BIG CUP CLASH ON FRIDAY

NEWS Tuesday 9th April 2013, 12:03pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Scotwaste Monarchs have a very important weekend coming up, starting with the first leg KO Cup tie against highly-rated Leicester at Armadale on Friday (start time 7:30pm).

The second leg is at Leicester on Saturday and the Monarchs’ riders then have a dash up the road to take on Glasgow on Sunday at Ashfield in a League Cup tie (3pm). Either Monarchs or Leicester will qualify to meet Newcastle or Plymouth in the Cup quarter final.

TEAMS FOR THE KNOCKOUT CUP FIRST LEG MATCH AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 12th April (start time 7.30, doors open 6.30) are:

SCOTWASTE MONARCHS: Craig Cook, Derek Sneddon (capt.), Theo Pijper, Max Fricke, Claus Vissing, Marcel Helfer, Jozsef Tabaka.

LEICESTER: Kauko Nieminen (capt.), Jan Graversen, Lasse Bjerre, Kevin Doolan, Magnus Karlsson, Simon Nielsen, Lewis Blackbird.

DEEK’S VIEW: Captain Derek Sneddon rates his team’s chances of qualifying highly. He says “Leicester will not be easy opponents in the cup, they look very strong on paper. But I honestly believe we can do it, we did fantastically well down there last year and were unlucky not to win.

"If we can continue the home form of our first match then I am hoping we can take a decent lead down there. I think we can do it.”

MAGNUS IS BACK: One of several reasons that the cup tie with Leicester is a very tough hurdle is that the Lions have brought back former Monarch Magnus Karlsson.

He comes in for the injured Adam Roynon, for whom rider replacement was proving a poor substitute.

Magnus has had many good meetings at Armadale and started well at his home track last Saturday with a dozen points.

LIONS’ FORM: It is obviously early to judge but Leicester have shown pretty good form with two wins in their three matches so far.

They have beaten Sheffield (47-43) and Scunthorpe (52-38) at home, and run the Scorpions close at Scunthorpe (44-46).

The return of Karlsson certainly made a difference to their home form between their first two meetings.

Last year Leicester, like Edinburgh, made the Playoffs, and they actually have six riders in their side who were Lions last season.

PREVIOUS TIES: It’s a long time since Edinburgh and Leicester met in a knockout competition – almost 60 years in fact!

Previous ties between the teams were in 1951 and 1954, and Monarchs won them both.

In 1951 it was a comfortable win, by 139-72, with Monarchs winning both legs. Three years later, the aggregate win was by 108-107 thanks to a last heat 5-1 in the second leg at Edinburgh’s Old Meadowbank Stadium!

TOP FOUR ARE STRONG: Without wishing to under-rate the other members of their side, it is Leicester’s top four who on past form should be the obstacles to Monarchs acquiring a big lead on Friday.

Magnus Karlsson, a Monarch in 2002-3, needs no introduction. Finland’s Kauko Nieminen is also an experienced man though perhaps with a mixed Armadale record, but Kevin Doolan is a really tough nut with numerous big scores at the West Lothian track.

Less experienced, but with a big future predicted for him, is 19 year old Lasse Bjerre, whose elder brother Kenneth has been a Grand Prix regular. Lasse is a really fast man and he has only been beaten once in his first two home matches of the season.

Jan Graversen has had an Armadale double figure score in the past (for King’s Lynn) and Lewis Blackbird, a late starter to Speedway (son of former Monarch Carl Blackbird) did score a remarkable 10 at Scunthorpe recently.

LAST MEETING: The Scotwaste Monarchs made an excellent start by beating Glasgow 59-31 in their first home match. This was the first leg of the Spring Trophy, with the previously postponed Glasgow leg still to be rescheduled. Craig Cook and Theo Pijper were unbeaten by the opposition.

NEXT MEETING: Armadale will proudly present the semi-final of the British Speedway Championship on Friday 19th April. There should be further announcements in the very near future of who is in the meeting and also of Hospitality and Sponsorship packages for the big night.