Dear fellow Tigers supporter,
First and foremost we would like to wish you, and your family, a very happy new year, suddenly the new speedway season feels a whole lot closer!
We wanted to use this, the first Red Alert of 2013, simply to take stock of where we are as we continue towards a new era for the club, and to collectively refocus on the main challenges ahead.
Year 1: the story so far
It is still only less than 3 months since the club changed hands, with your amazing turnout and support of our initial meeting at the Marriot Hotel instrumental in the events which followed.
We told you then that only together could we transform the fortunes of Glasgow Speedway and make the types of change necessary to take us forward and secure a brighter future both on and off track.
There has been, and continues to be, a steep learning curve for us however with help from many of you we have achieved a lot in a short space of time, inclusive of:
· Creation and registration of a new promoting company
· Setting up a new board of Directors
· BSPA acceptance of new company and promotion
· Secured initial 2 year lease agreement with Ashfield F.C.
· Initiation and progression of a mountain of administration to support company creation and transfer of assets
· Design and set up of new logo and club identity
· New look website and weekly Red Alert newsletter up and running
· Online payment functionality created for season tickets and which will also be utilised for meeting admissions
· Conducted supporter survey to help shape the clubs future
· Appointment of new, well connected team manager
· Creation of potential rider contact and discussions
· Created basis for a good, exciting team in 2013 and in future seasons
· Laid the foundations for strengthened rider asset base
· Reshaped and improved race track to be provided
· Planning for infrastructural changes within the Stadium involving the bar, family, hospitality and catering areas
· Provisionally retained all major club sponsors for 2013
· Initiated additional sponsorship enquiries
It is a marathon not a sprint.
Please remember that this is only Year 1 of the new era for Glasgow Speedway.
We have taken the opportunity, because we feel we had to, to examine the business from the bottom up in order to create benefit right across the speedway operation.
Put another way, we have much more than just the team to think about and make improvements to if we are to provide you and prospective supporters with an improved, and more marketable speedway experience.
Of course we have had a few setbacks along the way, especially in our not getting Friday night racing as we set out to. Whilst this was a big blow at the time, it remains in plan and we will work towards delivering on this for next season.
We are sure you will realise that we cannot fix everything at once, this really is a marathon and not a sprint, however with YOUR continued help and support we can make a BIG success of Glasgow Tigers in year 1 and beyond.
This is one of the reasons why we have been taking our time to get the right riders to ride for the stripes in 2013.
Believe us, it would be very easy to quickly make moves and offer silly money to attract riders to the club and most likely just for a single season, but we need to look at the bigger picture and the no.1 priority for this club which is securing financial stability.
Only by working to get the foundations correct and sound, can we build a stronger business and with it a stronger future for our Tigers.
Glasgow Speedway currently has very few rider assets. We believe that we need to build up our own rider stable so that in future we can have first choice of riders who want to ride for this wonderful speedway club.
Assets are also realisable, and in future can help bolster our finances and help us step towards new riders and improvements elsewhere in the club.
The first step in our asset strengthening process is in signing young Harley Horwood who is a cracking young talent and desperate to ride for the Stripes. We have further plans for following suit, and will announce these in due course.
With so many areas for us to make improvements to, we are not going to buy short term potential success at the expense of a rosier, long term future.
There is a mountain of work ahead to achieve that goal and we can only do it if we ALL work together and understand the premise for doing so.
Financial realities of running a successful speedway club.
Let us say that our eyes have well and truly been opened as regards the rigours, disciplines, overheads, effort and bottom line cost to run Glasgow Speedway.
This has strengthened our admiration for Alan (who is still involved as co promoter), Stewart, Gordon (who is still involved as co owner) and all previous custodians of our club down the years.
The inner workings of a speedway club are complex, demanding and probably in some respects quite unique in the UK sporting landscape.
Whilst we are working to create beneficial changes throughout the club, we do not have either a magic wand, nor a war chest of funds to buy quick and immediate success.
Remember we are trying, because we truly have to, to make changes throughout the whole speedway operation and not just the team.
The bottom line is that, to run the Tigers successfully, we need to raise our collective revenue (through season tickets, gates receipts, sponsorship, GTSSC, STARs, merchandise and catering sales etc.) to minimally cover our total projected expenditure (from riders pay, stadium rental, supplier costs, track and plant maintenance, advertising, programme production, fees etc.) each year, minimally to an equal level.
The above is a statement of fact, we are NOT looking to necessarily make an operational profit, simply to get to a position where running speedway in Glasgow is largely self financing. This is no different to the majority of speedway clubs around the country.
Simply put, this is our biggest challenge in 2013 and beyond. We need to break even right from the off in 2013, and that is where we need YOUR help simply by ALL working together for the betterment of the club we all love.
This is what we ask of you.
We are aware that you will have been asked, in the past, for financial donations and contributions over and above admission and sponsorship monies. Whilst circumstances perhaps determined this approach, we wish to categorically state that this is NOT something we will request of you. We accept that times are hard, and we accept that your support is key.
That said, we would very much like you to help us in a much fairer and more long term beneficial way as follows.
We need to break even right from the off in 2013, and that is where we need your help simply by ALL working together for the betterment of the club we all love.
In terms of crowds the break even figure is 745 people for the 2013 season.
Last year the average crowds were around 583 falling from around 660 over the previous 5
years.
So we need to attract over 150 EXTRA people to see the Tigers in action every week just to balance the books.
This is where YOU can help
We really need you to:
1. Consider buying a season ticket as these are very good value for money
2. Introduce new friends to the speedway and bring old ones back to experience the magic we are creating at Ashfield
3. Provide us with any leads on potential new sponsors
4. Send us your suggestions as to how we can benefit Glasgow Speedway e.g. marketing, contacts etc.
5. Sponsor rider tyres and race jackets for the 2013 season cost (*details available on website shortly)
6. Join our jolly pre season working parties to help us ready the stadium for the new season (*we will publicise these in the coming weeks)
The success of the Tigers really is in ALL of our hands and we need YOUR help to take us to where we ALL want to be, a thriving speedway club both on and off the track.
Thanks for listening and more importantly thanks for playing YOUR part in the success of Glasgow Tigers.
Lets all look forward to a fantastic 2013 😉
Mon the Tigers
Alun, Gordon, Colin, Craig, Derek & Ian
P.S.: Thanks for already playing YOUR part in supporting the RED REVOLUTION. Together we are an unbeatable combination!