EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs, who won through to the promotion play-offs in midweek, are on course to complete a clean sweep of victories over Glasgow Tigers in all competitions this season.
Monarchs are sizzling hot favourites to clinch the Scottish Cup at Armadale tonight following their last-gasp and fortunate 45-44 first-leg victory at Glasgow last weekend. And a Monarchs win in Sunday's Premier League clash at Ashfield will cement a
unique whitewash for the all-conquering Capital squad.
The one casualty of Sunday's tie was Tigers' Australian ace Robert Ksiezak, who broke his collarbone when he piled into the safety fence in the last race.
Tigers will use former Monarch Christian Henry as a guest this evening but can only use the rider replacement facility for the league encounter.
Although Henry's average is higher than Ksiezak's, Monarchs bosses have raised no objections to the move.
However, Monarchs co-promoter John Campbell revealed that if Glasgow had booked in James Grieves, as was rumoured, then this would have been vetoed.
Campbell explained: "We did not want an Armadale expert like James to replace Robert, who is an average performer round our track.
"Glasgow understood that. I actually put forward a number of names that were acceptable to us, and all of whom had higher averages than Robert's, but Glasgow had Christian in mind anyway. At the end of the day, both clubs are trying to create an attraction."
In recent years the Scottish Cup, once the must-see derby of the Scottish season, has lost much of its lustre. But Campbell insists that, despite indifference among both sets of supporters, the matches remain decent-enough crowd pullers.
He said: "The attendances certainly don't suggest that the Scottish Cup has lost its appeal.
"While it is fair to say that Glasgow's visits to Armadale this year haven't produced our biggest crowds, they have been among the top ten best crowds. So the market for the Scottish is still there."
Monarchs have already toppled their rivals in the league, the Premier Trophy qualifiers, and the Spring Trophy. And Campbell reckons it would be unique in modern times if they were to emerge victorious from both this weekend's encounters and complete a clean sweep.
He said: "It would be a tremendous effort. I can't remember it being done before but we, as we have demonstrated all year, go into every match hoping to win.
"And, if we get the same luck which went our way in Sunday's first leg, it's difficult to see how we could lose. I know Glasgow pushed us quite hard on their league visit, and I'm sure they'll put up another reasonable show but they won't beat us."
To be frank, it's hard to see Glasgow finding a chink in the Monarchs' armour, although they may take some heart from the fact that Monarchs' No.1 William Lawson struggled against Somerset in the play-off semi-final second leg on Wednesday and scored just a solitary point. On the flipside, the man Glasgow must tame is Californian Ryan Fisher.
He is on the crest of a wave right now and stormed to a 17-point paid maximum at Ashfield then amassed 13 points at Somerset – despite blowing his engine.
Fisher said: "After my engine blew, I had to switch to a bike I wasn't intending riding. But things worked out pretty well in the end and I'm looking forward to tonight and scoring even more points."
Fisher hasn't decided if he is going to remain in the Premier League next season but it's a no-brainer for most Monarchs supporters who believe the 24-year-old can build on his success this season. He has ridden in the Elite League with Coventry and Oxford and was accused of trying too hard by bosses at Manchester's Belle Vue last season.
Glasgow's squad seems to be a well-balanced one for this encounter. Trent Leverington scored 14 on his last visit and it goes without saying that skipper Shane Parker will post a double-figure return. It will be the first full visit to Armadale for Tigers' new Dane Peter Juul, who rode as a junior in Frede Schott's Testimonial bash in 2004.
The youngster looked handy in the Ashfield leg but don't bet on Glasgow springing a shock.
The full article contains 728 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
