Fourth season as a Monarch Image Credit: Jack Cupido

Max returns to complete the side

NEWS Tuesday 17th July 2018, 7:30pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Staggs Bar Monarchs have a complete team again with the return to the colours of Max Clegg, who previously rode in the side from 2015 to 2017.

The Englishman from Brighouse is still only 21, has raised his average each year he has ridden with Monarchs, and is a former British Under-19 and National League Riders' Champion.

He said "I'm looking forward to it. I'd like to raise my average again. I know there are only a limited number of meetings remaining and I feel I have struggled a little bit this year, but I think this move will do me good. I go well round Armadale and I feel I've been riding the big tracks better this year.

"I'm very excited to be back. I rode with Erik, Ricky and Josh last year and I know Richie Worrall, because my mechanic Matthew helps him."

Max's average round Armadale is well over 6 (which he was quite pleased to hear!), he has scored 420 league points for Monarchs and due to the quirks of average calculation, he returns to the team on a 3-point average having left last season on over 4.

This year hasn't been a great one for Max. He thought he was in the Lakeside team but lost that spot due to a misinterpretation of the average rules. He started with Rye House in the Premiership and Stoke in the National League but Rye House have recently closed. He added "You get yourself excited for something and it kind of backfires. I struggled at Rye House a lot as people can see but I'm starting to feel like my old self again. I had a fairly good weekend though a hard meeting in the rain at Belle Vue on Friday in the first meeting I'd had for three weeks. I do expect to be riding more now, not riding for three weeks is awful."

It is his converted average from the Premiership which allows him to return on the 3-point figure which sees him fit in as number 7.

"Next Friday is my next meeting now and for some reason I always seem to go well against Redcar. I hope I can just go straight into it and carry that on. I'm looking forward to it, I really am."