30 Heats of Action on Friday

NEWS Wednesday 31st August 2016, 5:31pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Border Roofing Monarchs race against both Redcar Bears and Plymouth Devils this Friday at Armadale in a meeting which starts earlier than usual, first race 7pm.

It’s a patched up Monarchs team which will try to add 6 vital league points to our bid for a Playoff place, and we will need everyone at their best. The opposition teams are not high in the league but Redcar in particular are in good form and drew at Peterborough on Monday. Ludvig Lindsgren will stand in for Sam Masters, and Rob Shuttleworth for Dan Bewley, in a re-shuffled lineup. Ryan Fisher will be racing in spite of his foot injury.

John Campbell said “Let’s hope we can pick up six league points with our battered and bruised team on Friday. If there has been any time this season when you should really get behind the team then it is now.”

Teams for the Premier League Match at Armadale on Friday 2nd September (start time 7:00pm, gates open 6:15pm), are:

BORDER ROOFING MONARCHS: Ludvig Lindgren (guest), Ryan Fisher, Erik Riss, Mark Riss, Kevin Wolbert (capt.), Max Clegg, Rob Shuttleworth (guest).

REDCAR BEARS: David Bellego (capt.), Tobias Busch, Hugh Skidmore, Jonas B Andersen, Lasse Bjerre, Jye Etheridge, Lee Payne.

PLYMOUTH DEVILS: Jack Holder, Stefan Nielsen, Sam Simota, Todd Kurtz, Kyle Newman (capt.), Steve Boxall, Ellis Perks.

THE LINEUP: Sam Masters heads for Saturday’s Grand Prix Challenge, in which a top three finish would put him in the GPs for next season. We have selected Newcastle’s in-form Swede Ludvig Lindgren to stand in for Sam.

Also missing is Dan Bewley who was concussed following his crash at Newcastle last Sunday (he should be back for a week on Friday). Rob Shuttleworth of Belle Vue Colts will guest for the irreplaceable Dan.

Thank goodness Ryan Fisher has declared himself fit and will spend all week working on his machinery to ensure that he is at his best on Friday. He said “My engine has been tuned and I also have a brand new engine from the tuner, and I intend to finish the season on a high.”

The team has been given a minor shuffle with the Riss brothers riding together in the middle pairing. They have asked to try this, and we have seen them out together having post-match practise.

MONARCHS 100: The club wishes to thank everyone who walked, supported or sponsored Friday’s event, a walk across the Forth Road Bridge organised by Scott Wilson and Derek Wilkinson to assist the club following the severe weather problems we have had this year. The organisers have asked for the sponsorship monies to be in by the end of September.

MATCH SPONSOR: Friday’s cup tie will be sponsored by our friends from the Black Bull Inn in Mid Calder who were thwarted by the weather at a previous meeting.

DOUBLE TEST: With a full strength lineup Monarchs would be fairly confident of adding six vital Premier League points towards securing a Playoff place. Without Masters and Bewley, we have to hope the guests do well – they will certainly give it their all – and that our own remaining riders can be at their best.

Redcar bring two former Monarchs in Tobias Busch and Jye Etheridge. Toby was briefly with us in 2010 and helped us to win the League that season, while Jye started with us this season and would love to show us that we were wrong to drop him from the team.

The Bears are in good form and secured a 45-45 draw at Peterborough on Monday with a solid performance.

Plymouth bring Aussie Under-21 Champion Jack Holder, one of the sport’s top prospects.

FANS' TRUST RAFFLE: The Monarchs' Fans Trust, who have been such a fantastic support to the club this season (we'll have more to say on that in due course) are staging a raffle with a £500 first prize to be drawn in November. If you want to help by selling some tickets, Books will be available to sell from the Gazebo from 6.30pm till tapes up and then in the bar after the meeting.

LAST MEETING: Monarchs beat Glasgow 48-41 in the second leg of the Knockout Cup quarter final, but went out 78-95 on aggregate. Sam Masters scored 13+1 for Monarchs.

NEXT MEETING: On Friday 9th September the Border Roofing Monarchs will face Glasgow Tigers in a Premier League match which will be important to both teams.

Full Result Details