SPEEDWAY fans from across the UK are expected to descend on Glasgow tomorrow to witness the home debut of Grand Prix star Craig Cook.
The Tigers face Berwick at home then travel to Shielfield Park on Saturday seeking a total of seven SGB Championship points.
The new Glasgow No 1 has a strong following in Manchester, where he rides for Belle Vue Aces in the SGB Premiership, and in his home county of Cumbria, with supporters planning to travel north for tomorrow’s meeting.
It will also be Nathan Greaves’ home bow after he signed along with Cook earlier this month – though he’s already appeared at the World U21 Team Cup event.
Despite his busy international schedule – which includes the 2018 Grand Prix Challenge on Saturday, where he’ll aim to qualify for next season’s World Championship series – Glasgow boss Cami Brown insists Cook is committed to producing the goods domestically.
“He really enjoyed riding for Glasgow at Scunthorpe on Sunday,” said Brown.
“There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that the guy is going to give us 100%.
“He said to us when were having the team talk at Scunthorpe, ‘I just rode in the GP last night but I know this is just as important to this club’. That shows the calibre of the man.
“We’ve got a proper out-and-out No 1. He is a guy who’s going to win races and that’s something the team has been lacking a little bit.
“Let’s hope that can start pushing us on to get results, starting this weekend with the double-header against Berwick, which is vital for us. We need to win at home and get that vital away win.
“Unfortunately we’re not going to have Craig on Saturday but we’ve got a really good guest booked in Rory Schlein.
“For me as a team manager, it’s great to have total and utter confidence in Craig winning a big race.
“He’s not going to beat everyone, but you know you’ve got a brilliant chance of winning a race when Craig is involved, and he does look for his team-mate and is a team guy – he wants the team to win.
“We were very impressed with him and Nathan on their debuts.”
Glasgow have teamed up with Belle Vue to offer fans of both clubs entry discounts for forthcoming fixtures – more details are available here.
The trip to Berwick on Saturday has taken on even more importance following Sunday’s defeat at Scunthorpe – with Brown believing the Tigers need a couple of victories on the road to boost their play-off chances.
He said: “Berwick is always a great trip. It’s a place Glasgow have done well at in the past. Fingers crossed we can get that win and put us right back in the picture.
“If we have a good weekend it can turn things right around.
“You probably already have two sides in the play-offs already in Lakeside and Peterborough, and then it’s between the rest of us for the other two spots. Workington are looking pretty strong too provided they can win their home matches.
“We’ve really got to win the rest of our home matches and we need to get two away wins as well. At the tracks where we don’t win, we need to pick up the occasional point, like we did at Scunthorpe.
“And if we make the play-offs, with the team we’ve got now, you never know what could happen.
“We’re just a fraction away and we’re still in with a chance. We won’t stop fighting until it’s impossible to qualify.”
Tapes-up tomorrow is at 7.30pm.