Richie becomes a Monarch

NEWS Sunday 15th July 2018, 12:20pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs are pleased to confirm that Richie Worrall will be joining the team with immediate effect, although he won't make his debut till our next match on Friday 27th July against Redcar.

Armadale is a track Richie has done consistently well on. He said "I've always enjoyed riding Armadale, and I think I need to be on a track I enjoy now. This season's not been the best for me, for what reason I don't know. I've not really been enjoying riding the track at Glasgow, I think maybe the changes didn't suit me, that's all I can put it down to. So I want to get on a track I enjoy and have scored plenty of points on, and get some confidence back.

"I've had talks with Edinburgh over the last two years but nothing has ever come of it. So it was nice to get the deal done."

Long distance travel is part of a speedway rider's life and brother Steve who was a Monarch in 2014 often said he would have loved to come back, were it not for the distance involved. Richie said "Stevie lives in Cleethorpes so he takes five hours to get to Edinburgh. I'm in Chorley so it's just three hours up the M6. Of course I have Poole also but I am happy to do that as well, because I've not been in the Premiership in the last two years other than a short spell at Poole last year as well. But Poole are also a good club who have won a lot of silverware. Matt Ford runs a tight ship but you've got to be performing! But it is also a good club to be part of and I'm happy to be riding there.

Richie rides for the same Polish club as Monarchs' Ricky Wells. "There are some of the Monarchs I know more than others but it doesn't take long to make some friends."

Riders coming in of course means riders going out also, and Richie had a sympathetic word for them. "It's never nice taking guys' jobs and I do feel for them, but it's the sport. It's a numbers game, it has happened to me. It happens all the time and it's never nice, I hope the boys get fixed up."

He added "It's not always about the money, obviously I get on my bike as a way to make a living. It's silverware, you want to be winning. The biggest thing is winning. I don't like losing, we all want to be winners on these bikes."

The riders leaving the team are Mark Riss and Max Ruml, who were told the bad news after Friday's match. It is never easy to part company with two such likeable guys, big favourites with supporters and both with plenty to offer. Neither was riding consistently to the standard expected which is why changes have been considered necessary when the opportunity arose, but of course we wish them both well for the future.

The other incoming rider will be announced when all the details are confirmed.