Garcia v Clegg on Tigers' last visit Image Credit: Ron MacNeill

Tigers Roaring In

NEWS Wednesday 22nd June 2016, 5:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Border Roofing Monarchs know they face a major task this Friday when the ambitious Glasgow Tigers provide the opposition at Armadale.

They were the virtually unanimous choice of the Speedway Star experts as potential champions this and have done well so far – they are in the top two in the table ands have been highly competitive on their travels. As seems to be the norm nowadays, missing riders and their replacements appear to make the Tigers stronger, with the full strength Monarchs having to deal with Kevin Doolan rather than recent signing Rene Bach.

PREMIER LEAGUE: Monarchs are well behind with their fixtures now having ridden just 3 home league matches. All other teams bar Somerset and Redcar have ridden more.

Glasgow are currently lying second, with one away win to add to their six home victories.

Peterborough are at the top of the table but the team to watch are probably Somerset, unbeaten after 3 home and 3 away matches.

ON SKY NEXT WEDNESDAY: The Border Roofing Monarchs of course appear on Sky TV next Wednesday when they travel to Glasgow.

Sky have only made it to Armadale once, in 2008 against Workington. They have preferred watching us away where we are almost always competitive, with two of our matches at Somerset being amongst the best ever seen on Sky.

Hopefully the Scottish rivals will put on a good show next week.

WORLD UNDER-21: Congratulations to Erik Riss on reaching the Final of the opening leg of the World Under-21 at King’s Lynn last Saturday.

He is sixth in the points table with 10 points.

PAIRS QUALIFIERS: Monarchs will race again in the Premier Pairs at Somerset on 8th July, riding in Group 2 against Sheffield, Ipswich (holders), Rye House and Plymouth.

Our pair will be chosen from our top 3 of Masters, Wolbert and Fisher. We won the Pairs in 2014 through Sam Masters and Max Fricke.

Teams for the Premier League Match at Armadale on Friday 24th June (start time 7:30pm, gates open 6:30pm), are:

BORDER ROOFING MONARCHS: Sam Masters (capt.), Mark Riss, Erik Riss, Ryan Fisher, Kevin Wolbert, Max Clegg, Dan Bewley.

GLASGOW TIGERS: Richard Lawson, Kevin Doolan, Richie Worrall, rider replacement for Nike Lunna, Aaron Summers (capt.), Fernando Garcia, Danny Ayres.

TOUGH ONE IN PROSPECT: The current Tigers go everywhere looking to win and Friday will be no different.

They will need no reminding that they won at Armadale last season only for Monarchs to go through to Ashfield two days later and win by even more!

Lawson, Worrall and Summers all rode in these matches, Worrall as a guest. They are all very capable on all tracks, Lawson having overcome an earlier dislike of Armadale.

Of course guest Kevin Doolan has had many successes at Armadale, more so than the man he replaces Rene Bach, who is riding in a Danish League match.

The key riders may well be the tail-enders. Tigers’ Garcia and Ayres are real triers though not necessarily Armadale specialists, and their tussles with Max Clegg and Dan Bewley will be important.

LAST MEETING: The Border Roofing Monarchs suffered their fourth postponement of the season when the visit of Plymouth was postponed last Friday.

NEXT MEETING: On Friday 1st July Berwick Bandits will be the visitors to Armadale in a Premier League match.