Monarchs learn fixtures for 2017 SGB Championship campaign
However, today Monarchs team manager Alex Harkess warned against underestimating their opening opponents in the revamped speedway set-up.
“Some people are already writing Scunthorpe off,” said Harkess, whose team were champions in 2014 and 2015.
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Hide Ad“But Scunthorpe started off last season with an early visit to Ipswich which they won. It was probably the only fixture they won last season but that’s how it goes. I can understand why the SGB have rebranded things. They believe they can bring a lot more people through the turnstiles.
“Probably we at Edinburgh will be lucky to see an increase in attendances.”
Harkess admitted it will take time to get used to calling the traditional Premier League the “Championship”.
He added: “We are so used to call our league the Premier League it will take time for us all to get used to calling it the Championship.
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Hide Ad“The SGB have been keen to get people’s ideas on board and upgrade them. And this is the way a lot of supporters think. We will see how it goes.”
With no League Cup compeition this season, Monarchs will tackle Sheffield Tigers in the first round of the KO Cup. The Tigers have assembled a strong-looking side and Edinburgh might have hoped for an easier draw.
Said Harkess: “We always seem to be invoved in various cup tournaments against Sheffield and the same thing has happened once again. It will be dominated, I suspect, by the performance of the home riders. We have got good a group of useful riders, who will do quite well round Sheffield and they should also be able to cope wth our home leg as well. Ricky Wells has ridden for the Tigers previously and it will be a chance for him to go back to his old club and show them what he is capable of.
“We could asked for an easier draw but, if want to win something, you sometimes have to take the rough with the smooth.”
MONARCHS’ 2017 FIXTURES
HOME
Mar 31: TBC
April 7: Scunthorpe
April 14: Berwick
April 21: Redar
April 28: Sheffield (KO)
May 5: Workington
May 12: Glasgow
May 19: Newcastle
May 26: Peterborough
June 2: Sheffied
June 9: TBC
June 16: Ipswich
June 23: Scunthorpe
July 7: Berwick
July 14: Newcastle
July 28: TBC
Aug 4: Sheffield
Aug 11: Peterborough
Aug 18: Berwick
Aug 25: Redcar
Sept 1: TBC
Sept 8: Workington
Sept 15: Glasgow
Sept 22: TBC
Sept 29: TBC
AWAY
April 8: Berwick.
April 21: Redcar
April 23: Scunthorpe.
April 28: Sheffield (KO)
April 30: Glasgow
May 7: Peterborough
May 14: Newcastle
June 1: Sheffield
June 8: Ispwich
June 22: Redcar
July 27: Ipswich
July 30: Newcastle
Aug 6: Peterborough
Aug 12: Glasgow
Sept 9: Berwick
Sept 10: Scunthorpe
Sept 14: Sheffield
• All matches SCB Championship apart from ‘KO’ which denotes Premier League Knock Out Cup