LIONS CAN STILL TOP THE TABLE

NEWS Wednesday 19th September 2012, 8:38am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs face Leicester Lions on Friday at Armadale, and with three matches this week the Lions could still finish top of the table prior to the Playoffs.

Monarchs of course have also made the Playoffs so these two sides will be flexing their muscles for the matches which will decide this year’s champions – these start next week. Friday’s match sees Monarchs complete their home programme in what is effectively the qualifiers for the Playoffs, and on Saturday they race their final away match at Rye House.

TEAMS FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 21st September (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Aaron Summers (guest), Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, Matthew Wethers (capt.), Andrew Tully, Byron Bekker (guest), Marcel Helfer.

LEICESTER LIONS: Kauko Nieminen (capt.), Jan Graversen, Lasse Bjerre, Linus Eklof, Magnus Karlsson, Jari Makinen, Lewis Blackbird.

PREMIER PLAYOFFS: This year is the second time that the Premier League title has been decided by Playoffs (previously 2007 when Rye House won).

The top two teams in the table (still to be decided in a thrilling finish this week) will select their opposition (two groups of three) at Sunday’s Premier League Riders’ Championship.

The winning teams in these groups will meet in the Playoff Final.

The Playoff group matches start next week and Monarchs will race their first home Playoff match on Friday 28th September.

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE: With the League table due to be completed by Saturday, there are still four teams who could finish at the top – Newcastle, Scunthorpe, Somerset and Leicester.

Scunthorpe (47) are home to Glasgow on Friday, Newcastle (48) are at Plymouth, Somerset (48) have completed their matches (but could still go top if other results went their way) and Leicester (41) would need to gain sufficient points from three away matches at Redcar, Edinburgh and Workington.

The Lions have a potential 12 points from these fixtures though it would be some achievement to win them all.

Monarchs (38) have 7 points available and they could theoretically move up as high as fourth.

GUESTS: Craig Cook and Jozsef Tabaka are hopefully just one week away from fitness. Cook is expected to practise at Armadale after Friday’s match to test the recovery of his broken wrist.

Tabaka will visit Hospital next Tuesday and hopes also to get clearance to resume.

In the meantime Monarchs use Aaron Summers and Byron Bekker as replacements on Friday – both have excelled when used in recent weeks.

On Saturday at Rye Kevin Doolan and Max Dilger are called in.

GOOD YEAR FOR LIONS: Leicester can still move to the top of the table, and this is evidence of a good second year since the club returned to the sport at their new purpose built venue.

They have been unbeaten at home, in spite of several close matches which included a 45-44 win over the Scotwaste Monarchs in August. They have dropped five home points though.

Away from home they have won at Berwick, Glasgow and Rye House. To some extent you might say they have been in the right place at the right time, always a vital ingredient of a successful campaign, but they have certainly been a steady side.

They have been relatively injury-free (other than the loss of Danish reserve Simon Nielsen) and were able to bring in Swede Linus Eklof to stiffen their middle order.

They have no fewer than six Scandinavians in the lineup – Lasse Bjerre and Jan Graversen (Denmark), Magnus Karlsson and Linus Eklof (Seden), Kauko Nieminen and Jari Makinen (Finland). Karlsson was a Monarch of course in 2002-3 and has had a Testimonial this season.

The only UK rider, Lewis Blackbird, has moved up from the National League this season. He is the son of another former Monarch, Carl Blackbird.

THEO IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: With Craig Cook not yet fit, Theo Pijper steps up to become the Scotwaste Monarchs’ representative in the PLRC at Sheffield on Sunday.

Theo has done a great job this year, averageing about 8, and he scored double figures in all three matches last weekend. He also found time between Monarchs’ fixtures to fly over the Germany and complete his World Longtrack campaign, finishing fourth overall in the series and guaranteeing his participation next year.

LAST MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs won both matches in their double header last Friday – 57-35 against Glasgow and 57-36 v Rye House. With Ipswich losing at Berwick on Saturday, this was enough to clinch Monarchs’ Playoff place.

NEXT MEETING: The first home Premier Playoff match will be at Armadale on Friday 28th September. The opposition will be decided after the two groups of three are selected on Sunday.