MONARCHS SIGN CRAIG COOK

NEWS Friday 17th December 2010, 12:02pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs have signed 23 year old starlet Craig Cook from Workington Comets.

This will be a full transfer for the ex-motocross rider who won the National League Riders' Championship in his first full season of Speedway (2009), and who was top of the Workington averages at one stage during 2010.

It had already been announced that he would be leaving Workington and Monarchs felt he fitted their plans.

He said ?You don't know what to expect in this game. It's all about fitting in with the averages. I would like to have been back at Workington because it's nice and easy for me, right on the doorstep. But I think that moving to Edinburgh will do me more good, it's a bogey track for some people but I look forward to going there because it's a track I like riding.

?I've got the pace and my gating's second to none, I led Ryan Fisher at Armadale last year till I just picked up on the last bend and he passed me.?

Definitely ambitious, he added ?I've had a good talk with John Campbell and I think he's quite impressed with my enthusiasm. I don't want to do this half-heartedly, if I'm going to do something I want to be the best. I've come to Edinburgh but I want to progress ? Elite League, Poland, World Championship?

?I've come this far in two years, who knows where I might be in five years time??

This signing does mean that Ryan Fisher will not be back with Monarchs next season. He has been one of the greatest-ever Monarchs in his three-year spell but had expressed his wish to go Elite League. Doubling up was a possibility but with no Elite berth organised, the club have decided they needed to go in a different direction.

2011 Scotwaste Monarchs' team so far: Kevin Wolbert (Germany) 7.96, Matthew Wethers (captain, Australia) 7.04, Andrew Tully (Scotland) 6.68, Ashley Morris (England) 3.00, Craig Cook (England) 6.47. Points remaining 11.35.