Title Partner
NEWS Tuesday 2nd June 2009, 7:26pm
Edinburgh Monarchs
The Scotwaste Monarchs were Premier League Champions in 2008, and on Friday at Armadale they come up against the team who were champions in 2005 and 2007 - and who also came closest to breaking Monarchs' home record last season.
The Rye House Rockets are used to tight-track racing and have tasted victory several times at Armadale, where last year they only lost by a single point. Both teams will be using guest riders and rider replacement, both teams are also solid scorers throughout their ranks.
TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 5th JUNE (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:
SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Jason Lyons (guest), Matthew Wethers (captain), Andrew Tully, Michal Rajkowski, rider replacement for Thomas H Jonasson, Aaron Summers, Sean Stoddart.
RYE HOUSE ROCKETS: Mark Lemon (guest), Tommy Allen, Chris Neath (captain), rider replacement for Joe Haines, Linus Sundstrom, Luke Bowen, Andrew Silver.
GUEST STARS: Both Edinburgh and Rye House will be employing guest riders on Friday - and they both went for the same man as first choice!
Ryan Fisher will be en route (along with Thomas H Jonasson) for the Grand Prix qualifying meeting at Lonigo, Italy and so will miss Friday's match. This is the first Monarchs' match of any kind Ryan has missed since joining the team in 2008.
Birmingham's Aussie Jason Lyons will be the guest replacement, and Monarchs had him booked before Rockets also approached him to replace their injured no. 1 Robert Mear.
Rockets' guest rider will be another Aussie, Mark Lemon, who rode as a guest for Monarchs several times last season.
With Jonasson and Joe Haines (inured Rocket) also missing, rider replacement will also operate on both sides.
PT SEMI: It was confirmed last Friday that Monarchs' opponents in the Premier Trophy semi-final will be Scunthorpe.
Both clubs normally stage home meetings on Fridays so dates for the matches are currently being discussed.
The other semi has not yet been finalised - it will be King's Lynn v either Workington or Berwick.
NEXT AWAY: The Scotwaste Monarchs race in the League at Somerset on Wednesday.
MEETING SPONSOR: Monarchs' supporter Maurice Gordon sponsors Friday's visit of Rye House, as he did the corresponding fixture in 2008. Maurice has been a fan for almost 30 years and has reported on sport, including Speedway, for his local paper.
SOLID ROCKETS: Monarchs have found matches against teams with a strong top two (Scunthorpe and Glasgow) quite tricky in the last two weeks at Armadale. This week they face a different test.
Rye House Rockets, with their tight track expertise, are a team likely to score throughout the ranks and present Monarchs with no easy points.
They have two riders making their Armadale debut - 18 year old Swede Linus Sundstrom and 42 year old 'comeback kid' Andrew Silver!
Sundstrom is living up to Rockets' hopes as a fine young prospect, while Silver - son of Rockets' boss Len and the National League Riders' Champion in 1987! - is also picking up points. Many Monarchs' fans will recall his superb riding in the 1980's for Arena Essex at Powderhall.
Chris Neath has a good Armadale record with recent double figure scores, and Mark Lemon proved himself handy at the track several times last season. Tommy Allen is just back from injury and Luke Bowen is steadily improving in the reserve berth.
LAST MEETING: Monarchs won their final Premier Trophy qualifying match against Glasgow by 53-40. They have topped the section with 28 points, 7 points clear of the second placed team. Michal Rajkowski top scored with 16 points which included winning the final three heats.
NEXT MEETING: Monarchs race against Newcastle Diamonds in the Premier League at Armadale on Friday 12th June.
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Bathgate Road
Armadale
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