DEVILS DOUBLE THIS WEEKEND

NEWS Tuesday 12th July 2011, 9:47pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs race the recently-promoted Plymouth Devils team home and away this weekend, which means a great deal of travelling for both teams.

Devils' Ben Barker, top average rider in the Premier League at well over 10, is in the current Great Britain World Cup squad this week but if they are knocked out in Thursday's race-off it is expected that he will be taking his place with his Premier team on Friday. That will mean World Cup riders meeting in heat 1 with Monarchs' Kevin Wolbert having represented Germany last weekend in the first meeting of the competition.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 15th JULY (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Kevin Wolbert, Kalle Katajisto, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Craig Cook, Tim Webster, Kyle Howarth.

PLYMOUTH DEVILS: Ben Barker, rider replacement for Jason Bunyan, Jesper Kristiansen, Mark Simmonds, Hynek Stichauer, Kyle Hughes, Jamie Pickard.

ST BONIFACE ARENA: Speedway returned to Plymouth in 2006 at a new venue, the St Boniface Arena, and the Devils have raced with success in the third tier of British Speedway for five seasons.

Last winter their application to join the Premier League was accepted. Saturday will be the first time Monarchs have raced at this track though both Tim Webster and Kyle Howarth have been there.

WE'VE MET THE DEVILS: Monarchs and Plymouth have met before ? but not for almost 50 years!

1962 was the last time the teams did battle, and there was controversy when Plymouth came to Old Meadowbank that season because after Monarchs had won 45-32, it was ruled that captain Doug Templeton had used an illegal tyre, and the result was altered to a 38-39 loss!

Monarchs had a win at the old Pennycross Stadium in Plymouth in 1950, and a 39-39 draw in 1962.

WORLD CUP WOLBERT: Kevin Wolbert raced in the World Cup for Germany last Saturday, managing to take the scalp of Rory Schlein in one race.

Former Monarch Max Dilger was top scorer for Germany with 4 points, and other former Monarchs in the meeting were Thomas H Jonasson (Sweden ? 7 points) and Rory Schlein (Australia ? 5 points).

SOMERSET RAIN-OFFS: As everyone knows by now, both the matches between Monarchs and Somerset were rained off last week, which of course means that the two Friday tracks have to rearrange the fixtures for later in the season.

No dates have been agreed yet.

MEETING SPONSOR: Monarchs supporter since Powderhall days, Dougie Muirhead, is Friday's match sponsor as he celebrates his recent retirement with family and friends.

NEW BOYS FINDING THEIR FEET: Plymouth are at the foot of the table in their first Premier season, but they have enjoyed some successes, having beaten Scunthorpe, won away at Leicester and taken 3 points off highly-placed Somerset.

Ben Barker is undoubtedly their stand-out rider and it is to be hoped that he will be at Armadale, even though that will mean Great Britain have not gone through from the World Cup Race-off. Realistically that will be the case.

Dane Jesper Kristiansen has also had a very good season, and recent signing Hynek Stichauer is going well. At reserve, Kyle Hughes has taken on a new lease of life since moving from Somerset.

LAST MATCH: Last Friday's match against Somerset was rained off, as was the away match two days earlier. Monarchs travelled to Sheffield and Newcastle, losing both matches.

NEXT WEEK'S MATCH: On Friday 22nd July Monarchs race Armadale specialists Rye House Rockets, whose visit in May was abandoned after a couple of heats.

Full Result Details