Speedway returns to Scotland

NEWS Thursday 4th April 2024, 8:00am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Speedway season is under way for 2024 and the Scottish clubs get going on Friday with the first match in the BSN series which opens the season for all the Championship clubs. League Champions Glasgow come to Armadale on Friday (start time 7:30pm) with the Stellar Monarchs travelling to Ashfield one week later.

The other team in the Scottish BSN section is of course Berwick, with the three section winners going to the semi-finals plus a best second.

Last year Edinburgh came out on top in this match though it was Glasgow who went through from the section. Club chairman and team manager Alex Harkess has called for every rider to step up in performance this year and had highlighted the new captain Paco Castagna as one with a key role.

He said "With Paco lies the crux of everything. We all know what he can do from time to time, but not all the time. He himself is admitting that consistency is the name of the game and he has to achieve that. He's been around long enough now. Let's hope with the added responsibility he has that he takes it on board and sets out to score better himself. There is a lot on his shoulders".

Catch up with Paco's own view of Friday's fixture on the first EMTV Social on the Monarchs website.

Harkess added "We did well in this opening derby last year and did very little else after it – so this year we want to do well again and follow up with a much better season. We've got to, really, believe in ourselves, and do what we are capable of doing".

Friday's match will be Live Streamed for those who cannot attend, details on www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk.

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 5th April: Edinburgh Monarchs v Glasgow Tigers (BSN Series), Armadale, 7:30pm

STELLAR MONARCHS: Josh Pickering, Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna (captain), Justin Sedgmen, Max James, Connor Coles.

ALLIED VEHICLES TIGERS: Chris Harris, James Pearson, Leon Flint, Paul Starke, Steve Worrall, Lee Complin, Ace Pijper.

The match is sponsored by Ian MacFarlane Ltd Chartered Accountants, 2 Melville Street, Falkirk.

Following Friday's BSN series match, we will be staging a Junior challenge match between the West Lothian Wildcats and Armadale Angels, both now sponsored by Goaco (digital transformation and cyber security consultancy).