Byron gets the better of Havvy Image Credit: Ron MacNeill

BYRON COMES IN

NEWS Monday 22nd August 2011, 10:32pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

After his excellent performance last Friday, the Scotwaste Monarchs have given Byron Bekker their no. 6 jacket on a permanent basis (subject to the BSPA approving the side).

He replaces Tim Webster who has shown some promise, but who admits that the combination of travelling long distances (from Saltash!) and taking a fair few tumbles has been a bit too much for him.

John Campbell said ?Tim has given it his best shot and we are grateful to him. We wish him well.

?We know Byron well of course and he deserves the place after doing so well last week.?

The 24 year old South African is very happy with the move. His partner Leanne went through an operation last week and had to miss the meeting at Edinburgh. ?I think it's only the third meeting of mine she has ever missed but she's very happy I did well.

?I've got some good sponsors this year, some really nice guys from Birmingham and my equipment is as good as what it has ever been.?

Bekker had a win and a paid win while guesting for Monarchs last Friday. ?Pity about my middle two rides,? he said. ?My first one was good because I was riding hard.

?It started raining and I tried to pass Gary Havelock with a move that would have worked if it had been dry. I only came off because of the rain. Then in my third one Robert Branford pulled a locker in front of me and I had to lay it down.

?Gary said to me after my second ride that I shouldn't pull silly moves like that on a wet track so in heat 14 I thought OK, I'll pass him on the outside if he doesn't want me to go up his inside. I was happy to pull it off.?

Edinburgh have 16 league matches remaining starting with Glasgow on Friday. ?That will be a really hard one, we'll just have to get our heads down.

?On Monday we are at one of my old tracks at Scunthorpe, to be honest it hasn't been one of my favourites since they changed the track. But I guested for them in the National League recently and though I didn't get many points, I was always leading but had some bike problems.

?Hopefully I'll stay at the front on Monday.?