THE whiff of nostalgia and methanol will pervade the air at Armadale tonight as Edinburgh Monarchs roll out the blue- and-gold carpet for their special Diamond Jubilee meeting.
To mark their 60th birthday, Monarchs have organised a four-team event challenge with the teams being named after Monarchs' longest-serving venues.
On occasions as this, winning won't be of paramount importance, although this doesn't mean the acti
on won't be highly competitive.
The Old Meadowbank squad is made up of Ryan Fisher, captain Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper and James Birkinshaw and looks a reasonably strong quartet.
Pijper, who quit Monarchs last season to join Elite League team Swindon Robins, has settled in well with his new club and notched up his best score for them so far this week. The Dutchman also remains the track record holder at the Lothian Arena.
Fisher's thrill-making talent has already won him a host of new fans since joining Monarchs this season. The Californian is a bit of a daredevil and the manner in which he hunted and harried before passing Reading duo Olrich Ostergaard and Mark Lemon last week was eye-popping speedway.
And, although Fisher was more subdued at Rye House and Mildenhall at the weekend, he is striving to find that all-important consistency, which is proving slightly elusive. He said: "I'm still trying to get my bike set-ups exactly the way I want them but I will figure things out.
"My bike isn't pulling out of the starts and winning races from the back is so much harder. The track against Reading was pretty slick and that's why I was going for the outside line to find the grip. All the boys want grip."
Sneddon's form has been a bit up and down. The Falkirk ace failed to collect anything at Rye House but redeemed himself in Monarchs' 60-30 landslide victory at Mildenhall. But good scores on a weekly basis continue to thwart him.
The Coatbridge line-up consists of James Grieves, Thomas Jonasson, Mark Burrows and Ross Brady.
Grieves probably enjoyed one of his best ever Premier League campaigns when he rode for Monarchs in 1999 but the Paisley ace sensationally turned his back on the club to join rivals Glasgow Tigers the following year.
Considered treachery by some, Grieves never fails to receive a hot reception from the Monarchs faithful. However, he guested for Monarchs against Berwick recently and picked up 13 points and hinted he would like to end his career at Armadale. Indeed, he revealed to anyone who would listen that he was very close to rejoining Monarchs this season.
Jonasson returns to the saddle after injuring himself in Sweden. The 20-year-old, who also hurt his back at Glasgow earlier in April, hasn't enjoyed the best of fortune so far but needs as much track time as possible to bring him on.
Brady, meanwhile, has seen his scores dip and rise in equal measure but the 16 points he grabbed for Glasgow against the Isle of Wight means he remains a threat.
The Powderhall squad is spearheaded by Carl Stonehewer alongside Andrew Tully and Swede Robert Eriksson with a fourth rider still to be confirmed.
Eriksson did some sterling service for Monarchs and continues to ride, with some distinction, for Valsarna in the Swedish league. Tully, who occupies the reserve berth in Monarchs' 2008 team, is certainly a very exciting rider to watch. He freely admits his gating sometimes lets him down but the Bathgate racer was lauded for his efforts at Rye House and Mildenhall when he scored 13 and 15 respectively.
Stonehewer may not be the force he once was round Armadale but the Workington ace is still a tough performer to reel in once he hits the front.
Finally, the Armadale all-Australian foursome of Matthew Wethers, Aaron Summers, Jason Lyons and Trent Leverington, may start favourites to win the meeting.
Wethers' credentials round Armadale are not in question and his regular team-mate Summers, whilst still trying to get to grips with his home circuit, has however posted some big scores away from home. Lyons is scoring freely for Birmingham and Leverington has shown some glimpses of magic for Glasgow this term. The only current Monarch not taking part is William Lawson, who is en-route to Poland for his World Under-21 semi-final.
• MONARCHS are also hosting a celebration party tomorrow night in Tynecastle Stadium's Gorgie Suite.
More than 80 former Monarchs have confirmed their attendance, including Swede Bernie Persson, a true hero of the 1960s.
The teams lining up at ArmadaleOLD MEADOWBANKRyan Fisher, Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, James Birkinshaw
COATBRIDGEJames Grieves, Thomas Jonasson, Mark Burrows, Ross Brady
POWDERHALLCarl Stonehewer, Andrew Tully, Robert Eriksson *
ARMADALEMatthew Wethers, Aaron Summers, Jason Lyons, Trent Leverington
*fourth rider to be confirmed
The full article contains 814 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
