- Edinburgh Monarchs
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Edinburgh Monarchs Club information Track address Armadale Stadium
Bathgate Road
Armadale
West LothianCountry Scotland
Founded 1928 Team manager Alan Bridgett Team captain Matthew Wethers League Premier league Website Official site Club facts Colours Blue and Gold Track size 260 meters Track record time 54.60 seconds Track record date 22 Sept 2006 / 11 Sept 2009 Track record holder Theo Pijper / Ryan Fisher Current Team Rider CMA Matthew Wethers
7.04 Andrew Tully
6.68 Ashley Morris
3.00 Kevin Wölbert
7.96 Craig Cook
6.47 Kalle Katajisto
7.03 Byron Bekker - Total 38.18 Major team honours Premier League Champions
Premier League KO Cup
Premier Trophy Winners
Premier Fours Championship
National League KO Cup2003, 2008, 2010
1997,1999
2008
1981, 1993
1981The Edinburgh Monarchs are a Scottish Speedway team, currently based in Armadale. They compete in the Speedway Premier League, racing on Friday nights during the Speedway season. The club is run by a Board of Directors, chaired by Alex Harkess. The team manager is Alan "Doc" Bridgett.[1] The Monarchs are the current Premier League Champions.
Contents
Brief history
The club was founded in 1928 and operated at Marine Gardens in Portobello. They competed in the Northern League in 1930. After the war, the potential of Old Meadowbank, then the home of Leith Athletic F.C., is supposed to have been spotted by Ian Hoskins. The Monarchs (Meadowbank Monarchs) were re-established in 1948 by a consortium including Frank Varey, ex rider and Sheffield promoter and R.L.Rae, a local Edinburgh businessman. The team operated at Old Meadowbank 1948 in the National League Second Division until mid-way through to 1954. The team finished at the bottom of the league in 1948 but improved to a best place of third before closure in 1954. Under the promotership of Ian Hoskins from 1960 until 1964 the Monarchs raced in the Provincial League and were founder members of the British League running from 1965 to 1967. The track was used for practice sessions between 1957 - 1959.[2]
Old Meadowbank Stadium was purchased by the City of Edinburgh Council in 1956 from Leith Athletic. Following their successful bid to host the 1970 Commonwealth Games they decided to go ahead and redevelop the site of the stadium and the surrounding area. The Monarchs were then evicted as Speedway was not incorporated into the new stadium plans due to the government of the day refusing to fund stadiums which would be used by professional sports. The new Stadium sits immediately west of Old Meadowbank essentially on the site of the old running track known as New Meadowbank. The team moved on bloc to a new track at Coatbridge near Glasgow and operated as the Coatbridge Monarchs 1968 - 1969 before the track licence was sold to Wembley.
Speedway returned to Edinburgh in 1977, with the Monarchs racing at Powderhall Stadium from 1977 until 1995. During the 1995 season, the company operating Powerhall Stadium fell into financial difficulty, and the stadium was sold to a housing company for redevelopment, meaning the Monarchs were once again evicted.
In 1996, Monarchs' rivals Glasgow Tigers closed down, so with a stadium not in use in Glasgow, and the Monarchs without a home in Edinburgh, the Monarchs' promotion moved their operation to Shawfield Stadium, Glasgow to form the Scottish Monarchs. Many Tigers fans refused to support their rival team, and although Monarchs fans initially travelled through to Glasgow, crowd numbers soon fell.
In 1997, the Monarchs left Glasgow after gaining permission to operate at Armadale Stadium, where they continue to operate to this day.[2]
The Monarchs have only won the Premier League championship three times in their history, in 2003[3] again in 2008[4] and yet again in 2010.
Edinburgh took part in the first Premier League Promotion Play off in 2008 when they faced Wolverhampton. Although they put up a valiant fight, they lost the tie on aggregate.[5] Despite finishing runners up in 2009 they faced Belle Vue in the Premier League Promotion Play off losing both legs.
Recent plans for supermarket chain Sainsburys to redevelop Armadale Stadium fell through after their planning application was rejected.[6]
Edinburgh secured another Premier League title in the 2010 season, their third title in seven years. The Championship was secured by winning away at Stoke's Loomer Road track, with Edinburgh riders Ryan Fisher and Kevin Wölbert going through the card unbeaten.[5]
2011 Team
Kevin Wölbert
Kalle Katajisto
Andrew Tully
Matthew Wethers
Craig Cook
Kyle Howarth
Tim Webster
Also rode
2010 Team
Kevin Wölbert
Ryan Fisher
Kalle Katajisto
Andrew Tully
Matthew Wethers
William Lawson
Ashley Morris
Also Rode:
Cal McDade
Kyle Howarth
Jozsef Tabaka
Max Dilger
Tobias Busch
Arlo Bugeja
2009 Team
Ryan Fisher
Andrew Tully [7]
Matthew Wethers
Kevin Wölbert
Aaron Summers
Michał Rajkowski
Kalle Katajisto
Also rode:
Sean Stoddart
Max Dilger
Byron Bekker
Thomas H.Jonasson
2008 Team
Ryan Fisher
Thomas H. Jonasson
Matthew Wethers
William Lawson
Derek Sneddon
Andrew Tully
Aaron Summers
2007 Team
Kai Laukkanen
Kalle Katajisto
Matthew Wethers
George Stancl
Daniele Tessari
Derek Sneddon
Andrew Tully
Also Rode
Ronnie Correy
Theo Pijper
Henrik Moller
2006 Team
Rusty Harrison
William Lawson
Matthew Wethers
Henrik Moller
Theo Pijper
Derek Sneddon
Sean Stoddart
Daniel Tessari
Notable riders
Oyvind Berg
Dick Campbell
Peter Carr
Brian Collins
Les Collins
Jimmy Cox
Don Cuppleditch
Reidar Eide
Robert Eriksson
Bert Harkins
George Hunter
Eddie Lack
Jamie Luckhurst
Bob Mark
Kenny McKinna
Bernie Persson
Brett Saunders
Frede Schott
Doug Templeton
Dave Trownson
Doug Wyer
Jack Young
Wayne Briggs
Team Honours
Premier League
Champions: 2003, 2008, 2010
Premier Trophy
Winners: 2008
Premier League Knockout Cup
Winners: 1997,1999
Premier League Four-Team Championship
Winners: 1981,1993
National League Knockout Cup
Winners: 1981
National League Pairs
Winners: 1986
Scottish Cup
Winners: 1951, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Queen's Cup
Winners: 1953
North Shield
Winners: 1951
Individual Honours
World Championship
- Jack Young - 1951[8]
Premier League Riders Championship
- Peter Carr - 1997
Scottish Championship
- Jack Young - 1949, 1950, 1951
- Dick Campbell - 1952
- Doug Templeton - 1960, 1962
- George Hunter - 1964
- Bill Landels - 1966
- Peter Carr - 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002
References
- ^ Oakes, P (2006). Speedway Star Almanac. Pinegen Ltd. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0.
- ^ a b Speedway in Scotland. Tempus Publishing. 2001. ISBN 0-7524-2229-4.
- ^ "Campbell hails his 'dream team'". Evening News. 6 October 2003. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport.cfm?id=1106972003. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
- ^ "Monarchs handed the title as Rebels fail at Birmingham". Edinburgh Evening News. 2006-09-25. http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/Monarchs-handed-the-title-as.4526922.jp. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b "Edinburgh Monarchs | Official Club Website". Edinburghspeedway.com. 2008-10-24. http://www.edinburghspeedway.com/reports/article.asp?id=219. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs | Official Club Website". Edinburghspeedway.com. 2010-05-21. http://www.edinburghspeedway.com/news/article.asp?id=861. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs | Official Club Website". Edinburghspeedway.com. 2009-08-21. http://www.edinburghspeedway.com/previews/article.asp?id=246. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
External links
Speedway Premier League 2011 Teams Berwick Bandits • Edinburgh Monarchs • Glasgow Tigers • Ipswich Witches • Leicester Lions • Newcastle Diamonds • Newport Wasps • Plymouth Devils • Redcar Bears • Rye House Rockets • Scunthorpe Scorpions • Sheffield Tigers • Somerset Rebels • Workington CometsFormer Teams Arena Essex Hammers • Birmingham Brummies • Exeter Falcons • Hull Vikings • Isle of Wight Islanders • Kings Lynn Stars • Long Eaton Invaders • Mildenhall Fen Tigers • Oxford Cheetahs • Peterborough Panthers • Reading Racers • Swindon Robins • Trelawny Tigers • Stoke PottersSeasons Domestic Cups Premier League Knockout Cup • Premier League Riders' Championship • Premier League Pairs Championship • Premier League Four-Team ChampionshipFormer Domestic Cups Categories:- Speedway Premier League teams
- Sport in Edinburgh
- Sport in West Lothian
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