DEFENCE OF TROPHIES STARTS HERE

NEWS Tuesday 24th March 2009, 7:36am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs are back in action this week with their opening home fixture against Glasgow at Armadale on Friday (27th).

Before that they race at King's Lynn on Wednesday in a challenge match. Last season Monarchs won 3 National and 2 Scottish trophies and captain Matthew Wethers and the team are in no doubt that they aim to have an equally successful year in 2009. This weekend's matches against the A1 Plant Tigers are for the Spring Trophy.

TEAMS FOR THE SPRING TROPHY FIRST LEG AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 27th MARCH (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Ryan Fisher, Thomas H Jonasson, Matthew Wethers (captain), Andrew Tully, Aaron Summers, Michal Rajkowski, Sean Stoddart.

GLASGOW A1 PLANT TIGERS: Shane Parker (captain), James Grieves, Peter Juul, Josh Grajczonek, Ross Brady, Anders Andersen, Mitchell Davey.

(These are squads in average order, not riding lineups)

THE SPRING TROPHY: In the Armadale era Edinburgh and Glasgow have raced for the Spring Trophy 11 times.

The score stands at Edinburgh 7 wins and Glasgow 4. Tigers won in 2006 and 2007 but the Monarchs stopped the rot with home and away wins last season, at the start of their greatest campaign to date.

The Trophy famously is a spring mounted on a plinth and both teams will be very keen to put one across on their rivals.

MATTHEW THE SKIPPER: As announced last weekend. Matthew Wethers is the new club captain. He is into his seventh year with Monarchs and is the only rider in the club's history with two league winners' medals.

On his appointment he said ?I feel very lucky to have been chosen because there are seven guys there all doing their best. Last season was great but I believe we can all continue to improve and get the job done.?

He knows that last year's results are now history but is looking to start the year with another trophy. He said ?When we are up against Glasgow then we are always out to win! I think we can definitely do it. They have James Grieves back but we have riders who are just as good.?

LYNN CHALLENGE: King's Lynn have done Monarchs the honour of inviting them on Wednesday to visit Saddlebow Road in a challenge, no doubt looking for revenge for Monarchs' excellent performances there last season (a draw and a Playoff aggregate win). Monarchs have other ideas.

MEETING SPONSOR: Long-term Monarchs' supporter Alex Arbuckle celebrates his 70th birthday by sponsoring the first match of the Armadale season. He has followed the team since 1949.

TIGERS TO MOVE UP: The correspondents of the Speedway Star have voted Glasgow Tigers into last place in the 2009 Premier League predictions. This, surely, is based more on last year's disappointments than this year's true prospects.

The obvious change is the return of James Grieves to his original club. Grieves has become one of the most consistent top-line riders in the league and surely has some good years remaining in his career. With Shane Parker, who has announced that this is his last season, and who took runners-up spot in the Alan Hunt Trophy at Birmingham, he forms a very strong top two.

They have hot Aussie prospect Josh Grajczonek ready to continue last year's excellent showings, and a couple of dead-keen young Danes in Peter Juul and Anders Andersen who are very much here to succeed.

Unpredictable but capable and experienced Ross Brady can always be a threat, and Mitchell Davey is another hoping to make good use of the season's experience he gained last summer.

Here's a prediction: Glasgow will be nowhere near bottom and this weekend's matches will be strongly contested by both sides.

NEXT MEETING: The ?official' action starts at Armadale on Friday 3rd April with a visit from Sheffield Tigers in the Premier Trophy. The previous night Monarchs race at Sheffield.