying. It’s the same with Richard Lawson. Nick was the opposite – he was flying at the start but has now tailed off. However, now is the time where we need him to come back strongly.”
Friday’s meeting starts at 7.30pm while Sunday’s vital decider is a 3.00pm start.