Al Stewart

Reminder that our auction starts at midday today! It's had a great response with advance bids.

The Monarchs 100 fundraising group are staging their second online auction on Sunday 18th April starting at midday, and hosted again by Scott Wilson. This year’s auction is raising funds towards Monarchs’ Speedway Academy which intends to take its first steps this year via a mini play track and a junior circuit. The bulk of the items are speedway-related though there is a Bay City Rollers set which includes a scarf worn by the late Alan Longmuir (a Monarchs Ambassador), and a pair of boxing gloves autographed by 2014 Commonwealth Gold Medallist Charlie Flynn. The full list can be viewed at Monarchs 100 | Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway | Official Club Website On the Speedway side there are race jackets from Redcar, Edinburgh, a Les Collins GB international, the 2019 Scottish Open and testimonials including Alun Rossiter and Krsysztof Kasperzak. There are Speedway Stars right from the first issue in 1952, most copies up to 1970 including several complete volumes, and most editions of the excellent pictorial magazine the Monthly Speedway World from the 1940s and 50s. Programmes – there’s a 1937 Southampton, pre-war or wartime issues from Belle Vue, West Ham, New Cross etc., Wembley World finals from the 1950s including Jack Young’s victory in 1951 There’s pre-war badges from West Ham and Bristol, books, framed photos, a framed set of Carl Stonehewer cards – and plenty more amongst more than 130 lots.

This Friday Edinburgh have their final rewind of the summer, the 2002 Scottish Open.

We are taking a week off from the EMTV Rewind matches because of the GPs. Next one will be Friday 4th September.

The meetings are chosen first and foremost for the standard of the racing. We have a record of how many heats from each match were chosen for the end of season highlights tapes. So while Newport may have had better teams in other matches they did not provide such good racing.

How many clubs have shown a home defeat in their transmissions? Edinburgh have.

Here is the link to join the Monarchs auction: https://www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/news-centre/article/2020-06-06/going-under-the-hammer

The route into Saturday's Monarchs 100 auction, plus a list of the items being sold, are on the Edinburgh website now. Joining the auction on Saturday at 2pm will also be via this route, just a one-click button.

The Edinburgh Monarchs 100 fundraising group will be holding an online auction of memorabilia and other items on Saturday 6th June. The auction is expected to include rare badges, racing suits and helmets, race jackets, rosettes and programmes. Richie Worrall has promised to donate his league winning Leicester kevlars from last season and the other 2020 Monarchs will be asked to look out some personalised items! Details on how to take part in the auction will be announced well in advance, as will the full list of what is to be auctioned. The auction will be hosted by Scott Wilson, and anyone with any donations can contact Scott on auction@scott-wilson.net

It was connected to the takeover of Sheffield and the way Cliff Carr was treated.

We were late notifying last week I gather. Ours will be on there in future.

I thought we were organised to get this coverage but obviously not. I will investigate.

I bumped into Geoff last year and emailed him last night to check he is doing OK. He is and sounds very cheerful. He stopped coming to Armadale at a time when his work made it awkward, and he also had a spell of ill health. He writes articles on chess now.

Can any kind Diamonds fan recommend how to get from St James Park to the Speedway by public transport on Sunday?

Absolutely correct 2-4 was the best they were ever likely to do.

Michael Breckon

I remember one of my favourite quotes, a rare piece of BSF wit, when someone said "Garrity has declared himself fit", to which someone else replied "He'd declare himself fit if he had three broken legs."

Yes. Though it is on the screen in our stadium every week.

No it's just at the stadium. Permission given by the BSPA and BT Sport.

No not at this stage. It was announced at Somerset last night and I thought they would have advertised it further. It's a test but certainly those responsible believe it is ready for much wider availability.

Whether our season is "done" or not (for me it's not while there are matches to watch), the visit of Somerset to Armadale on Friday will be shown live at the Oak Tree Arena. Could be an important innovation for British Speedway.

I honestly thought Newcastle had a good team when they made their changes. They are Cup Finalists! But some of their riders are miles below what they should be doing.

However, viewed from the situation at heat 4, there appeared to be a problem. You would have needed a crystal ball to be aware that times were then going to improve, maybe of course you had one.

The track didn't look bad enough to me to justify a stoppage. However what the previous posters haven't said is that times went from 58.2 (heat 1) to 64.0 (heat 4 so it suggests there was more of an issue than it appeared.

Masters ave 8.79 Jensen 7.65 so all ok by your measure.