Speedway: Finest ever Monarchs to go out with a bang

Oct 30 2008 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

THE Scotwaste Monarchs bring the curtain down on their greatest-ever season when they take on Glasgow in the Scottish Cup at Armadale Stadium tomorrow night.

There will also be a grand fireworks display at Armadale Stadium following the racing and the end-of-season speeches from the history-making riders.

They went down with considerable honour in the Elite League Playoff against Wolverhampton, pushing the Wolves all the way on their own track in the second leg at Monmore Green on Monday before losing 53-39.

The season ends with Monarchs as triple champions, winning the Premier League for the second time, the Premier Trophy for the first time and also taking the inaugural Premier Playoffs.

It has been a credit to everyone in the side, led magnificently by local boy Derek Sneddon and with two other great Scots excelling – William Lawson from Auchterarder who was top man in the first half of the season before injury, and Andrew Tully from Bathgate who has probably made the most progress of anyone in the side.

The imports have been American Ryan Fisher who has put his career back on the rails in style, young Swede Thomas H Jonasson who ended his season in September with a broken ankle, plus Aussie pair Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers who have both done everything which could be expected of them.

Last Friday Monarchs went down 37-53 to the strong Wolverhampton lineup in the first leg of the playoff which could have seen Monarchs promoted to the Elite League (something which, incidentally, they had mixed feelings about).

The West Lothian-based Monarchs were giving a good account of themselves up until heat nine with the score at 25-29, but thereafter they let it slip a bit.

Falls by Lawson and Fisher lost points and the Wolves were a relieved team once more.

On Monday in the second leg the score was similar but the performance better, as Fisher and Tully really rocked the Wolves, taking two 5-1 heat advantages during the evening. Monarchs took an excellent travelling support down for what was one of the best meetings the Wolves have had this season.

Friday’s match against Glasgow is the second leg of the Scottish Cup in which Monarchs hold a one-point advantage after the Glasgow leg. The Tigers will be using several guest riders and their team has not yet been announced.

Monarchs will also have a guest replacement for Derek Sneddon, and their injured Swedish star Thomas Jonasson will be making his way over for the weekend which also includes the club’s annual dinner dance in Edinburgh.