Exciting season starts here

NEWS Wednesday 1st April 2026, 6:00pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The thirtieth season of Speedway at Armadale begins on Friday as the Monarchs take on the Berwick Bandits in the BSN Series, in a three-team table which also features Glasgow. Top team in the group qualifies automatically so the first task is to win on Friday followed by a good showing at Berwick in the return on Saturday. The two ties are worth two table points apiece with an aggregate bonus point also up for grabs.

Monarchs fans and management are happy with their 2026 side spearheaded by 21 year old Dan Thompson, who will be backed up by the very experienced trio of Paco Castagna, Justin Sedgmen and Kye Thomson. The younger team members – Swede Jonatan Grahn and Aussies Jordy Loftus and Mitch Cluff will be looked to for improvement as the season goes on, and there are high hopes for all of the side.

The visiting Bandits track three ex-Monarchs in Victor Palovaara, Jye Etheridge and Lasse Fredriksen as well as a powerful spearhead of Peter Kildemand and Nick Morris.

Team manager Alex Harkess is looking for his team to be strong from the start. "You never know really at the start of the season what anyone's going to do, some people have had a match, some have just had a practise, you're never sure. We need to take it as it comes, we just have to be sure that we do our job, win the match and get off to a good start. That's what it's all about.

"Berwick have got riders who are capable of double figures, but they have also been to Armadale and had very poor nights. All that's important is that we do well. We'll be welcoming back recent Monarchs Victor Palovaara and Lasse Fredriksen who were probably disappointed to lose their places with us, and were popular Monarchs."

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

FRIDAY'S MATCH:

Friday 3rd April: Edinburgh Monarchs v Berwick Bandits (BSN Series), Armadale, 7:30pm

MONARCHS: Dan Thompson, Jonatan Grahn, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna (captain), Kye Thomson, Mitch Cluff, Jordy Loftus.

BANDITS: Peter Kildemand, Jye Etheridge (captain), Victor Palovaara, Lasse Fredriksen, Nick Morris, Jack Smith, Reid Battye.

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