Despairing Dicken ready to tear up his contract

Edinburgh Monarchs' under-fire reserve star Lee Dicken has given himself just two more meetings to improve his scoring rate, otherwise he will quit the struggling speedway outfit.

The 32-year-old Englishman scored just one point against Sheffield Tigers at Armadale on Friday which left him in the depths of despair.

He said: "That was my lowest point. I had been working hard to get things going and it felt like everything was coming together. I know it was raining and conditions were awkward but things just went backwards for me.

"I was so annoyed with myself, I was in scoring positions and I threw points away. The rain obviously made the track slippy and I just didn't ride the track smartly enough. I should have been pinching points off the younger lads, and that's where the frustration lay, yet this is how the season has been for me so far. It was one of those nights where I needed to get away and regroup."

Dicken, a former Glasgow Tigers ace, revealed he is banking on the delivery of a brand new engine to reignite his season, saying: "I can't get the engine in quickly enough because I know I'm struggling. I'm putting all my eggs in one basket with this engine but I'm hoping it is going to work for me."

Monarchs snapped up Dicken after releasing Ashley Morris and Jay Herne who also toiled to make any impression at the tail-end. Yet despite his experience Dicken has looked miles off the pace on occasions and freely admits his future hangs in the balance.

"I have considered quitting," he said. "But I just want to give it one final shot before reaching any decision. I've had nothing but engine problems since I joined Monarchs and there have been times when I have backed off in potential scoring positions which is something I have never ever done before, and that set alarm bells ringing. When your confidence is low and you are riding a bike which isn't working for you, it's easy to think about whether you want to carry on or not."

Dicken added: "We are going to throw everything at the bike to see if this works. The engine I've got coming is one I had on loan last season with a view to buy. It worked well for me and I know I can score points on it because it is good out of the starts. So that's the direction I'm going in.

"I know this new motor is right. If it doesn't work and I don't score then my options become massively limited. But I don't want to think that far ahead at the moment.

"I didn't sign on with Monarchs just to do a handful of matches and make myself look an idiot and retire. I'm very reluctant to do that, I've got to try everything to start scoring."

Dicken is not oblivious to the flak he is receiving from the terracing and confessed: "I know I'm under pressure, I'm the senior reserve in the side and I'm putting a strain on the lower reserve because I'm not scoring. I'm going to give it two more matches with this new engine and then I'll speak to the Monarchs management to see what the feeling is. If it doesn't work, it will not be the club's decision, it will be mine.

"Our next meeting is back at Glasgow next Monday and I thought I rode quite well in the SuperCup meeting there last week. But I went there with an engine which didn't have the edge to get round the new reshaped Ashfield.

"If my new engine doesn't do the trick, then that's almost it, although I want to try it out at home against Newcastle on Friday week. This is my final shot."