Speedway: Tully is all revved up for crack at the big time

Published on Saturday 14 November 2009 10:20

EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs star Andrew Tully is already looking ahead to next season and revealed he would like to double-up again with an Elite League team.

And he believes his future ultimately lies in the top flight.

Tully secured a doubling-up position with Peterborough Panthers at the beginning of the season just past, initially sharing the role with Lee Complin. However, Tully only managed a handful of opportunities before the Panthers changed their side after a spell of bad results, but they were impressed enough with Tully's performances to keep him on the books as their No.8.

Tully said: "The Elite League is my ultimate goal although I have different ideas about the division than I once did. At the start of this season I had an idea of how the campaign might go but I suffered a few knocks.

"I definitely want to be involved in the Elite League from now on and next year I want to double-up and go full time after that.

"Peterborough didn't keep their doubling-up riders for very long and that was understandable because they had chances to alter their side when results weren't going their way, and I accept why they did it. But I ended up just being No.8 and didn't get many meetings with them at all.

"Had I not suffered injuries this season I might well have been in a better position to think about moving up next season and that originally was my intention."

Tully remains a key member of the Monarchs squad and looks certain to be offered a new contract for 2010.

"I think I'll be staying with Monarchs and, hopefully, I'll double up again.

"With a bit of luck the promoters will keep the doubling-up rule in place which would be good as it's there to encourage everyone to progress and move up, I wouldn't be happy if they scrapped it."

Although he only dipped his toe in Elite League waters Tully knows what it takes to make that big step up.

"The matches I did for Peterborough were a bit hit and miss although I did have one good match against Ipswich when I scored well.

But the gating side of things is the big difference. If you make the gate and hit the first corner with everybody else it's okay, and my gating was something I was focusing on.

"In some meetings I was competitive with some riders but it was hard.

Tully has just completed his third season in the Premier League with Monarchs and says: "I have a good idea what I want to do with my career. I feel I have progressed especially away from home.

"I have figured out more of the away circuits and next season I want to do even better and by the end of 2010 I want to be in the Elite League."

Injuries have dogged Tully this year and he pulled out of Monarchs' promotion/relegation second leg race off against Belle Vue Aces at Armadale after just two races with a neck complaint. A shoulder problem kept Tully off his bike for a week in April but a pelvic injury which sidelined him for two months in August was the real hammer blow.

Tully recalls: "It was really sore and I tried to ride at Wolverhampton a week or two later. I went into the first corner and my bike cut out, I went to put my foot down and there was no strength in my leg, yet it was only a silly little crash.

"I was probably lucky it wasn't a big smash otherwise I might have shattered my pelvis."

Initially told he would be out of action for three months Tully was back on his bike by mid-September and said: "I never wrote the season off and had a good idea I would ride again before the season ended."

Tully made his comeback at Sheffield Tigers and admitted: "I was nervous before my first ride which is something I don't usually feel. I was eager to get out of the traps first but touched the tapes and had to start from 15 metres back in the re-run. Unfortunately I crashed but in a way that was a good thing, I was okay but it got the worries out of my head."

Tully, who now lives in Berwick, was receiving physiotherapy and chiropractic treatment up until Monarchs' last match of the season and has been under the supervision of Armadale first aider John Porteous who is also the full-time physio at Motherwell FC.

"John has been great," added Tully, "and I'll spend the winter getting fully fit again for next season."