Latest news with #EdinburghMonarchs
Edinburgh Reporter
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Hume injury update from Bandits bosses
Berwick Bandits skipper Danyon Hume suffered two fractured vertebrae in the crash which brought their Cab Direct Championship match against Edinburgh Monarchs to a premature end on Saturday. The English-born rider may face surgery. Hume (pictured by Taz McDougall) is being assessed at the Northumbria Specialist Care Hospital in Cramlington following the heat 12 crash which also involved Edinburgh reserve Jonatan Grahn who hit the fence heavily as he exited the final bend of the race. He has been a popular racer during spells with Glasgow, Redcar, Ipswich and Sheffield and paramedics spent over half an hour treating him trackside. The 28-year-old was then transferred to hospital where he remains with his partner, Jade, who was in the crowd watching the match when the incident happened. Hume's parents travelled overnight from their Buckinghamshire home to be at his bedside and Jade posted on Facebook: 'Obviously the news is not what we want, but we are thinking positive at the moment. 'We would both like to thank everyone, all Berwick management, the track staff, ambulance crew, our friends, family and all the fans at Berwick speedway. Everyone rallied around.' Berwick owner Jamie Courtney said: 'Our paramedics and track staff were able to give Danyon the best possible care trackside and get him on his way to hospital safely. 'The fans in the stadium and all the riders were aware of the potentially serious nature of the crash and I can only thank them for their patience and understanding as the medical team did their work.' He added: 'This crash underlines just what a dangerous and unforgiving sport speedway can be and how a race, which seemed to be heading for an uneventful shared heat, can suddenly have huge consequences. 'Danyon is one of the sport's real good guys and we are keeping our fingers crossed. We will support him and his family in every way necessary.' Berwick's strict 9.30pm curfew meant that the meeting was abandoned but the results stands and Bandits are next in action at Oxford on Wednesday. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Monarchs edge thriller to pick up precious points on their travels
Jonatan Grahn was impressive for the Monarchs. Picture: Jack Cupido The Edinburgh Monarchs pulled off a sensational victory on the road as they edged out the Oxford Cheetahs 45-44. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In stifling conditions at Sandy Lane, Monarchs finally picked up their first league triumph away from Armadale since a 46-44 success over the Plymouth Gladiators in August 2023. The Capital club move up to third in the Championship standings ahead of Friday's visit to Teesside to take on the Redcar Bears. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Teenager Jordy Loftus made his Monarchs debut - he scored 10 for the Academy in Sunday's win over the Middlesbrough Tigers - and despite not scoring this time round, he looked on the pace. Victor Palovaara made his first start in the No.1 berth after moving up from reserve, bagging 11 points that included a heat one win over Oxford counterpart and Monarchs legend, Sam Masters. There was solid scoring throughout the visitors' line-up, Swede Jonatan Grahn with an impressive nine, paid ten, and a special mention to Kye Thomson, whose last corner swoop to snatch third from Mitch McDiarmid in the final race of the evening, secured Monarchs a precious three points.
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Teen prospect Jordy Loftus jets in to sign for the Edinburgh Monarchs
Jordy Loftus has signed for the Monarchs. Picture: Edinburgh Monarchs New Edinburgh Monarch Jordy Loftus revealed he has been studying videos online of his new Armadale home as he prepares to make his British speedway debut next week. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Capital side has announced the signing of the 16-year-old Australian, who replaces Max James in the reserve berth. Academy rider Mark Parker had been filling the void left by James, who quit the Monarchs in April citing a lack of confidence on the track. Loftus, who hails from the Gold Coast, will make the move to the northern hemisphere and ride in both the Championship and National Development League for the Scottish outfit, replacing the injured Kyran Lyden in the Academy setup. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Loftus is no stranger to some of his new team-mates, none other than compatriots Kye Thomson and Justin Sedgmen as he explained. "I know of Justin Sedgmen and Kye Thomson and I've got to know Kye more personally over the past year or so - we practise at the same track in Ipswich [Australia]," he said. "I've been watching his technique going around the track and getting some tips off him. I've watched every single video put up from Armadale, it looks amazing. I'm excited to join the club and meet all the people and race." Loftus will adorn the Monarchs race suit for the first time next Wednesday at Oxford Cheetahs' Sandy Lane followed by a trip to the Redcar Bears on Friday, June 20. He will make his home debut when the Bears visit West Lothian on Friday, June 27. The teenager has only recently moved onto the 500cc bikes after turning 16 in March following a successful career on the less powerful 250cc engines. "I'm number two in Australia on the 250s," Loftus said. "I rode those until I turned 16 in March when I jumped onto a 500 and since then I've been getting better and better on it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I rode in SGP3 in 2024, and that went well in the semis when I got fifth. In the final I had a little bit of bad luck the way things went but my final placing was 13th." Revised 2025 Monarchs: Victor Palovaara, Kye Thomson, Michael Palm Toft, Paco Castagna, Justin Sedgmen, Jonatan Grahn, Jordy Loftus.
Scotsman
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Monarchs outsprint Cheetahs to pick up precious points
Sam Masters (white) gets the drop on Michael Palm Toft (red) in heat one. Lasse Fredriksen (yellow) and Victor Palovaara (blue) battle in the inside. Picture: Jack Cupido The Edinburgh Monarchs picked up their first Championship victory of 2025 with a 50-40 triumph over a depleted Oxford Cheetahs. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Having lost their opening two league fixtures to reigning champions Poole and Plymouth last month, the Capital outfit were under pressure to deliver on home shale against a Cheetahs side - hit by injury and rider unavailability - spearheaded by former Monarch, and legend, Sam Masters. Co-promoter Alex Harkess had spoken prior to the meeting about getting the job done in the early part of the match. However, Monarchs' advantage was a slender two points with just four heats remaining and that was largely down to some exemplary riding by Masters. The 34-year-old Australian, who made 233 appearances in Blue and Gold and a double league winner in 2014 and 2015, went through the card unbeaten scoring an 18-point maximum. Former Monarchs and guests Lasse Fredriksen and Jacob Hook also contributed well, but that was about it for the visitors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As for the hosts, who were without skipper Paco Castagna, Victor Palovaara scored 20 for the third consecutive home meeting in what was his final outing at reserve - only Masters getting the better of the Swede in the first race of the evening. Palovaara will move into the main body of the team and take the No.1 berth for Monarchs' next fixture which is away at Oxford on Wednesday, June 18. "I'm going to have to step it up if I'm going to score these high points later in the season," Palovaara said afterwards. "It's good. It just shows how much I love this track and how much fun I'm having coming here. I really enjoy it and it's looking good so far. I'm hoping I can keep it going. I want to be higher up in the the team and now I've scored enough points to be there, so I just need to keep winning heats and stay there." New signing Michael Palm Toft made his debut and scored five including a heat six win when he teamed up with Kye Thomson to deliver a 5-1. This was Palm Toft's first fixture of 2025 so the former Scunthorpe star can be satisfied with his night's work. Thomson, meanwhile, scored handsomely, 12 paid 14 from his six outings and looked on the pace. The victory takes Monarchs off the foot of the Championship and up four places to fifth. Their next home fixture isn't until Friday, June 27 when the Redcar Bears make the trip north from Teesside.
Scotsman
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Consistency is key for Edinburgh Monarchs speedway boss Alex Harkess
Edinburgh Monarchs co-promoters Alex Harkess and John Campbell Edinburgh Monarchs co-promoter Alex Harkess is urging his side to show more consistency as they look to kick-start their Championship campaign - beginning with tonight's visit of the Oxford Cheetahs. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Capital outfit sit at the foot of British speedway's middle tier having lost both of their opening two league fixtures - a 48-42 defeat at home to reigning champions the Poole Pirates and an agonising 46-44 loss at the Plymouth Gladiators three weeks ago. Monarchs have found themselves on the wrong side of some close contests in both league and cup so far this season and Harkess is urging his riders to change that narrative. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's a new face at No.1 as Denmark's Michael Palm Toft makes his debut at Armadale this evening. The 34-year-old replaces Poland's Oskar Polis, who sensationally quit the club last month citing an inability to adjust to the smaller, technical tracks here in the UK. Victor Palovaara (blue) has been sensational for Monarchs this season. Picture: Jack Cupido. "We're not doing it consistently," Harkess told the Evening News. "If they were doing what they are capable of consistently, I actually believe we probably wouldn't have lost a match up to this point. We've lost matches, especially late on because they've just not done it when they've needed to. In every single meeting they've all had at least one exceptional race and you're left thinking why can't you do that all the time?! That's been the problem. We've got to last-heat deciders and not done well. When this team does well, we're going to take a bit of stopping. "Bringing Michael into the team, we have to bear in mind he's not ridden so far this season so it might take him a match or two - I hope not - but we just need to see how it goes. Once he settles I think he will do very well and will take the pressure off others." Monarchs do have the Championship's most prolific scorer within their ranks in Swedish star Victor Palovaara. The 31-year-old has been a huge asset at reserve and is expected to move into the No.1 berth after tonight's clash with the Cheetahs. The Scandinavian scored an eye-watering 118 points from seven meetings last month alone. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "No one could have expected for Victor to do what he's been doing," Harkess explained. "When we were building the team it did look as if he'd be the strongest reserve in the league, but we still couldn't imagine he would be scoring 19 or 20 points. He's very frustrated because he's not scored 21! He's riding so well. He's a good gater and takes a bit of catching so, to be fair, he's been exceptional. "His points have covered up other riders not doing so well at times. They are aware of the situation. When you come down to heat 15 it's all about riders who are full of confidence and some of them have been lacking that. It's something we've got to change. The last thing we want is to be weak in heats 13, 14 and 15 because it wastes all the good work up until then." As for the now departed Polis, a marquee signing over the winter, Harkess admits that despite some encouraging scores at Glasgow and Berwick, it became abundantly clear his priorities were not in West Lothian. "Speedway is very much about what's in a rider's head," he said. "I don't think Oskar was totally confident with Armadale to start with but, we said to him, like we do with any new rider, you must learn to ride this place and it will be your biggest asset. But he wasn't prepared to give it a go. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "His final night at home to Poole, he won his first race but it was like riding a bucking bronco and he came in not wanting to go back out. He said, 'I cannot ride this place, I'm not going out again'. Bearing in mind he had already refused to go to Plymouth the following evening because it's a small track, we just can't have that. Deep down his commitments were elsewhere and that was more important to him. That night at Plymouth he was riding in Germany so that's not acceptable. It became very clear it wasn't going to work." If Monarchs are to keep their play-off aspirations alive and kicking, they must send the Cheetahs back to Oxford with their tails between their legs. And although the visitors are forced into a makeshift line-up through injury and riders' international commitments - the hosts too are without skipper Paco Castagna with the Italian competing in the Grand Prix qualifier - Monarchs legend Sam Masters returns looking to put one over his former team. "We cannot afford to lose any more meetings at home," Harkess said. "It's as simple as that. We should never have lost to Poole so we need to win them all and pick up bits and pieces on our travels. To be truthful, the team should not lose at home and I don't even want to see any last-heat deciders. I want us to do the job and get it over with before that. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I think Sam is the highest quality rider to visit Armadale because of the history, what he achieved here, and nobody will come and do any better. If we can pinch a few points from Sam I'll be delighted. We know what he's capable of. Sam is still very much an Edinburgh rider and one of our family. That doesn't change. We'll welcome him with open arms."
