PIJPER RETURNS FOR FIFTH SEASON

NEWS Tuesday 24th January 2006, 10:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Twenty five year old Dutchman Theo Pijper will be in the Monarchs' lineup once again this season, his fifth with the club he joined in 2002.

He has been waiting some time for the decision and was delighted when it came.

?I'm pleased to be back in the team, that's what I wanted all along.

?The plan is certainly to move my average up a bit, and stay away from the bad things which happened last season such as stolen bikes or injuries.

?The main aim is to increase my points away from home. I will have new equipment, that's why I needed the decision quickly to know that I should buy new stuff.?

Theo captained the Monarchs last season and raised his average by a point and a half, in spite of having three bikes stolen from an Edinburgh lock-up, and suffering severe leg cuts in a longtrack crash. Prior to the machine theft he had been almost invincible on his home track.

?I will try to have a special engine for Armadale again. I had it perfect at the start of last season before it was stolen and it was hard to set it up again. Now I have had the whole winter to try to get the same kind of engine again.

?I had a look at the kind of teams which are around ? Newcastle seems to be a good team and Glasgow have a strong top two. King's Lynn are good too and Redcar have a strong leader.

?I will be in the World Longtrack again, and I am planning to be in the European Speedway and World Speedway Championships.

?Mostly they are on Saturdays with the practises on Fridays so I will have to miss the practise sessions.?

Unfortunately Monarchs have had to inform their popular Australian Cameron Woodward that he won't be in the side for 2006. Cam won the Victorian Championships last weekend, ensuring that he qualifies for a work permit for the UK, and would be available on loan should any other club wish to use him.

He definitely remains in Monarchs' future plans.

Monarchs' team so far: Rusty Harrison, Theo Pijper, Matt Wethers, William Lawson, Derek Sneddon. One ?top five? place and one reserve berth to be filled