No 1s Sam Masters and Craig Cook clash last season Image Credit: Peter Hill

The time has come for the Scottish clash

NEWS Wednesday 27th April 2022, 5:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The What the Fork Monarchs have had two home and two away matches this season to bed themselves in, certainly showing plenty of good signs, but this week is the biggest test to date against a Glasgow side which many have marked down as favourites for this year's honours.

The Tigers' fans will flock to Armadale with high expectations of a side headed by big guns Craig Cook and Ulrich Ostergaard, backed by a team with no apparent weak links. In particular, Dane Benjamin Basso and Englishman Tom Brennan (already a member of the GB Speedway of Nations winners) have to be two of the best prospects in World Speedway.

Monarchs have pleased their fans with three wins in four matches so far, following which Monarchs' team manager Alex Harkess has said "Considering the amount of matches we've had, I'm really quite happy with them to tell you the truth. The fact that we've got four riders based in Edinburgh has been a good thing. They seem to have settled very very well and are getting on very well.

"This week is obviously harder, the top teams have to come to Armadale eventually and we've got to go to their places. It's never an easy fixture no matter what the record books might say. They have riders that are more than capable of doing well round Armadale, we've seen it all in the past, it's up to us to nip them in the bud and not let them get in front. That's the plan, it will not be easy, that's for sure!"

Just as Craig Cook is actually on loan from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Monarchs' no. 7 James Sarjeant has been loaned in the opposite direction, and James was unbeaten from his four rides last Friday. He said "Friday night will be a lot tougher with it being Glasgow probably our toughest home match so far. Obviously local derbies you see guys pulling stuff out their hats they don't usually it's more like a cup final than a regular league match so obviously we'll all be up for that."

The main event will be followed by a junior challenge fixture between the West Lothian Wildcats and the Armadale Angels, featuring four graduates from the Monarchs' Academy on 125cc machines – the start of something big? These two teams will represent the club in the Northern Junior League this season.

As with all Armadale matches this season, Friday's match will be Live Streamed. Details on www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 29th April: Edinburgh Monarchs v Glasgow Tigers (Championship), Armadale, 7:30pm

WTF MONARCHS: Sam Masters (capt.), Lasse Fredriksen, Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson, Josh Pickering, Jacob Hook, James Sarjeant.

ALLIED VEHICLES TIGERS: Craig Cook, Broc Nicol, Ulrich Ostergaard (capt.), Benjamin Basso, Tom Brennan, Danyon Hume, Connor Bailey.