DavyH

The ramblings from the Monarchs Chatzone from a man who can't wait to get to France on Sunday and thaw out a bit! Brrrrrrrrr, that was freezing tonight, bring back the warmer rainy nights lol. Young Abby disappeared to the bar after a hot chocolate ( I got change!) around heat 4. Thanks to Pammie's Mum Margaret for warming her up with her hand warmers. After a slow start from the Monarchs, all square after heat 9, they did well to take all 3 points in the end. There were several good races with heat 13 the best and a fair bit of passing on a good track. For Monarchs, Sam recovered well in heat one and showed his class in heat 13 to beat the impressive Wells. Erik was last in heat 1 before 3 excellent wins/paid wins. Kevin had great first/last races with two defeats in between. Jye earned a good point in heat 9 passing Roynon but was guilty of trying too hard in a couple of races, his efforts will bear fruit soon. Ryan won his first three with the highlight being heat 11 when he beat Ricky. Third in his last two was what was needed to win the 3 points. Max recovered well for a 2nd in heat 2 but was probably a bit down before his last race - an easy win in heat 14 to seal the win will help his confidence. Dan showed signs that he can compete at this level, he got a gifted point but was never too far off the pace. For the Comets, so near and yet so far - Ricky Wells was superb, he likes Armadale! Jensen was fast out of the gate to give them an impressive opening pair. Hansen scored points over Clegg and Etheridge but never got near our top four, expected better, Compton was poor. Claus got a decent score with a good win over Kevin. Adam Roynon was miles off the pace after heat 2, I'm afraid all the injuries have caught up with him but hopefully he can recover his form from a few years ago. Matt Williamson impressed, especially early on and looks a decent #7. So it looks like the Monarchs will rely heavily on the top four but with promising signs from Jye and Dan they will look to improve, especially once Max makes more starts and improves his consistency. ps - George M - do you have to criticize the updaters comment from the Chatzone every week? I know a lot of what you say is either in jest or a wind up (or envy ) but have you ever tried doing updates? It's a thankless task - frozen fingers, forget any socialising unless you can hold a pint glass, a cigar and operate your phone at the same time! I apologize for the lack of a 500m track at Armadale with 100m wide bends but as you keep reminding us we are paupers and certainly can't afford the methadone, sorry methanol to race round the boards if they are too far away

Paulco will be more interested in a pint first

Seems that reports of the death of the Monarchs was premature - great result in what seemed to be very difficult conditions with Ryan, Sam Kevin and Erik the top men. Good to see Dan getting his first points as a Monarch - although our reserves were outscored, their points made the difference in the end. It would be nice though if we could get some speedway in dry warm conditions soon, like next Friday please.

My musings from tonight - First of all, well done to the Bandits on winning at Armadale, they caught us at the right time and took full advantage. As Old Meadowbank said, we needed more from Kevin, Erik and Ryan who missed the gate too often. Sam was never challenged, Max kept us in it, Jye and Dan gated well once each but found it tough. Conditions were difficult with slow times but a surprising amount of passing. For Berwick, they were well served by Theo, Matthew and Kevin, with good points from Jorgensen and Alden too. Liam Carr beating our non-scorers three times proved to be the difference. So where do Monarchs go from here? I think we have to accept that without Cookie, it's going to be difficult. We need big scores from Kevin, Erik and Ryan to have any chance of winning. I can see Jye starting to score soon, it's very difficult for Dan - he has the style but not yet fast enough against experienced reserves. Now that we are out of the Cup we can concentrate on the League?

Gentleman's agreement? Promoters? No chance of that working then!

Oh dear, I ignore this site for a few weeks and bedlam breaks out! I praised the new Glasgow promotion for all their good work last year, competitive team, decent track, great stadium improvements but they let themsleves badly with their reaction to the Friday night issue. I am sure the rules say that you cannot race within 30 miles of a neighbouring track on the same night. Their reaction was the usual Weegie throw the toys oot the pram! I am sure that when Edinburgh ran Conference meetings on a Saturday afternoon that we had to finish early a couple of times to allow ambulance, machine examiner and possibly even fans to get to Berwick in time. It seems that the new promotion are of the opinion that because they have a few quid they can do what they like - fortunately, despite this being speedway - you can't. It's probably too much to hope for amicable relations between the two promotions given the childish actions especially from the Glasgow side over the last six months - me? couldn't care, I 'll turn up most Fridays at the Dale for good speedway and the odd beer and perhaps a PL title or 4, sorry 5

Cos Edinburgh make the rules?

According to our Promoters, every Friday from March to October

Hope the Glasgow mafia don't read that we were cheating 50 years ago!!

I am sure there be reserve changes in every meeting in every heat apart from ht 2 to ensure the senior reserve gets the points.

It's what Monarchs score most heats v the Tigers!! Better behave now as we'll be accused of hijacking a Tigger thread

C'mon Paul, you've spent the last ten years signing ex-Monarchs to try and better us But anyone who has bought a proclaimers CD should have sympathy, not scorn!! Where do I start!!!!! 5-1 do?

what? pardon?

George, I regard you as an educated weegie, living in the East must help, but please spell big words like "entourage" correctly in future! Or Tigers will face a fine amounting to the total sum of Craig Whyte's assets (just praying I have no typos now!!!)

A bath???? In Glasgow??? C'mon Gaz, I thought you were a genuine guy but not now lol

George - the plural of you is you, not youse - ewes are more than one female sheep!! Please try to keep up to the standard the forum Seriously though, I felt quite emotional writing that post, despite all the kindergarten like spats on here, we all love our speedway and I wanted to express my thought about the weekend. My divorce has worked out wel - Mrs H has both houses - I have the garage in France, the shed in Scotland, my Yamaha XS650 and the beer fridge, Can life get better?

Good to see we're all still chums despite the Armadle Massacre at the weekend.... My thoughts of the weekend from the Chatzone are... OK here goes, this could be longer than a KJ classic!!! They say you are never too old to learn and now I agree. Last year as we hammered Somerset by 1 point to win the PL, I was in France, but with internet so never missed a heat thanks to the best updates in speedway. My lesson learnt is no holidays in October next year! So this year, after a weekend of humping the Tigers, I was off to Poland for the GP and missed Panthers away - thanks to Pammie for the updates - In my defence, there may have been a few choruses of 2-4-6-8.... Monarchs on the terraces of Pila on the Sunday, someone may even have started a chant of "There's only one Grand Monarch"in recognition of our favourite local ref who was seated two rows behind. So home from Poland then off to France for three weeks, well I never go on holiday ever! Caught the Chatzone updates as we breezed past the Panthers . Then off to Corsica with our friends that stay in France full time. Note to self - arrange an apartment/hotel with wifi next time. Last Friday night, Pammie kept me up to date as Tigers cheated their way to a 7 point win was I worried? Never, our team is by far the best team ever since last season!! So Saturday night, at our friends apartment for dinner, they had wifi - I'm no daft! Until Mrs H says about heat 9, we're going back to our flat????? One divorce later, I decide to go mad and follow the updates using mobile data, I'm sure that an appeal on facebook will cover my mobile bill this month! When heat 13 came up to confirm what we all knew, I may have had a small shandy, I certainly raised a glass to absent friends - Uncle B and my dear Dad would have loved it. Got back to our French house last night and was nearly in tears reading all the posts and watching all the videos of Sat night, Fantastic!! Memo to Cookie and 007 though - stick to riding bikes fast and forget the percussion!!. So 2015 Monarchs? After our best year ever, I felt we were going to make top 6, be close in the Cups, but probably no Cups (reminds me of a song - No Cups in Glasgow!!) The cost of retaining Cookie was Rob and Max at reserve - that's fine, I'd go with Cookie and 6 x 3 pointers just to watch him every week. The unbelievable happened early doors, we lost to the Ashfield millionaires!! Then lost again to them in the Pl and to Panthers too! Outwith that, without being as invincible as last year, we won most of our meetings home and away and finished top of the league, Pl Fours winners, League Cup Winners oh and of course Spring Trophy winners! To win the Pl play-offs was only right for the best team in the PL by a short mile. So to the riders - Cookie - murder!! fell twice in the play-off finals and only broke a few track records!! Robbed of being British Champion, fantastic at Cardiff, and showed the world, or the 6 people who can afford Sky Sports how good he can be in the EL. If this was a last season at Monarchs, he has signed off as well as Robbo at Hearts in 1998! Justin, superb season, the odd meeting when he started badly, he usually won his last two. 007 - the spy who came in from the cold! To be fair, Kevin I believe had no bikes or back up for UK speedway last year, no conspircay, but we enjoyed believing there was one, superb return from Der Kaiser!!. Erik came with a great long track CV. Took a while to get going but his class was always evident. Many important race wins especially that great night at Somerset - must be #1 to sign for next year. Sam started off well, injury held him back but his work behing the scenes when injured showed how much he loves the Monarchs. Absolutely delighted he will be riding in the GP at the weekend, is there a nicer guy in speedway? (apart from KL of course? ) The reserves - Max improved slowly all season, we didn't have a joker at reserve like some teams, signing Cookie again meant 2 x 3 pointers. Max stared beating not just reserves or 2nd strings, but then heat leaders... Berwick at home his best night? He'll do even better next year, matured so much this year on and off track, great guy. For Rob, basically the same - injuries stopped him progressing even further, his comments last weekend about letting the team down are nonsense - a very important team member that chipped in home and away. So that's it for 2015, no pressure on the promtion for 2016, but we lost the KO Cup this year, room for improvement lol. Finally, Thanks to all the updaters who have kept me in touch this season on my odd holiday, and thanks to KJ for his previews these last few weeks. If Heaven has wifi, I hope Brian Gray enjoys reading this drivel!!

course it will, we're all glory hunters! I reckon most people will pre-book tickets at the discount price anyway

Probably, but it is such a pleasure to see him riding PL, I know, I am selfish, good luck to Craig whatever he decides for next year

Aye, the last 11 heats were great, though I may have missed them due to hospitality hic! I gave up after a few heats, absolute farce

Yes Euan, can't deny the money that both clubs will make. When we lost to Somerset two years ago, I was not too down as the League winners are the real Champions, if we had won, I would have had a half shandy, but it wouldn't have been the same as our other League wins. But we all know the rules and the winners next weekend willl be the Champions.

So we've got to go easy on you on the Friday night to ensure a huge crowd on the Saturday? Only joking, first of all - well done to the Tigers for coming out on top over the weekend. I am not a fan of play-offs, you win leagues over a 7 month season, not an hour. However, with the close result today and an all Scottish final ahead, I can understand why we have them. I'll be in Corsica next weekend, obviously in a pub with wifi both nights Monarchs are probably slight favourites but I think it will be much closer than the League Cup final. Thankfully, if Tigers win, I have all winter to save up to buy Paulco a congratulatory pint!!

Paulco happy on a friday? Makes a change! Good luck to both teams to earn runners up in the Pl play offs

I mentioned above how impressed I was by Ashfield, just to expand on that, the whole place is a revelation. From turning at the traffic lights to see a huge Tigers poster just before parking at the bingo hall, the car park, the entrance hall which could be mistaken for a hotel foyer with the club shop and cafe, rejuvenated terracing, snack bars, hospitality suites, the back straight transformed with the pits up top and a good standing area, good presentation, live singers, Roary the Tigers, start girls and even sunshine. Just need a decent team now Well I had to get some kind of dig in!!

Sorry , I forgot that by heat 13 the Tigers had started racing! What I really meant was don't pull a race back if the offending riders does not gain an advantage.