SATURDAY SPEEDWAY: AIMING FOR THE SEMIS

NEWS Wednesday 29th July 2015, 11:32am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

It’s a change of race day at Armadale this week, please don’t come on Friday as the Border Roofing Monarchs race Redcar on Saturday night with a 7pm start, needing to win by more than 2 points to qualify for the semi-final.

Sam Masters of course is missing for the Monarchs and although we are entitled to a guest (for probably the final time) we will be using rider replacement with all the other team members able to take an extra ride. Redcar bring in Glasgow captain Aaron Summers to stand in for their own no. 1 Lasse Bjerre, injured in the first leg.

TEAMS FOR THE KNOCKOUT CUP MATCH AT ARMADALE ON SATURDAY 1st August (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

EDINBURGH BORDER ROOFING MONARCHS: Craig Cook (capt.), Justin Sedgmen, Kevin Wolbert, Erik Riss, rider replacement for Sam Masters, Max Clegg, Rob Branford.

REDCAR BEARS: Aaron Summers (guest), Dimitri Berge, Matej Kus, Jonas B Andersen, Stuart Robson (capt.), Liam Carr and reserve to be advised.

SAM MASTERS: Progress report on Sam is slightly clearer now that he has had his cast removed.

He was displaying his right hand at the track last Friday, with a couple of small white handles protruding from the skin which we presume are attached to wiring protecting the injury. This insertion will be pulled out on Friday 7th August.

After that a period of 3 to 4 days is estimated for further healing. As luck would have it we have one home and three away matches within five days at that time so unfortunately the most likely prediction is that Sam will not be riding in these important matches, in which rider replacement will apply.

Sam of course continues to be with the team and even went to Plymouth to support the team and assist Rob Branford in the pits. Team man!

NO GUEST: We will not be using a guest for Sam on Saturday as many of the best candidates will be heading off to the Fours on Sunday. We feel that at home our own riders are well capable of doing the job.

Even those who follow the rules closely might be surprised that we we’re entitled to a guest!

Sam after all drops to no. 2 in the averages with no other rider missing.

The reason is a contrived new rule: had Sam been fit on Saturday, Leicester would have had priority to use him as ours was a rearranged match not on our regular race day. Even though he isn’t fit, this facility can still be utilised!

But we aren’t utilising it.

FOURS: We race in the Fours at Peterborough on Sunday at 2pm, another tough one for the fans wishing to attend with a home match on Saturday.

Our four will be Craig Cook, Justin Sedgmen, Kevin Wolbert and Erik Riss with Rob Branford as reserve. Several of the leading sides have riders missing (though not Somerset!)

PATCHED UP BEARS: We do sympathise with Redcar who have beaten us twice in a month with a full strength team, but who lost their opening pair of Lasse Bjerre and Jan Graversen during the first leg of this tie.

They have now brought in Dimitri Berge the former Glasgow rider into their squad, and will use Glasgow’s Aaron Summers to replace Bjerre on Saturday. Summers is a track specialist, though on evidence we’ve seen so far the young French rider Berge would probably rather have made his debut somewhere else!

Stuart Robson is obviously OK after his televised crash on Monday and the middle pair of Kus and Andersen is unscathed!

Bears have yet to inform us of their reserves; Adam Roynon and Graversen are injured. They only trailed by two when this tie was abandoned a couple of weeks ago (and they are probably not any weaker, dependant on reserves) so it would be wrong to assume that they will be easy to beat, even with guest replacements.

LAST MEETING: The Border Roofing Monarchs beat Rye House 59-34 last Friday. Both Kevin Wolbert and Justin Sedgmen scored 13 points.

NEXT MEETING: On Friday 7th August Monarchs take on the impressive Peterborough team in the Premier League. They have the best away record in the league and have never failed to gain a point.

Full Result Details