Lawson's Home Comforts

NEWS Monday 8th April 2019, 7:00pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Completing our series of interviews with the 2019 Staggs Bar Monarchs to discuss their winter adventures we caught up with reserve Willie Lawson at Friday night's season launch show with Willie in a fairly confident mood.

Unlike many of his teammates Willie has not had much in the way of a jet setting winter concentrating on working full time and preparing for the year ahead saying "I've done a lot of work on my bikes over the winter and I've kept myself busy and active, most people will know I also work as a plumber full time and that keeps me pretty fit but I have also been going to the gym. It's hard to get much in the way of practice over the winter as there is nothing close to me I tried to get a few practices in January but they had to be called off due to the weather so the practice session at Armadale was actually the first time I'd been back on a bike since last season but I'm pretty sure I'll get into the swing of things quickly."

Returning after such a long time out last year Willie is aware of what lies ahead this year and that played a part in his winter preparations "I pretty much stripped the bikes apart as soon as the season was finished and worked out what new bits I needed so I definitely feel ready for the year ahead. I'm a little disappointed they lowered the team building average as I thought last year was good and the teams that visited Armadale were all strong but I guess that could be an advantage for me as I'm that bit more experienced than a lot of reserves now but my job is to go out and win races. Even after all my years I do get a little nervous at the start of the season so I'm looking forward to getting my first race out of the way and then I'll be settled in again."

Willie certainly is a key man for the Staggs Bar Monarchs in 2019 and a return to previous form would be seen as a real boost to the Monarchs chances of lifting silverware.

The first chance he will get to show what can do is this Friday when one of Lawson's former teams come to Armadale with tickets available now.