It’s over 25 years since Glasgow won a famous last heat decider at Owlerton but those who were there that night will hope that history repeats itself in the Steel City this evening.
The Tigers were beginning to emerge as a force in the old second division and would eventually finish runners up in the league and cup that season.
People certainly started to sit up and take notice after young Aussies Shane Bowes and Jason Lyons led home their more experienced opponents Peter Carr and Neil Evitts in the final race to secure the league points on a warm summer’s night.
Fast forward a quarter of a century and the stakes are even higher as both teams prepare to do battle for a place in the Premier League Championship Final.
It would be fair to say that Owlerton hasn’t been the
happiest of hunting grounds for the Scottish Tigers in recent years.
The home side ran out convincing 54-38 winners when the teams met earlier this season after making an extremely strong start to the match. A rare highlight was last season’s 6 point defeat which meant Glasgow qualified for the League Cup Final on aggregate.
However, it will be an unfamiliar looking Sheffield side who take to the track tonight with injuries to Simon Stead, Jason Garrity and Dimitri Berge ruling them out.
Guests Ricky Wells and Josh Auty both know the quickest way around the pacy Yorkshire circuit with rider replacement being operated for Stead.
The away side will look to on form Richard Lawson to lead the charge after a superb 14 point haul during Sunday’s League Cup final. He has also deputised for the injured Stead on a couple of occasions recently and scored an impressive 15+1 against Scunthorpe which is hopefully a sign of things to come!
Richie Worrall was top of the scorechart during the last encounter and will be looking to go one better with the men in red and white having been part of the Belle Vue side that lost the Elite League Grand Final to Wolverhampton last week.
The second leg at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium on Sunday 16th October promises to be a tense affair with so much at stake – tapes up at 3pm, don’t miss it!
Click here to enjoy footage from that famous night at Sheffield back in 1991.