MD

Looks like Rusty saw the light on this one. Wonder if he'll make a miraculous recovery for Sunday!

Sunday would have been the Monarchs third visit to Ashfield in 8 weeks. I agree this used to be the fixture of choice but that's going back a few years now. I used to think there was nothing better than getting the speedway season under way with a trip to Armadale on a bitterly cold March evening to see the Tigers new recruits. That was then, now other than a glory hunting visit in 2011 I haven't been to Armadale since 2008. Too many matches between the sides is one reason and others which have been debated on here before. However I'm out of the mode of going there now, like many Monarchs fans are to Glasgow and don't see that changing. There is also the end of season meeting between the teams to make it four visits home and away. Add in that one are annual strugglers whilst the other are regularly table topping sides, it doesn't whet the appetite anymore.

They could have held off but got burned the previous week against Rye House trying to beat the forecast. Its an impossible job to judge whether to run or not. With PB away off tonight I think that's 6 fixtures needing new dates now with four at home.

The rain offs are stacking up now and then nxt Sun we have a Grieves tribute meeting!! Having had two testimonials I'm not sure how appropriate that is. Double header for sure next month.

Workington were hungriest for the win today, it showed and we saw a decent match albeit the wrong result. Lemon, Thomsen and Pijper picked up some useful points but we were a rider short all afternoon and it showed as well as the underperforming Wolbert and Rusty helping out his mates . As for Edinburgh they haven't lost a match home or away all season and that's not going to change next Sunday.

In Neil MacFarlanes day the club covered its costs and had plenty left over for mid season changes. Now that Christian Henry isn't coming in, are there any better replacements for Lemon or Wolbert?

A decent match with the Comets gating being the decisive factor, or rather Glasgow's lack of gating especially in heats 13 & 15. Bach and Grajczonek were excellent even when they didn't gate though Bach's rolling start in his first ride was a shocker. Rusty was pish, Wolbert was likewise after a win in ht1 and we are really struggling without Berge. With his recuperation being open ended its time for a replacement.

Thumping home win on the cards. Anders went well there last year and Dimitri would have loved it. Hope the rest make it respectable and no EF for Wolbert again in ht1!

Won't be easy to find a rider for Anders at Scunthorpe on Friday with 4 teams also riding. Anders is on 4.16.

The ref could have helped matters by pushing on the heats instead of dilly dallying. The forecast was poor, other than consecutive races for Lykke and Lemon its anyones guess why the heats weren't pushed on. It turned out to be a costly afternoon with injury to Anders. Wolbert again spluttered to a halt in ht1 though we would never have won if the match continued.

Weather forecast looks just as bad for the return leg on Sunday.

Likewise, solid second string that knows all the tracks. If the numbers fit .....

I was going by the programme averages for 2014 not realising rolling averages!

Hopefully out of hospital next week returning to France to recuperate. No timescale on return. Glasgow have new averages the following week and may look at a short term replacement.

Three points in the bag for Glasgow is just what we wanted. Thomsen was brilliant from reserve and made up a lot of points that would have come from Berge. Richard Lawson went through the card, he was never going to be as bad as last week though after that the Bears weren't great. Another home league match (I think) and Glasgow get new averages. Interesting that Wolbert is currently fourth in our current averages having lopped 3.1 off his starting ave and Lemon is seventh just behind Lykke and will go to reserve unless the team changes. Berge will remain in the main body as far as I understand it on an assessed 5.00 until he does two more home matches which doesn't sound anytime soon according to todays announcement.

Its not a change I would have made but probably a calculated move from the manager that no one is above being pulled. I still think Lemo will come good, he was much more aggresive yesterday though had a p1sh third ride. The way things are going he could end up at reserve mid season and that may not be a bad thing. Best wishes to Berge.

Excellent meeting today with passing inside and out right up to the final heat. Ostergaard under Wolbert was brilliant on turn 2 in ht15 and behind Berge and Bjerre were going at it full on. There is a side to Bjerre jnr that I just don't like, I'm all for hard racing but he had Berge wiped out on turn 4 just before their crash, its quite something he managed to stay upright. Glasgow chucked points away to give PB their point, why Anders thought he would round Rusty on the last lap of ht4 when under no pressure was just mental. Rusty then came off at the same spot in ht13 when Wolberts drive under Lawson left him nowhere to go on the outside. Pijpers chain snapping in ht14 didn't help matters though cancelled out by Jacobs EF. As some have pointed out it would have been a different story if Fisher was there but he wasn't so that's that.

Looking at PB scorers at Worky tonight, the reserves and Blackbird only pulled in 2 points. Dryml didn't look too hot either though I doubt that'll be repeated at Ashfield. We are in with a chance!

Good point, we've got to pick up everything at reserve. Thomson had the speed last week to go hammering into the third bend but not the confidence to scrape the fence to pass anyone exiting the fourth. His gating is poor and must improve. We need to be smarter at the gate using our lesser riders to good effect, if we can nobble Lawson before the second bend its game on!

Much better from Glasgow tonight though another p1sh return from Lemo. Berge looking to be a real find.

Better performances on track and these issues will be less significant. I agree about the programme, give us an insert with the original programme for the restaging meeting not for a completely different team.

A big part of the problem is there are fewer businesses and those that made it through recent hard times don't have the money to spend on sponsoring sport. Just look back 10 years to see the businesses that used to sponsor SPL clubs compared to now. The recession everyone talks about isn't temporary its become the norm. As a point of interest its £16 to get into Glasgow, another pound to get into BV doesn't seem that bad.

Were those 5 people Monarchs fans? We've only had 2 home meetings and both against Edinburgh, how can you say your not coming back by Easter Sunday? As regards the track - thought it was decent just our misfiring guys need to learn to ride it, Berge and Rusty knew how. Reading some of the comments about lack of dirt makes me wonder if people want to go back to previous years when it was knee deep to unsettle the opposition where experienced riders could barely turn the bike, with crashes galore and every heat FTG. The issue is with the riders not the track IMO. Wonder what happened to Danny et al?

Its a baptism of fire at home right now though, having only had two home matches, both against Edinburgh who are IMO the best starting 7 I have seen since Swindon in the early 2000's. Peterborough next week don't look that far behind and I couldn't predict a home win, the only glimmer of hope is that we can get the better of their reserves and pick up the minor placings.

The bulk of the banking is long gone. Confidence/machinery issue or both.