Matt Bows Out for Now

NEWS Tuesday 22nd May 2018, 8:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs have been hit this week with the news that reserve Matt Williamson has decided to take a break from the sport. He explained that things have been getting on top of him and in everyone's interests he will have some time out of Speedway.

He said "At this moment in time my head's messed up and I just need some time away. It's been a really hard process for me but I've been getting that stressed and wound up I've been making myself physically sick."

Matt added that machine problems and the associated costs have added to his difficulties. "One of my engines went at Peterborough, and then on Saturday at Lakeside after the meeting I drained my engine and one of the valves had snapped and rattled around the engine. God knows how much that will cost so everything is just on top of me at the moment."

He continued "As one of my good friends and sponsors said to me, I'm 26 this year and I've raced competitively since I was six years old. So it's been non-stop for twenty years and it's just got on top of me. It doesn't matter how hard I try, nothing's going right at the moment. It's not doing me any good as a rider or in my own self, it's making me look bad on track and it's making me feel bad. It's not doing the team any good, we can clearly see the frustration in the team, the management and the fans.

"I need to have a break to get myself back happy again. I can't understand what's been happening. I had a good meeting with 8+2 at Glasgow at the start, which continued my form at the end of last year, but since then my highest score has been a 5 which is not good enough."

Ironically one thing he had done, in the three league matches we have raced so far, is record a heat 2 5-1 with partner Josh Pickering. Matt said "At every meeting I just seemed to boom in my first race, and then that's it then." But he denied it was the tricky Armadale track and his difficulties with it that had led to his decision.

"I'm not a quitter and I'm not going to say that, I knew it was going to be hard. I'm just saying that at this moment in time I'm just struggling with Speedway as a whole. I need to get myself back together and find my love of racing again.

"I want to thank everybody at Edinburgh for giving me the opportunity and for their support."