LEAGUE LEADERS COME TO ARMADALE

NEWS Tuesday 19th June 2012, 8:41pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Newcastle Diamonds are the runaway league leaders and they will give the Scotwaste Monarchs a very tough test at Armadale on Friday.

Monarchs have only had two home meetings in the past six Fridays so they will need to speedily summon up the form they have been showing most of the season at home – when weather allows. John Campbell says "Newcastle are currently no less than eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. That shows how well they are doing although, as we know, it will count for nothing if they can't maintain this form through the play-offs."

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 22nd June (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Andrew Tully, Micky Dyer, Charles Wright.

NEWCASTLE DIAMONDS: Stuart Robson, Claes Nedermark, Mark Lemon (capt.), Christian Henry, Ludvig Lindgren, Steve Worrall, Richie Worrall.

WORRALL THREAT: Students of current speedway affairs will be aware that Richie Worrall is one of the most talked about riders of 2012, and that his twin Steve is fast reaching a similar level. The pair scored an amazing 26 points between them on Newcastle's recent visit to Leicester, even though the Diamonds surprisingly lost the match.

Still at reserve, the twins present a huge threat to Monarchs on Friday.

RYE HOUSE ON SATURDAY: Monarchs return to Rye House on Saturday in the Premier League, having gone down 49-41 there in a cup match a month ago. That was enough to win the tie, but a small improvement will be required to gain the first away league points of the season.

UNPRECEDENTED RAIN-OFFS: No Edinburgh team has ever had such a sparse run of home matches, with just two meetings (25th May and 1st June) since 4th May, a 49-day period.

John Campbell said "These rain offs are causing me some concern over restaging dates. We have the Ipswich rain off rescheduled for 7th September and I have agreed with Berwick that the second leg of the Cock of the North scheduled for 13th July will be put back to the end of the season and that date will now become a league match.

"At the moment I have still to agree a restaging date with Leicester and this is proving a bit of a challenge. For play off purposes we must complete our league matches by Monday 17th September and if you look at our fixture list you will note that we have a meeting on every available Friday up to that date.

"I'm giving the matter serious consideration at present."

THEO IN TOUCH: Theo Pijper finished fourth in the second World Longtrack round in Norway last Saturday and holds third place in the series behind Kylmakorpi (Finland) and Tebbe (Germany).

TABLE TOPPERS: It's no great surprise that Newcastle lead the way in the Premier League. Recent years have shown that having a high scoring reserve is often the secret behind team success, and the Worrall twins are certainly providing plenty of points for the Diamonds.

Had top average men Stuart Robson and Mark Lemon been at their best, Newcastle might be even further ahead than they are – they would certainly have won at Leicester.

Obviously no-one will be assuming that these redoubtable riders will be anything less than formidable on Friday. Add in former Monarch Christian Henry plus Scandinavians Lindgren and Nedermark, who have all been scoring well at times, and you have a septet with no weak links.

It should mean a great meeting on Friday if the weather co-operates.

LAST MEETING: Nothing at Armadale since 1st June, a 56-37 win over Sheffield.

NEXT MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs race their eagerly awaited quarter final of the KO Cup against Glasgow, at Armadale on Friday 29th June and Ashfield on Sunday 1st July.