BRIAN SANDS put his money where his mouth is to put speedway back on track in Glasgow and is now beginning to see his gamble pay off.
Despite a depressing start to the season with two rained-off matches and an injury to Swedish star Dalle Anderson, the 10 pin bowling entrepreneur has seen attendances climb to break-even point.
Around 800 diehards are now regularly making their pilgrimage to Shawfield for Glasgow Qfm Tigers' Sunday night matches and the attendance graph has climbed despite the counter attractions of televised football.
Sands, who ironically stays in Edinburgh, only a mile away from John Campbell, promoter of his biggest rivals, Edinburgh Ziebart Monarchs, said: ''Around 800 is our break-even point and we've reached that despite the odds.
''What we need to do now is to keep that graph climbing and I'd be delighted if we could reach 1200. That is possibly achievable as we come to the end of the football season in Scotland and we'll be working hard to build the crowd base in the weeks to come.''
Sands, who runs a successful bowling alley at Kirkintilloch, admitted: ''I know I live in Edinburgh but my business interests are in Glasgow and I was desperate to see speedway survive in the West of Scotland.
''I'm in this as long as speedway washes its face in the city and I must thank John Campbell and his co-promoter Alex Harkess for being so frank and honest about what it would cost to have speedway in Glasgow.
''I'm learning as I go along and we are providing some good speedway, and the crowds are coming - that's important.''
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