Double Trouble

PREVIEW Thursday 1st September 2016, 7:48pm

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

It's a double header this week as we look to make up for the multitude of lost meetings facing off against the Redcar SG Petch Bears and Plymouth Devils in Premier League action.

Both of these fixtures are rearranged fixtures from previous rained off affairs although both sport different line-ups from the last time we saw them.

Redcar are first up and visit on the back of an excellent away draw at Peterborough. With 2 ex-Monarchs in their line-up alongside some visitors with Armadale pedigree they cannot be taken lightly.

It'll be a big welcome back to Tobias Busch who helped us to lift the 2010 Premier League. It was a shame that we could not get Busch enough meetings to gain a true average and to become an asset but we have watched on in interest as he has made a name for himself on the continent and returned to these shores. Second and more recent by far of the ex-Monarchs in the Bears septet is Jye Etheridge. Jye was a popular if unsuccessful signing for the Monarchs and eventually we had to make a move to try and guarantee us some more points. Jye has settled in nicely at Redcar though and is showing the form we hoped for when we signed him now that he is getting a run at reserve. Alongside the former home heroes are usually excellent visitor Lasse Bjerre, trending upwards David Bellego and Jonas B Anderson and ever steady Hugh Skidmore and Lee Payne.

After the Redcar match we will move onto the Plymouth Devils. We have seen the Devils at Armadale already this year having disposed of the Devon men in the KO cup winning the home leg comfortably 54-36.

It's been an up and down season for Plymouth with the dram of whether they would run at the start of the season being followed by success after introducing Brady Kurtz and taking exciting and deserved victory at the fours this followed by Kurtz's departure and a downtick in form. There are a couple of changes to the team we saw way back towards the beginning of May. Kyle Newman has returned to the fold after missing the prior meetings due to injury and illness. Kyle is in flying form as will be attested to by anyone who saw his heats from the Belle Vue vs. Poole match on Sky last week. The other change is at reserve where recent signing Steve Boxhall misses out due to a crash last weekend and he is replaced by the aforementioned Etheridge who is in for a busy night.

The Monarchs sport a makeshift outfit as well this week due to a mixture of continental exploits and injury. We will wish our number 1 Sam well as he looks to qualify from the GP challenge at Vetlanda. Only the top 3 qualify and the field is fierce but our main men will go with the attitude he can beat anyone as surely will have taken confidence from his showings in the World Cup. Replacing Sam in both fixtures is Ludvig Lindgren. Newcastle's Swede has a patchy record at Armadale but has been on fine form recently and we will need this to continue. There's also a change at reserve where Dan is forced to sit out after being diagnosed with concussion after his crash at Newcastle last week. This is a massive blow to the Monarchs as Dan has been in the form of his life recently but our main concern is his well being and resting up is definitely his best option. Rob Shuttleworth deputises and will look to put himself in the PL shop window. Ryan rejoins the fray after missing the Newcastle match and hopefully another week will have allowed his foot to heal sufficiently.

So two tough matches with a patched up Monarchs side. 6 points is absolutely vital as we look to secure as high a finish in the league as we can to get a favourable draw for the playoffs. 30 heats of exciting PL speedway await kicking off at the earlier than usual time of 7pm.

Edinburgh Border Roofing Monarchs

1 Ludvig Lindgren

2 Ryan Fisher

3 Erik Riss

4 Mark Riss

5 Kevin Wolbert

6 Max Clegg

7 Rob Shuttleworth

Redcar SG Petch Bears

1 David Bellego

2 Tobias Busch

3 Hugh Skidmore

4 Jonas B Andersen

5 Lasse Bjerre

6 Jye Etheridge

7 Lee Payne

Plymouth Devils

1 Jack Holder

2 Stefan Nielsen

3 Sam Simota

4 Todd Kurtz

5 Kyle Newman

6 Steve Boxhall

7 Ellis Perks

Full Result Details