PREMIER LEAGUE RACING AT LAST

NEWS Wednesday 30th May 2012, 7:16pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs will be racing their first home Premier League match of the season on Friday, against a Sheffield Tigers' team sporting two riders who have in the last few days recorded the best performances of their careers.

Josef Franc won three heats in the most recent Grand Prix, and Ricky Wells scored 18 plus 2 bonus in the Elite League for Wolverhampton against Peterborough on Monday. Few Premier riders could even dream of performances like that and it remains to be seen how these two perform against a Monarchs' team who have been outstanding at home in recent weeks.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMUER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 1st June (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Andrew Tully, Micky Dyer, Charles Wright.

SHEFFIELD TIGERS: Josef Franc, Hugh Skidmore, Chris Schramm, Richard Hall (capt.), Ricky Wells, Joe Haines, Emiliano Sanchez.

CHILDREN'S NIGHT: Friday at Armadale will also be Children's Night, in support of the Armadale Children's Gala Day, and the Armadale Gala Committee will be on hand to hold a collection for their funds.

John Campbell said "It is intended that the Queen of Hearts and her Champion will be parading before the meeting in an open top car. The Gala Day Committee have distributed 5000 leaflets in Armadale for us. We will also have a bouncy castle, magic roundabout and face painter and possibly a clown. We've got Armadale Speedway balloons coming and each child will get a poster team picture of the 2012 Monarchs."

TOP DISPLAYS: We should congratulate both Josef Franc and Ricky Wells, visitors on Friday, on recent performances.

Franc, the 2010 Scottish Open Champion, is a popular rider in the Czech Republic and they gave him the wild card for their recent Grand Prix.

He responded with three incredible wins against the World's top riders, including (in a single race!) Greg Hancock, Tomasz Gollob and Jason Crump!

Only marginally less impressive, Ricky Wells lined up on Monday for his Elite side Wolverhampton, hit by injuries.

He had seven rides against Peterborough, winning five of them, following his partner home in a sixth and only dropping a point against GP rider Kenneth Bjerre.

Sheffield can only be delighted with this form and we shall see what it means at Armadale on Friday.

REDCAR ON THURSDAY: Prior to the home match, the Scotwaste Monarchs ride for the second time this season at Redcar on Thursday. This is a Premier League match and of course Monarchs have lost both of their away league fixtures so far this season.

DIFFERENT TIGERS: Sheffield were runners-up in last year's Premier League but have a much-changed side this year.

They appeared to have lost some top-end strength although the previously-mentioned efforts of Franc and Wells might challenge that perception.

However they do have solidity and at reserve they track double British Under-21 Joe Haines and experienced Argentinian Emiliano Sanchez – a challenge for the home pair.

The Tigers recently brought Chris Schramm into their side, which strengthens them quite a bit, though he doesn't have a particularly good Armadale record.

LAST MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs defeated Rye House surprisingly easily, by 59-31, in the first leg of their KO Cup tie. They held Rockets to a 41-49 margin in the second leg so qualified comfortably on a 100-80 aggregate. Monarchs meet Glasgow in the quarter final, dates for this tie being 29th June at Armadale and 1st July at Ashfield.

NEXT MEETING: There will be a fortnight's break before the next Armadale match on 15th June, a Premier League match against Berwick.

Full Result Details