Jubilee League Starts With Bandits

PREVIEW Friday 22nd July 2022, 12:30pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Attention turns away from the league for the next couple of weeks for the What the Fork Monarchs as they begin their Jubilee League campaign on Friday night with a visit from the Berwick Bandits.

This competition a new introduction this year although it has similar traits to that of the old league cup as a mini group consisting of the Monarchs, Bandits and Glasgow all will battle to be top and earn the right to head for the title in a one-off final at Sheffield with the winners of the Northern and Southern groups.

One match has been raced so far with the Tigers running out big winners at Ashfield over a battered and bruised Bandits last Friday.

Thankfully it appears that the Bandits riders involved in those spills last week while still feeling the effects are all fit to ride.

Chris Harris has been an inspired signing for the Borders men this year giving them the true number one they have perhaps been lacking for the last few years. Backing Harris is a mixture of youth and experience (and plenty of Armadale laps as well) Theo Pijper and Ricky Wells are off course both multi year Monarchs while Leon Flint will come into the meeting on a high after being crowned British Under 19 Champ on Thursday night.

Jye Etheridge also returns to the fold after missing last weekend after a knock at Oxford.

At the bottom end all eyes may well be on new Danish recruit Jonas Knudsen who has been very impressive everywhere he has gone so far, that is not to say that reserve partner Nathan Stoneman can be discounted as well with Stoneman already having a National League maximum to his name at Armadale this season.

So, it is a full Berwick 1-7 that heads for the Dale and one that team boss Gary Flint thinks is stronger than the side that it took a heat 15 maximum from Sam Masters and Josh Pickering to stop from getting a league point on their last visit back at the start of the season.

For the Monarchs it also is a full line-up that takes to track, Masters still suffering from a broken metatarsal but determined to ride through the pain.

Josh Pickering also had an off this week while guesting for Birmingham but was able to carry on and help the Brummies overturn an early deficit to defeat Oxford, so he rides on also.

The rest of the line-up all have reasons for optimism and will look for a big performance as while the pressure of league points is off there is still a final to race for and a big home win will give the Monarchs a platform to build on.

Tickets are still available from the official website with the option to pay at the gate available also. For those that can't make it along then the match will be live streamed also with EM:TV the place to be to catch the action.

Friday night is speedway night…. See you there!

Full Result Details