Speedway: Monarchs aim to stay on trophy run

Published on Friday 8 January 2010 09:01

EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs face a challenging speedway season when the tapes rise on their 2010 campaign in March, according to club director Mike Hunter.

Having won four national trophies during the last two years, the Capital outfit are keen to continue this outstanding run and also hope to unveil plans for their move to a new stadium in 2011.

But, with planning permission still to be granted for a proposed supermarket development on their Armadale Stadium home, it is feasible Monarchs could still be racing at the Lothian Arena beyond this season.

Hunter says Monarchs fans are optimistic about the forthcoming campaign but added: "Most supporters would have voted for the inclusion of Thomas Jonasson or William Lawson to strengthen the side but it wasn't to be."

Jonasson was sold to Elite League Swindon Robins and Lawson, despite being offered a team berth after being frozen out of the squad last season, elected to join Belle Vue Aces in the top flight instead.

Lawson's rebuff forced Monarchs into signing Hungarian starlet Jozsef Tabaka, who scored eight points when he made his UK debut in Scunthorpe's Christmas Cracker meeting last month.

Hunter said: "Having your own assets can be a benefit but it also has it's downside.

"With the best will in the world, both Derek Sneddon, who we had to leave out last year, and Aaron Summers, who has joined Birmingham this season, must be wondering why they have been excluded from our side."

It was felt, however, that Summers, who had horrendous machine problems towards the end of last season, would benefit from a move and his performances for the Brummies will be watched with great interest.

Sneddon, who skippered Monarchs to league glory in 2008, would have loved to return to Armadale, and Hunter said: "It seems on the face of it, remarkable, that Derek, who is on a mere 4.95 average, could not be fitted back in.

"His ability to cajole his team0mates would have been invaluable.

"And the fear is always that having been rebuffed, as Lawson and Sneddon were in 2009, some riders' sometimes don't look favourably at a request to return in a subsequent year.

"But both men would certainly be welcomed back to Monarchs by all supporters in the future."

Monarchs open their season on Friday, 19 March with the re- staging of the Scottish Open, which was rained off in October.