Battling with Bears for three points

NEWS Thursday 26th June 2025, 10:06am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The Stellar Monarchs are back in action at Armadale on Friday after a three-week break, taking on one of the fancied teams in this year's Championship the Redcar Bears. The teams met in a close contest at Redcar last Friday, Bears eventually winning 50-40.

That means that the 2 match points and the aggregate bonus are available to both sides this Friday, with Monarchs themselves showing much more convincing form in recent weeks having climbed into the top half of the table with home and away wins over Oxford.

Monarchs' top man Victor Palovaara is on his way to ride for Sweden in the Final of the European Team Championship, so the home team will track Poole's Richard Lawson as a guest. There will be a home debut for 16 year old Australian Jordy Loftus, who has had two away fixtures and one outing for the Monarchs Academy side so far.

Redcar also have a man out, Jason Edwards, and Joe Thompson stands in for him. The Bears' heat leader trio of Charles Wright, Danny King and Erik Riss is formidable and Redcar have won on their last two visits to Armadale with Wright and King recording a last heat 5-1 on both occasions!

Team boss Alex Harkess realises his team will have to be at their best. "Redcar have a strong top end to their team, who have all done well at Armadale. Their reserves were effective at Redcar but we don't want that to be the case on Friday, so it's up to us to stop all of them."

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

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 27th June: Edinburgh Monarchs v Redcar Bears (Championship), Armadale, 7:30pm

STELLAR MONARCHS: Richard Lawson, Kye Thomson, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna (Capt.), Michael Palm Toft, Jonatan Grahn, Jordy Loftus.

AGILIA BEARS: Charles Wright (Capt.), Jake Mulford, Joe Thompson, Danny King, Erik Riss, Jody Scott, Ace Pijper.

The Championship match will be followed by a Northern Junior League match, West Lothian Wildcats v Redcar Cubs.