TRACK COMMENTS FROM DOC BRIDGETT

NEWS Tuesday 30th August 2011, 12:32pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Alan Bridgett, acknowledged as the UK's top track specialist, has explained the problems faced by the track staff last Friday. These led to dry shale being put on, a heavy track and a poor meeting, not to mention a heavy defeat by Glasgow who coped much better than the Scotwaste Monarchs' riders.

There was some rain, not as much as in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, but it came at the most awkward time.

Alan says ?On Friday the biggest problem was that it was very cloudy, not a breath of wind, and misty. We had a lot of rain Thursday. The rain came about 3 and there was absolutely no drying power.

?By about half past five I said ? worst case scenario we'll get it on, and if there is any drying power I can get it good. But that never happened, I never got to finish properly. Then we just had to get it the best we could, because people would not appreciate when it isn't raining, why we're not going to run.

?From when that deluge came, and there was no drying power, our backs were to the wall trying to get a meeting on. It was different last week, the track was ready and we'd done two or three heats when the rain really came. I was finished doing the track, whereas on Friday I wasn't finished, the rain came too soon. If it had rained an hour later we would have been OK, but sometimes you just have to take a chance.

?Although we go on about the weather, I could equally drone on for hours about the intricacies of Armadale and weather conditions out there, and the situation of the track, the water table and the proximity of the local council rainwater drain which runs right across the top of the first and second bend and takes all the surface water from the streets.

?Everyone knows trying to get an accurate weather forecast is just about impossible, and at the end of the day it usually comes down to me second guessing the weather and deciding to take a chance. Sometimes you have to do that to get a meeting on and try to provide the best entertainment you can.

?That's what it all comes down to. John's as good as anyone on the weather, he's become a bit of an expert now, but it can only be short term ? he can maybe say to me, it's going to rain in half an hour or so. In saying that, all the boys here, including Ronnie and the Campbell brothers, works tirelessly, and everyone is depressed when it's wet or we know it's going to rain ? it upsets everyone because it can ruin a meeting.

?Glasgow are a great team this year, they deserve to be where they are, we've had that the last few seasons and we know what confidence can do for a team.?

Matthew Wethers added "In my opinion it should probably have been rained off at about three o' clock. I did hear that it was, and that the Glasgow riders had calls to say it was off, then a few minutes later another to say it was back on.

"It's a difficult situation, to prepare the track, and obviously they tried to put on some dry shale to try to soak up the water, but there was just too much water and it just made more wet shale. It made it quite difficult.

"You can look back and say ? we should have done this or we should have done that, but it's gone and there's nothing we can do about it.

"One of the Glasgow riders said that they are used to riding a bad track. I would agree with that, they do have quite an inconsistent track and we have one of the best prepared tracks in the country, so it probably does help them to turn up and see a bad track and say ? well it's still not as bad as our own!"