FINALE: SCOTTISH CUP AND FIREWORKS!

NEWS Wednesday 29th October 2008, 11:17pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs have arrived at the end of the most successful season in their sixty-year history, and stage their final home meeting this Friday ? the second leg of the Scottish Cup against Glasgow.

The Tigers team will be a strange one as they have several absentees, but it is not a weak one with guests in the form of Redcar's Grieves and Berwick's Makovsky joining Tigers' own Trent Leverington plus a rider replacement facility. Monarchs have not yet identified their guest stand-in for Derek Sneddon. The evening (and the season) will end with a Grand Fireworks display.

TEAMS FOR THE SCOTTISH CUP SECOND LEG AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 31st OCTOBER (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: William Lawson, rider replacement for Thomas H Jonasson, Matthew Wethers, Andrew Tully (captain), Ryan Fisher, guest replacement for Derek Sneddon, Aaron Summers.

BUILDBASE GLASGOW TIGERS: James Grieves, Lee Dicken, Michal Makovsky, rider replacement for Robert Ksiezak, Trent Leverington, Adam McKinna, Charles Wright.

SCOTTISH CUP HISTORY: The Scottish Cup began in 1951 with a narrow win for Edinburgh over Glasgow in the final.

Only the Monarchs and Tigers have ever won the competition though it has also included Motherwell, Ashfield, Berwick and Paisley at times.

The current standing is Edinburgh 20 wins, Glasgow 14, and in the Armadale era since 1997, Edinburgh have won 9 times to just one by Glasgow (in 2005). There was no staging in 1998.

This year Monarchs lead by one point after the first leg at Ashfield.

THOMAS ACROSS: Monarchs' injured Swedish star Thomas H Jonasson will be at Armadale on Friday and intends donning his race suit for some photo shots with his team mates.

He has performed brilliantly when fixture clashes permitted but ironically he was injured on 14th September at a point when he would have been available for all subsequent fixtures.

No one knows who will be in the side next season but it is certain that it will not be the same seven ? the sport's rules will not permit that.

TROPHY NIGHT: Part of the final night is the riders' speeches plus the presentation of club trophies including:

MSSC RIDER OF THE YEAR, THE GEORGE WELLS MEMORIAL TROPHY (for the most improved young rider), and THE RAYMOND JARVIE TROPHY (for an outstanding contribution to Monarchs).

MEETING SPONSOR: Sponsors of the final meeting of the season will be Monarchs' team sponsors Scotwaste.

CUP UP FOR GRABS: The makeup of the teams suggests that the destination of the Scottish Cup for 2008 is far from decided.

Monarchs have two gaps in their side and with less than 48 hours to go (and many riders packed up for the season) it may not be easy to find a suitable no. 6.

Tigers would love to record their first victory of the season over Monarchs, and a win by more than one point would give them the cup.

LAST MEETING: Monarchs went down 37-53 in the first leg of the Elite Promotion Playoff against Wolverhampton. Ryan Fisher's 14 was the highest score, and the American also totted up 16 in the second leg (53-39 to Wolves). Overall Monarchs gave a good account of themselves against their Elite opponents.

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS 2008: PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS, PREMIER TROPHY WINNERS, PREMIER PLAYOFF WINNERS.