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]
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
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
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
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
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.
George Hunter
Bert Harkins
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
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
Speedway at Powderhall Stadium, 1982
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
Les Collins
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
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.
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
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]
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George Hunter
Bert Harkins
