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George Hunter -
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Edinburgh Monarchs
From Wikipedia - Reading time: 14 min
| Edinburgh Monarchs | |||||||||||||||||
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| Club information | |||||||||||||||||
| Track address | Armadale Stadium Bathgate Road Armadale West Lothian | ||||||||||||||||
| Country | Scotland | ||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1928 | ||||||||||||||||
| Promoter | Alex Harkess & John Campbell | ||||||||||||||||
| Team manager | Alex Harkess & John Campbell | ||||||||||||||||
| League | SGB Championship National Development League | ||||||||||||||||
| Website | official website | ||||||||||||||||
| Club facts | |||||||||||||||||
| Colours | Blue and gold | ||||||||||||||||
| Track size | 260 metres (280 yd) | ||||||||||||||||
| Track record time | 54.0 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Track record date | 30 May 2014 | ||||||||||||||||
| Track record holder | Craig Cook | ||||||||||||||||
| Current senior team | |||||||||||||||||
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| Current junior team | |||||||||||||||||
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| Major team honours | |||||||||||||||||
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The Edinburgh Monarchs are a Scottish speedway team based in Armadale. They compete in the SGB Championship, racing on Friday nights during the speedway season. The club is run by a board of directors, chaired by Alex Harkess and also runs a National Development League team called the Monarchs Academy.[1][2]
History
[edit]Origins
[edit]Speedway in Edinburgh began on 19 May 1928, with an open meeting organised by the Scottish Dirt Track Motor Racing Club at Marine Gardens in Portobello.[3] Several team challenge matches were staged during 1929, including visits to London and Newcastle.[4]
1930s
[edit]The team joined Northern League for the 1930 season.[5] Several open meetings were held in 1931 but speedway ceased. The Greyhound Racing Association secured a lease on New Year's Day 1931, which resulted in the disappearance of speedway for seven years until March 1938, when J. W. Fraser brought it back.[6] In 1939, the team raced in multiple challenge matches and the Union Cup before the season ended early due to the outbreak of war.
1940s
[edit]Marine Gardens was used for military purposes during the war and never re-opened as a sports venue but the potential of Old Meadowbank, then the home of Leith Athletic F.C., was said 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. They applied to the Speedway Control Board to participate in the 1948 Speedway National League Division Two[7] but finished bottom of the league that season. They did however improve to 5th place after Jack Young was signed to support Dick Campbell. Young would become twice world champion in 1951 ad 1952, the first of those titles was won as an Edinburgh rider.
1950s
[edit]The team continued to operate at Old Meadowbank in the National League Second Division, securing a 3rd place finish in 1951, with Jack Young setting the league's leading average.[8] Mid-way through the 1954 season the club withdrew from the league citing financial losses and Frank Varey also resigned.[9] Old Meadowbank Stadium had been purchased by the City of Edinburgh Council from Leith Athletic in 1956 and the track was used for practice sessions between 1957 and 1959.[10]
1960s
[edit]With the creation of the new Provincial League in 1960, Edinburgh Monarchs returned to action under the new promotion of Ian Hoskins, following a six-year absence.[11] New riders for 1960 included the Templeton brothers Doug and Willie, and George Hunter, joined in later seasons by Bert Harkins and Bill Landels.
Five years of Provincial league speedway brought little success but George Hunter did top the league averages during the 1963 season[8] and the team retained the practice of employing primarily Scottish riders. The Monarchs raced in and were founder members of the newly created British League from 1965. The league was the highest division of speedway in the United Kingdom and the it was first time that Edinburgh had competed in the top tier. The Monarchs struggled somewhat in the division but did achieve a very respectable fourth in 1967 led by Swede Bernt Persson.
In August 1966, Edinburgh won the bid to host the 1970 Commonwealth Games, which included plans to redevelop the site of the stadium and surrounding area. The Monarchs were evicted as speedway was not incorporated into the new Meadowbank Stadium plans due to the government of the day refusing to fund stadia which would be used by professional sports. The Monarchs moved en bloc to a new track at Cliftonhill, Coatbridge (nearer to Glasgow than Edinburgh) and operated as the Coatbridge Monarchs for the 1968 and 1969 seasons before the track licence was sold to Wembley by B.R. Cottrell and Trevor Redman.[12]
1970s
[edit]Speedway returned to Edinburgh in 1977, with the Monarchs finding a home at Powderhall Stadium. The return after missing another seven years required significant changes to the greyhound racing venue and Mike Parker spent £30,000 on renovation. Bert Harkins returned as captain of the club[13]
1980s
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George Hunter came back to the club in 1980 and Neil Collins was signed which led to a 5th place finish. The following season in 1981, the long wait for silverware ended when the team won the Knockout Cup[14] and fours championship final, held at the East of England Arena on 26 July.[15][16] Unfortunately, the only other success during the decade was winning the pairs championship in 1986, with Doug Wyer and new signing Les Collins.[17][18]
1990s
[edit]
The Monarchs enjoyed a better start of the 1990s with a 4th place finish in 1991 and a third in 1994. In-between the team of Les Collins, Kenny McKinna, Michael Coles and Scott Lamb won the fours championship final, held at the East of England Arena on 25 July.[19]
During the 1995 season, the company operating Powderhall ran into financial difficulty, and the stadium was sold to a housing company for redevelopment.[20] This meant the Monarchs were again evicted. In 1996, the 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' moved to Shawfield Stadium, Glasgow to form the Scottish Monarchs. Many Tigers fans refused to support what they saw as a team of old rivals, and although Monarchs fans initially travelled through to Glasgow, crowd numbers soon fell.
A fresh start arrived in 1997 when the Monarchs left Glasgow after gaining permission to operate at Armadale Stadium.[10] The club signed Peter Carr and retained Kenny McKinna and Robert Eriksson, finishing 3rd in the league.
2000s
[edit]The Monarchs experienced a period of success, starting by winning the Premier League in 2003 with relative ease.[21] Led by Frede Schött and Peter Carr, the team won with a nine point cushion from Sheffield Tigers.
Another Premier Division title arrived in 2008,[22] which resulted in the Monarchs taking part in the first promotion/relegation play-off when they faced Wolverhampton.[23] Ryan Fisher, Matthew Wethers and William Lawson starred during the season.
2010s
[edit]Edinburgh secured another Premier League title in the 2010 season, their third in seven years.[24] They later won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, held on 14 July 2013, at the East of England Arena[25]
The 2014 season was Monarchs best season to date, led by Craig Cook and Sam Masters the team won the treble of League, Knockout Cup and League Cup,[26] while going on a 27 match unbeaten run. Masters and Max Fricke also won the Premier Pairs.[27][28]
The success continued in 2015, when the Monarchs became the first team to win consecutive Premier League titles, by beating the Glasgow Tigers in the Grand Final. The Tigers held a 7-point lead after the first leg at Ashfield, but the Monarchs won 14 of the 15 heats in the second leg at Armadale, winning 99–80 on aggregate.[29] It was one of three titles won by the Monarchs in 2015; in the Premier League Cup, the Monarchs beat the Tigers again,[30] while the quartet of Cook, Masters, Erik Riss and Justin Sedgmen won the Premier League Fours.[31] Changes due to points/averages restrictions resulted in a much quieter period for the team from 2016 to 2019.
2020s
[edit]Following a season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monarchs reached the final of the 2021 Knockout Cup and Sam Masters topped the 2022 league averages but issues surrounding their home venue surfaced.[32] However, the team continued to race at Armadale in 2023 and 2024.[33]
Season summary (1st team)
[edit]Season summary (juniors)
[edit]Extended content
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Previous riders by season
[edit]Extended content
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2006 team
2007 team
Also Rode 2008 team
2009 team
Also rode:
2010 team Also Rode:
2011 team Also rode 2012 team Also Rode 2013 team Also rode Signed but failed to obtain necessary paperwork 2014 team 2015 team 2016 team Also rode 2017 team 2018 team Also Rode 2019 team Also Rode 2021 team 2022 team |
Notable riders
[edit]
Dick Campbell
Michael Coles- Les Collins
- Craig Cook
Robert Eriksson
Ryan Fisher
Bert Harkins- George Hunter
- Scott Lamb
- Bill Landels
Sam Masters- William Lawson
- Kenny McKinna
- Bernt Persson
- Josh Pickering
- Brett Saunders
Frede Schött- Doug Templeton
- Willie Templeton
- Dave Trownson
- Chris Turner
- Matthew Wethers
Kevin Wölbert- Jack Young
Team honours
[edit]- Premier League Champions: 2003, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015
- Premier Trophy Winners: 2008, 2014, 2015
- Premier League Knockout Cup Winners: 1997, 1999, 2014
- Premier League Four-Team Championship Winners: 1981,1993, 2013, 2015
- Premier League Pairs Championship Winners: 2014
- 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
[edit]Championships won while an Edinburgh Monarchs rider.
- Jack Young – 1951[35] – The first second division rider to become Speedway World Champion
Premier League Riders' Championship
- Peter Carr – 1997
- Craig Cook – 2012
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
- Andrew Tully – 2012
- Craig Cook – 2013
- Sam Masters – 2014
- Sam Masters – 2017
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs Academy enter NDL". British Speedway. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "Armdale Enter National Development League". Edinburgh Monarchs. 16 December 2019.
- ^ "A 100% Thrill". Edinburgh Evening News. 21 April 1928. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1929 fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "Marine Gardens in Northern League Section". Edinburgh Evening News. 8 March 1930. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Opening of Speedway". Musselburgh News. 4 March 1938. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Plan for 17 New Speedway Tracks". Gloucestershire Echo. 10 January 1948. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Rider averages 1929 to 2009" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "Meadowbank closing down". Edinburgh Evening News. 5 July 1954. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Henry, J.; Moultray, I. (2001). Speedway in Scotland. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2229-4.
- ^ "Speedway stage set". The Scotsman. 13 April 1960. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Keeter may not return to Lions". Leicester Daily Mercury. 23 January 1970. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "KWhre speedway is out on front". The Scotsman. 13 April 1977. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1981 KO cup final" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Tigers miss the boat in four teams final". Cambridge Daily News. 27 July 1981. Retrieved 23 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1981 full season results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "1986 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Speedway Pairs Out". Newcastle Journal. 14 July 1986. Retrieved 25 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Invaders can't take the heat". Derby Evening Telegraph. 26 July 1993. Retrieved 13 May 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Speedway Special". Daily Record. 6 October 1995. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Campbell hails his 'dream team'". The Scotsman. 6 October 2003. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2007.
- ^ "Monarchs handed the title as Rebels fail at Birmingham". Edinburgh Evening News. 25 September 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs | Official Club Website". Edinburghspeedway.com. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Match Centre". Edinburgh Monarchs. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ "2013 fixtures and results" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "2014 Statistics". Edinburgh Monarchs. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
- ^ "2014 fixtures" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "IT'S SAM AND MAX FOR THE PAIRS". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs retain speedway title". BBC Sport. BBC. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ Kinvig, David (27 September 2015). "Edinburgh Monarchs cruise to League Cup Final victory". Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Press. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ Brammer, Chris (2 October 2015). "Ipswich Witches finish third as Edinburgh Monarchs win Premier League Fours title". Ipswich Star. Archant. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "MONARCHS REIGN SET TO CONTINUE WITH ARMADALE STADIUM REPRIEVE". Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "STELLAR MONARCHS TO ROAR INTO 2024". Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ "Edinburgh Monarchs | Official Club Website". Edinburghspeedway.com. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
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