118-961: 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. 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 . Several team challenge matches were staged during 1929, including visits to London and Newcastle. The team joined Northern League for
236-480: A Scottish grass-track record of 10 1/5 for 100 yards. It is certain that at the inaugural Edinburgh University freshman sports in 1866 he won the shot put and pole vault . The other members of the syndicate were R. G. Bauchope, and W. Bauchope, both prominent businessmen in the city, and John Bauchope, a school teacher. It is thought that Lightbody was the principal financial investor in the scheme. An Edinburgh firm of builders, W. & D. McGregor, had purchased
354-532: A cinder track of 440 yards with a sprint straight of 180 yards on the southern side, and a roofed grandstand for 1400 spectators. Much of the materials for this they purchased from the recently defunct Newington grounds at Powburn Toll for the sum of one hundred pounds. The first meet, called the New Year Pedestrian Gala, was held over three days in January 1870 with three events, a 1-mile handicap won off
472-598: A few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won. Motorcycle racing under lights was a huge success and its promoter was New Zealand-born John S. Hoskins. These pioneers introduced the Speedway signatures of No Left Footpeg and the Steel Shoe, ironically fashioned from worn coal shovels, manufactured in this Steel region. Following
590-583: A few more mishaps the experiment was halted before anyone died. In August 1878 they presented a wire walking act and held their first dog races, promoted by the Midlothian Dog-Racing Club. The Scottish Cyclists Union was formed in 1880 and celebrated by holding their very first meet at Powderhall. They followed that with a six-day bicycle race held in Waverley Market and Powderhall put on a Grand Horse and Pony Leaping Competition to try and draw in
708-415: A greater importance in the sporting calendar. In 1926 it was observed that there were more bookkeepers at a greyhound racing evening than there were spectators at a pedestrian meeting and the end was clearly in sight. The circular cinder running path was turfed over, a new sprint straight was laid down to serve the needs of the pedestrians at their annual New Year festival, and New Powderhall was converted into
826-634: A greyhound racing stadium with the first event under the auspices of the Greyhound Racing Association , held on Wednesday 3 August 1927. In 1923 Fred Lumley had exercised his option to purchase the grounds outright, and in 1930 The Greyhound Racing Association Trust purchased the Powderhall Stadium, as it was now called, from Lumley. As well as athletics and walking races, from 1874 the Powderhall Grounds hosted cycle races, known at
944-491: A horse drawn cab on his way to a rugby union international between Scotland and Ireland. The driver of the cab lost control of it on a steep hill and the horse bolted and crashed into the basement of a nearby house. Lapsley died at the scene and his wife, though seriously injured, survived. The lease of the Powderhall Grounds was due to expire in May of that year and the trustees appointed to conduct business after his death failed to renew
1062-566: A lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing , speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM-affiliated national motor sport federations . The early history of speedway race meetings is a subject of much debate and controversy. There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and
1180-426: A maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in)) attached to the rider's right wrist." The high compression ratio of the engine can also assist in slowing down a machine; if the throttle is closed, the engine may stop. Riders can stop the bike by deliberately laying down the bike on the track, and this technique is used to avoid riders who fall in front of pursuing opponents. Before cut-outs were introduced, an engine
1298-518: 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. 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
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#17328687851481416-632: A number of occasions, professional football , international rugby , cycling , and dog races as well as boxing, quoits and pigeon shooting. For 100 years it hosted the Powderhall Sprint , the most famous professional sprint handicap in the world. With the decline of pedestrianism as a spectator sport in the 1920s it was converted to a greyhound stadium, hosting the Scottish Grand National for over sixty five years, and it also hosted professional speedway . The stadium finally closed in 1995 and
1534-578: A plot of land that had previously formed part of Thomas Mylne's Powderhall estate, and the syndicate took out a five-year lease on this piece of land where they laid out their running grounds, about one mile to the west of Pilrig House and right on the Water of Leith. The senior Bauchope and Mr Lightbody toured the running grounds of England and Scotland and decided to base their design on the famous grounds at Stamford Bridge in London. The Powderhall Grounds therefore had
1652-416: A record time of 59 seconds on a 342 metres (1,122 ft) track and produced an average speed of 83 km/h (51.86 mph). The speed on straight sections of the track reaches 110 km/h (70 mph) or more on longer tracks, but the limited speed on curves lowers the average. At the start of a race it takes between one and two seconds for the motorcycle to reach the "curve speed" (somewhat lower than
1770-426: A report to Edinburgh Town Council recommending that "the ground at Powderhall belonging to the city be taken over from the present tenant and converted into a Public Park from Whitsunday next." William Lapsley, the chief tenant and owner of the Powderhall Grounds, negotiated a three-month extension and the last races run on the original Powderhall Grounds took place on Saturday 25 May 1889, at what had come to be known as
1888-422: A rider with a scheduled ride may go out for double points, in which the riders points will be doubled if he beats a rider of the opposing team. Any rider taking a tactical substitute ride or double points ride is denoted by a black and white helmet colour as rather than one of the four usual coloured helmets. If that rider remains unbeaten by either opposition rider his scored points are doubled and also count towards
2006-625: A second job, or amateurs. The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues, the SGB Premiership , the SGB Championship , and the National League , as well as three 'junior' amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship. Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland and is governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is a part of
2124-426: A series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer. The final World Cup Champions were Poland in 2017. The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. Competing countries picked their top two riders to represent them (or in some cases, those who were available). The first competition was held in 1970 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994
2242-557: A share in the lease for the Royal Patent Gymnasium Ground in Royal Crescent Park, Edinburgh. By draining the adjoining Boyton's Pond he added to the existing football ground an 880 feet circular running path (6 laps to the mile) and a sprint track of 125 yards. There was also a grandstand, similar to but smaller than, that at Powderhall. This had its opening on 19 July 1879 and was obviously in direct competition with
2360-415: A shareholder called Walton Hankinson, a housing development specialist) during January 1995 for £3 million. The stadium closed in 1995 and was demolished for housing. The Scottish Grand National was a competition held over hurdles from 1954 until the stadium closed. TR (Track record), 1954-1994 (500 yards, 465 metres), 1971-1973 (Not held) The Scottish St Leger was a competition held from 1959 until
2478-590: A smaller scale, competitions are also held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may be part-timers with
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#17328687851482596-435: A team of horses. The horse rider changed horses six times and eventually beat the cyclist by five yards, covering 17 miles in 59:15. The next month, June 1877, Powderhall started a short-lived experiment with hosting trotting races. A special turf track was constructed outside the running path to accommodate the sulkies , and in the first meeting one of the jockeys broke his arm and another was thrown out of his carriage. After
2714-411: 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 . The club signed Peter Carr and retained Kenny McKinna and Robert Eriksson , finishing 3rd in the league. The Monarchs experienced a period of success, starting by winning
2832-452: A very respectable fourth in 1967 led by Swede Bernt Persson . 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
2950-474: Is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes . Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt , loosely packed shale , or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into
3068-493: Is argued that they are easier to handle. As speedway bikes do not use brakes , the clutch is used as a release mechanism at the start of races. FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes , are fueled by pure methanol , use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to
3186-399: Is divided into a grid of four equal parts and the riders from each team must take their place in alternate grids or "gates". The colours also denote starting positions in individual events; Red is the inside gate (gate 1), blue starts from gate 2, white starts from gate 3 and yellow/black starts on the outside (gate 4). When an event dictates that there is a fifth rider at the start line, gate 3
3304-504: Is halfway along one of the two straight sections of the track. Starting gates are simple spring-loaded mechanisms that raise two or three strands of tape to start the race. The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities. Track boundaries are marked by white lines or barriers on the inside and outside the track, any rider who crosses this boundary with both wheels will be disqualified unless they only did so in
3422-502: Is known as a tape infringement and can result in a false start being recorded and the rider penalised (disqualified, or in league matches in Great Britain, a 15-metre penalty or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve). The race is started with the raising of the start tape mechanism operated by the match referee and the riders must proceed around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without both wheels illegally leaving
3540-472: Is measured at a distance of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the inner boundary. Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence. A white start line is marked across the track approximately mid-way along one of the straights. The starting area is also divided into four equal parts (known as gates) by white lines marked at right angles to
3658-428: Is moved to the centre with a green helmet colour, and white and yellow (or yellow/black) take gates 4 and 5 respectively. Riders must be able to get their bikes to the start line under their own power, without any external assistance and not by pushing the machine, then line up in parallel. A rider who is not at the start line within a reasonable period of time is also liable to be disqualified, although league matches in
Edinburgh Monarchs - Misplaced Pages Continue
3776-427: Is scheduled to ride four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting is the winner. Most league seasons end with play-offs – a series of meetings between the highest finishing teams to determine a league champion. The champions may be promoted to a higher division and the team finishing at the bottom are in some countries relegated to a lower division. The majority of countries supplement
3894-948: Is the current (2019) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales. Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005 with riders scoring 3–2–1–0 in their races and these points being carried forward to decide the winner of each Grand Prix. At the end of the series the highest scorer becomes the world champion. World Speedway Champions include Ivan Mauger (six-time World Champion), fellow New Zealander Barry Briggs (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (inaugural World Champion in 1936), Hans Nielsen (nicknamed "The Professor", four-time World Champion), Tony Rickardsson (six times), Erik Gundersen and Jason Crump , both three-time World Champions, and
4012-414: Is the second oldest Motorcycle Speedway track in the world. However, its first recorded motorcycle race was much earlier in 1908. The first Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship was held at Newcastle Showground in 1926. Ironically it was won by American rider Cec Brown. Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night. It
4130-701: The BBC Television Trophy in 1964. In 1970 the stadium underwent renovation including a new 100 'Silver Hound' seated restaurant with a glass plated front to allow public viewing and bar areas increased to a total of seven. Bill Glennie was General Manager and Bill Mulley was Racing Manager replaced by Stuart Strachan in 1978 A heated blanket was constructed underneath the track to combat the Scottish winter and allow racing to go ahead during particularly cold spells. The Scottish Grand National and Scottish St Leger both became popular events and in 1982 trainer Graham Mann
4248-635: The English Greyhound Derby , the first and only time a Scottish trained greyhound would win the sports premier event. The track situated below the 'Puddockie' as it was known locally (the Water of Leith ) and a culvert ran under the track to allow the Puddockie to flow. The track circumference was 440 yards and facilities included a grandstand and two covered enclosures. The original hare was an outside 'bogie' and distances were 440, 500 and 700 yards but despite
4366-922: The Polish Motor Union Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM). The PZM is a member of the FIM and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM). The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first speedway meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s and league racing began in 1948. There are three championships in Poland: individual (IMP), pairs (MPPK) and team (the DMP consisting of three leagues). The Junior under-21 championships also has three competitions: individual (MIMP), pairs (MMPPK) and team (MDMP). There are three leagues: Extraleague , First League and Second League . In
4484-506: The Premier League in 2003 with relative ease. 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, which resulted in the Monarchs taking part in the first promotion/relegation play-off when they faced Wolverhampton. Ryan Fisher , Matthew Wethers and William Lawson starred during the season. Edinburgh secured another Premier League title in
4602-716: The Under-21 Individual World Championship . In total, seven Polish riders have been World Champions at Under-21 level. Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO) . The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and copied the British format of league racing, including adopting the Swedish version of several British teams nicknames. The Elite League ( Elitserien )
4720-488: The 1890 Scottish Championships at Powderhall, Kenneth Whitton (Edinburgh Harriers) set a Scottish Native and All-comers hammer record of 103 ft 0in (31.40m), beating his own record set at the 1885 championships at Paisley . Athletics continued to be held at Powderhall for the next one hundred years with competition transferring to Meadowbank Stadium in 1971. In October 1888 the Lord Provost's Committee submitted
4838-648: The 1930 Scottish Championship which was won by Wembley Lions' Harry Whitfield . The forerunner of the World Championship, the Star Riders' Championship , was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1929, but was split into two sections, as it was felt that the British riders were not yet the equal of the Australians and Americans. Frank Arthur won the Overseas Section and Roger Frogley the British. The following year
Edinburgh Monarchs - Misplaced Pages Continue
4956-470: The 1930 season. 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. In 1939, the team raced in multiple challenge matches and the Union Cup before the season ended early due to the outbreak of war . Marine Gardens
5074-490: The 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936 . The present FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship organised by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events since 2015) has taken place since 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each riders overall final position. The rider who has gained the most points at the end of the tournament is declared the World Champion . Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik
5192-582: The 1995 season, the company operating Powderhall ran into financial difficulty, and the stadium was sold to a housing company for redevelopment. 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
5310-625: The 2010 season, their third in seven years. They later won the Premier League Four-Team Championship , held on 14 July 2013, at the East of England Arena 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, while going on a 27 match unbeaten run. Masters and Max Fricke also won the Premier Pairs. The success continued in 2015, when
5428-694: The 2022 season, the Extraleague and First League had eight teams competing and the Second League had seven teams. The GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet (Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial), Silver Helmet (Under-21) and Bronze Helmet (Under-19) competitions. Individual meetings such as the Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces – Mieczysław Połukard Memorial , Alfred Smoczyk Memorial , Edward Jancarz Memorial, Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial and Individual international championship of
5546-564: The Allsvenskan, the top four teams at the end of each season ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The Allsvenskan Division One is the third tier of Swedish speedway with seven teams. The team finishing the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances. Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and
5664-610: The Ekstraliga named after Zenon Plech are also popular. The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup , having won the competition eight times in all. Poland has produced three Individual World Champions , Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, Tomasz Gollob in 2010 and Bartosz Zmarzlik in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Polish junior team won the Under-21 World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and since 2003 four Polish juniors have won
5782-489: The FIM occasionally sanctions the use of stadiums that install temporary tracks such as the British Grand Prix held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Speedway uses a unique type of motorcycle, governed by the FIM's "Track Racing Technical Rules". In the past, bikes with upright engines were used (the name taken from the way the engine sits in the frame), but today most professional riders use laydown bikes as it
5900-506: The Leith Stakes was won by Eager Hands in 30.70 over 500 yards. The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) acquired Powderhall becoming one of 19 GRA tracks at the time. The kennels were built on the west side of the stadium replacing an old football ground and the first trainers were John Snowball, Tom Storey, Arthur Graham, C Hughes and Tommy Johnston (Sr.). Major success was achieved in 1928 when Boher Ash trained by Tommy Johnston Sr. won
6018-636: 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. It was one of three titles won by the Monarchs in 2015; in the Premier League Cup, the Monarchs beat the Tigers again, while
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#17328687851486136-549: The National League Second Division, securing a 3rd place finish in 1951 , with Jack Young setting the league's leading average. Mid-way through the 1954 season the club withdrew from the league citing financial losses and Frank Varey also resigned. 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. With
6254-586: The Olympian Eric Liddell , portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire , started training at Powderhall under the care of Tommy McKerchar, a printer by trade who coached professional pedestrians on the side. But McKerchar coached Liddell three times a week for free. Over the next few years professional pedestrianism gradually waned in importance, from regular meets at dozens of grounds around the country there were now apart from Powderhall just those at Blackpool, Morpeth, Cardiff, Pontypridd and Newcastle keeping
6372-677: The Powderhall Grounds. However, in July 1880 the Bauchope syndicate at the Powderhall Grounds dissolved their company and the grounds were briefly taken over by two gentlemen named Lauder and Hughes, but by January 1883 William Lapsley had taken over the lease for the Powderhall Grounds. The Scottish AAA was formed in 1883 and held their first championship meeting at the Powderhall Grounds in June of that year. The championships were subsequently held at Powderhall many times, including in 1884, 1886, 1888 and 1910. At
6490-497: The Queen's Birthday meeting. W. Grant of Edinburgh won a 130-yard handicap off 17 yards in 12 1/2 seconds, W. Balmer of Edinburgh won a 300-yard handicap off 37 yards in 30 1/2 seconds, and John D. Henderson of Edinburgh won a 1-mile handicap off 135 yards in 4:19 1/2. On Wednesday 29 August 1889 Lapsley was granted a warrant at the Dean of Guild Court in Edinburgh authorising him to proceed with
6608-468: The Speedway Control Board to participate in the 1948 Speedway National League Division Two 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. The team continued to operate at Old Meadowbank in
6726-653: The Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship is contested by 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats. The Junior Individual Championship is for riders aged twenty-one years and under. Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU) . The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but it didn't boom until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include – Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider, Ole Olsen won
6844-521: The UK allow teams to elect to start the disqualified rider fifteen metres back from the tapes or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve. This period of time is standardised to two minutes from a time determined by the match referee and usually indicated by a bell, a rotating orange lamp or a digital clock readout. All riders must be at the tapes under their own power before the two minutes have elapsed. Additional time between races will be allowed by, and at
6962-607: The UK to feature bikes with no brakes and broadsiding round corners on loose dirt was the third meeting held at High Beech on 9 April 1928, where Colin Watson , Alf Medcalf and "Digger" Pugh demonstrated the art for the first time in the UK. Proto speedway was staged in Glasgow at the Olympic Stadium (Glasgow Nelson) on 9 April 1928 and the first fully professional meeting was staged at Celtic Park on 28 April 1928. The first meeting in Wales
7080-476: The United States before World War I . On 13 November 1905 motorcycle racing was held at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground, a distance of approximately 440 yards. American rider Don Johns was known to have used broadsiding before 1914. It was said that he would ride the entire race course wide open, throwing great showers of dirt into the air at each turn. By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering
7198-417: The World Championship three times and his success helped popularise the sport in Denmark. Since retiring Olsen has become an FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director. A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen and Hans Nielsen (who was also an active racer through the 1990s). Powderhall Stadium Powderhall Stadium , formerly the Powderhall Grounds,
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#17328687851487316-631: The World Pairs was merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations , has now replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport's calendar. Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems , normally comprising several divisions , in which the teams gain points throughout
7434-405: The average), which is roughly estimated to be the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (or 0 to 60 mph ). The start of the race is an important aspect of the race overall. "Gating" correctly can help a rider gain an initial advantage over other riders but speed advantages can be made as a race progresses. Those riders willing to take a risk and opt for finding
7552-424: The bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). There are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries, including the Speedway World Cup , whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in Central and Northern Europe and to
7670-408: 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. 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
7788-465: The crowds. But one hundred thousand customers paid to watch the cycle races and the pony show was never repeated. From 1881, association football began to be staged at Powderhall, and the stadium was the home ground for both Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs prior to Tynecastle Park and Easter Road respectively. In 1882 St Bernard's FC started playing at Powderhall, and both dog racing and cycle races were still regular features of
7906-429: The culvert the track was prone to flooding. Edinburgh hosted four greyhound tracks, Stenhouse Stadium , Marine Gardens and a short lived independent track called Royal Gymnasium . The track introduced its own major event in 1933 and called it the Edinburgh Cup which saw early winners including Jesmond Cutlet, Wattle Bark and Dante II. The venue was selected to host the Stewards Cup on several occasions and also hosted
8024-402: The discretion of, the referee if a rider has two consecutive rides, to allow the rider time to prepare. A starting gate consisting of two or more tapes is erected across the start line. The riders must situate themselves not more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) from this and not touch it once the green light comes on, they must also remain stationary until the tapes are raised. Failure to do so
8142-424: The engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering). Machines used must: Machines used cannot: In addition, all motorcycles must have a safety cut-out device fitted; this is defined as a switch that "must cut off the circuit of the electrical supply by the simple action of pulling a lanyard or a non-elastic string (with
8260-567: The event of a tie, the race is commonly awarded as a dead heat . If it is a tie for first place, they will both receive two points. A tie for second place earns each rider one point while a joint-last finish earns each rider zero points. Teams can use a tactical substitute rule once in a meeting. If that team is eight (six in World Cup) or more points in arrears, they may bring in the use of a different rider in their team lineup, to race in any heat except for heat 15. This may be different in World cup or event racing. If they are ten or more points behind,
8378-422: The extra riders safely. Speedway operates a sliding scale for scoring (known as the 3–2–1–0 method). Three points are scored for first place, two points for second place and one point for third place. A rider does not score when finishing fourth, or failing to finish, or if excluded from a race. These points accumulate over the competition, with riders points either counting towards individual or team placings. In
8496-460: The first of the next month. These CMA's are used in most professional leagues and are altered or weighted depending on the league the rider gained the CMA in. A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport. An international individual speedway championship has taken various forms since its beginnings in
8614-476: The greyhound racing venue and Mike Parker spent £30,000 on renovation. Bert Harkins returned as captain of the club 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 and fours championship final, held at the East of England Arena on 26 July. Unfortunately,
8732-617: The grippy parts of the track rather than the race line, are sometimes rewarded with extra speed allowing them to pass other riders either on the outside or the inside. Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements. Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles. Tracks must be between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1394 ft) in length, this
8850-407: The interest of safety or were forced to by another competitor. The track surface consists of four layers of grading . The topmost of which must be of shale , granite , brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding ) into the bends using
8968-541: The layout of a new running ground at Beaverhall Road, practically adjoining the land recently vacated, and to construct on them two grandstands and changing rooms. The first promotion on these new grounds, called New Powderhall, was the New Year Handicap of 1890 at which J. Jackson of Hawick won the New Year Sprint off 10 yards in 12 3/5 seconds. William Lapsley died on 28 February 1903 as a result of an accident in
9086-479: The league averages during the 1963 season 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
9204-492: The league system with one or more cup competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round and the loser taking no further part in the competition. The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. These countries run a number of leagues and have regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season that runs from March to October. On
9322-494: The lease and the grounds were taken over by Mr Frederick Arthur Lumley, a maker of gymnastic apparatus and a boxing instructor. The first meet under this new management was on Wednesday 13 May 1903 when L. Richards of Lanark won a 130 yards handicap off 13 yards in 12 1/5 seconds, and D. Todd of Edinburgh won a 1-mile handicap off 145 yards in 4:21. After winning the 100 yards at the Edinburgh University sports in May 1921,
9440-747: The next one hundred years, becoming one of the most famous professional sprint races in the world. The only other serious contender for that crown being the Stawell Gift , held each Easter at Stawell, Victoria, Australia, since 1878. The Powderhall Sprint moved to Edinburgh's Meadowbank Stadium in 1971 and under its new name of the New Year Sprint it continues today at Musselburgh Racecourse . Edinburgh University Athletic Club started training at Powderhall from as early as March 1871, and in February 1872 held their Spring Athletic Games there. William M. Lapsley
9558-540: The now-closed 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth and the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground , to smaller, purpose-built 300 metres (330 yd) long motorcycle tracks, such as Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and Mildura 's Olympic Park . Each track is between 260 and 425 metres long and it takes approximately one minute to complete four laps. For example, 10 time Australian Champion Leigh Adams set
9676-493: The official handicapper at Powderhall. In June 1904 the Caledonian Whippet Racing Club held a 160 yards handicap, and the following June they held dog races, without any restriction as to breed of dog, for the first time in over twenty years. From this time a series of these promotions were held at regular intervals throughout the season, and as professional sprinting declined these other events gradually assumed
9794-456: The only other success during the decade was winning the pairs championship in 1986, with Doug Wyer and new signing 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. During
9912-883: The programme. After the change to the new venue in 1890 cycling continued to be popular, and in 1891 the Edinburgh Highland Society moved their annual Highland Games to Powderhall which included foot races, field events, highland dancing, bagpipe playing competitions and tug-of-war, and in 1898 they added a game of Camanachd , now better known as Shinty. Scotland have played two rugby union international matches at Powderhall. On Saturday 20 February 1897 Scotland beat Ireland 8-3 and on Saturday 12 March 1898 Scotland drew 3–3 with England . In 1920 boxing matches were introduced, commencing on Saturday 19 June with an afternoon of running events, 5-a-side football competition, and boxing exhibitions attended by over 13,000 spectators to raise funds for Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. This
10030-418: The purposes of choosing which riders to enter for each race. At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA (or assessed CMA if they have never previously established one) until they have competed in six home and six away matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from May onwards, and come into effect on
10148-582: The quartet of Cook, Masters, Erik Riss and Justin Sedgmen won the Premier League Fours. Changes due to points/averages restrictions resulted in a much quieter period for the team from 2016 to 2019. 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. However,
10266-481: The rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration . The use of asphalt , concrete and tarmac for any layer is prohibited. The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute
10384-571: The rest of the fence through blow-off valves or restriction ports connected to the other sections. They are mandatory for tracks in the British Elite League , Polish Ekstraliga , Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup . Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators. The majority of tracks are dedicated to speedway or other sports such as sidecar speedway and banger racing . For larger events,
10502-461: The rider's calculated match average (CMA). The sport produces Calculated Match Averages (CMAs or averages) for every rider, these are calculated from the following: CMAs scale from 3.00 to 12.00, any rider scoring above or below this range of values will be awarded the maximum or minimum respectively. These averages are used in leagues such as the Premiership in the UK to identify heat-leaders for
10620-415: The scratch mark by John Ridley of Gateshead in the very good time of 4:25. An 880 yards handicap won by J. Watt of Glasgow, and the event that would come to be called the Powderhall Sprint was initiated at 160 yards, the inaugural champion being Dan Wight of Jedburgh , barely nineteen years of age and running off 12 yards. On the day there was no particular reason to suppose that it was anything special, it
10738-447: The season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables , placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament . Meetings traditionally consist of two teams riding against each other with four riders in each race with two home team riders and two away team riders. Meetings usually feature fifteen heats and each rider
10856-521: The show to England, as the word had spread about this exciting sport. 14 April 1928, Johnnie Hoskins, 13 Australian Riders and their motorcycles sailed from Perth on the passenger ship Oronsay to introduce Speedway Solo motorcycle racing to England. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech on 19 February 1928. There are, however, claims that meetings were held in 1927 at Camberley , Surrey and Droylsden , Lancashire. Despite being described as "the first British Dirt Track meeting" at
10974-623: The site is now a housing estate. In 1695, James Balfour, the Laird of Pilrig , obtained a charter from King William III that gave him the exclusive right to manufacture gunpowder in Scotland. This required the construction of a factory, known as a powder-mill, which was built to the north of the city of Edinburgh on the shore of the Water of Leith, a small tributary of the Firth of Forth. James Balfour had sixteen children, and one of his sons, also James Balfour,
11092-464: The sport alive. But decline is a relative term as at the 1907 New Year Handicap 24,000 spectators turned out despite rain having fallen for several hours before the meet commenced. That was the last time that Alexander McKenzie, a paper ruler by profession, acted as starter at Powderhall Grounds, having started there in 1879. His successor as starter was James Lynch who officated in that capacity until his death in May 1930. In 1920 his son Chris Lynch became
11210-538: The sports first two-time champion Jack Young who won in 1951 & 1952. Currently, no world team championship is contested for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup , which was contested annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup , another annual event, in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in
11328-498: The stadium back. The locally trained Ravage Again nearly surpassed the Ballyregan Bob world record in 1990; trained by Willie Frew the 29 successive wins sequence came to an end on 26 January 1990. Corals sold the stadium to Eddie Ramsay in 1992 for £3 million but his company SGRC (Scottish Greyhound Racing Company) was in financial difficulties and he sold it to a Channel Islands company called Charlotte Twenty-One (that included
11446-439: The start line and extending back at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Additional rules govern the placement of warning systems such as lights and also the construction of the starting mechanism. The minimum track width is 10 metres (33 ft) on the straights and the bends must be at least 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The minimum widths give each rider adequate space to safely navigate the track. The start line and starting gate assembly
11564-594: The success of Maitland, Speedway meetings were conducted at Newcastle Showground in 1924. These events were very successful and led to the construction of Newcastle Speedway off Darling Street, Hamilton. Johnnie Hoskins became the Secretary of Newcastle Speedway Ltd. The Newcastle Herald reports the Grand Opening on 14 November 1925 attracted an audience of 42,000 at that time it was approximately one-third of Newcastle's entire population. After Maitland, Newcastle Showground
11682-428: The surface. Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust. Safety requirements include the use of suspended wire fences, air fences and wooden fences. Air fences are made up of inflated panels installed on the bends. The fence is designed to dissipate energy by allowing an impacted area to compress and transfer air into
11800-684: The team continued to race at Armadale in 2023 and 2024. 2006 team 2007 team Also Rode 2008 team 2009 team Also rode: 2010 team Also Rode: 2011 team Also rode 2012 team Also Rode 2013 team Also rode Signed but failed to obtain necessary paperwork 2014 team 2015 team 2016 team Also rode 2017 team 2018 team Also Rode 2019 team Also Rode 2021 team 2022 team Championships won while an Edinburgh Monarchs rider. World Championship Premier League Riders' Championship Scottish Championship Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway , usually referred to simply as speedway ,
11918-414: The time as velocipede races. There were also quoits handicaps and gun clubs held pigeon shooting competitions. In 1876 they started a medley event where competitors had to walk 1 mile, run 1 mile, and ride a horse 1 mile. The best time for this event was 16:22 by Peter McKellar of Edinburgh, well known locally as a champion walker. In April 1877 Jack Keen, a famous London cyclist, had a one-hour race against
12036-515: The time, the meeting at Camberley on 7 May 1927 differed in that the races were held in a clockwise direction. Races at Droylsden were held in an anti-clockwise direction, but it is generally accepted that the sport arrived in the United Kingdom when Australians Billy Galloway and Keith McKay arrived with the intention of introducing speedway to the Northern Hemisphere . Both featured in the 1928 High Beech meeting. The first speedway meeting in
12154-450: The track boundaries. Once a race is under way, no rider can receive outside assistance, including push-starts , from others. Historically, pushers were allowed at the start of the race. A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal. Occasionally races can consist of up to six riders but this is rare as most tracks are too narrow to accommodate
12272-567: The track to local businessman Norrie Rowan for £1.8m, the sale of the track resulted in two problems, the first was the fact that they lost the rights to hold the Scottish Derby because the GRA no longer had any investments in Scotland so the Derby returned to Glasgow. Secondly Norrie Rowan sold the track on to Coral for £2.2 million an instant profit of £400,000. During 1990 Rowan expressed the desire to buy
12390-418: The two sections were amalgamated and Vic Huxley proved to be the winner. Huxley was also runner-up three times and won the first British Match Race championship in 1931. Speedway racing typically took place on purpose-built tracks, although in Australia bikes shared larger speedways with Sprintcars , Speedcars (Midgets) and saloons, with tracks traditionally ranging from 1/3-mile showground tracks, such as
12508-531: Was a keen amateur sportsman from Edinburgh. He was a founding member of St Bernard's F.C. , and played as goalkeeper for Hanover F.C. , he was a cyclist, and an athlete. At a meeting held by Edinburgh Athletic Club in July 1872 he won the 880 yards handicap, finished third in the 150 yards and was also third in the hammer with a throw of 91 ft 2in (27.80m). He also won the 880 yards at the Piershill Garrison Sports in 1872. In July 1879, Lapsley took
12626-547: Was a multi-sports facility overlooking the Water of Leith on Beaverhall Road, in the Powderhall ( Broughton ) area of northern Edinburgh , Scotland. It opened in January 1870 at the height of professional pedestrianism and was modelled on the stadium at Stamford Bridge in London. It hosted professional sprint races, track and field athletics , including the Scottish Amateur Athletics Championships on
12744-532: Was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season the top four teams ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final and the winner of the final are the Elitserien champions. The team finishing bottom of the league are relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and before the introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 was the top flight speedway league in Sweden. As with
12862-577: Was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck. Motorcycle Speedway can be traced back to the early 1920s. One track that staged speedway, amongst others, was at the West Maitland Showground, whose first speedway meeting was staged on 15 December 1923. This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do
12980-479: Was grandfather to the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson . In 1742, Thomas Mylne, the Surveyor of the City of Edinburgh, built a house with gardens on eight acres of land near this powder-mill, just over one mile west of James Balfour's Pilrig House, which he named Powder Hall. This in turn lent its name to that part of the city, and when, in due course, some running grounds were built there they took their name, as
13098-546: Was just one of a number of professional sprint handicaps held at various distances at a number of different venues that year, and the first edition was just called the 160 yards handicap. It subsequently went by a number of names but mostly it was referred to as either the New Year Sprint Handicap or the Powderhall Sprint. The event was held at Powderhall every New Year (with minor exceptions for wars and such) for
13216-477: Was moved by the GRA to White City and his replacement was Jane Glass, the Scottish tracks first ever female trainer. Powderhall marked its 60th anniversary with a new £400,000 grandstand and in 1987 the track was handed the Scottish Greyhound Derby by the GRA (following problems at Shawfield ), the first time the event was run outside of Glasgow . After hosting the 1988 Scottish Derby the GRA sold
13334-465: Was repeated in June 1924 with similar success. Powderhall became the home ground of Leith Athletic from 1926 to 1928 and Edinburgh City from 1931 to 1934. It later became a venue for motorcycle speedway , with the Edinburgh Monarchs racing there from 1977 until 1995. When opened in 1927, the track had easy bends and long straights and over 10,000 attended the first meeting. The first race,
13452-730: Was staged at Cardiff White City on Boxing Day 1928. In the 1928–1929 season at the Melbourne Exhibition Speedway , Australian Colin Stewart won the prestigious Silver Gauntlet, which required the rider to win the feature race 10 times in one season. He won it 12 times. He also achieved success at an international level, racing for Southampton Saints in 1929 and captained Glasgow in the Northern League in 1930 before moving to Wembley Lions in 1931, for whom he rode in just four matches, averaging 4.00 points per match. He also raced in
13570-549: Was stopped in an emergency situation by removing the plug lead from the spark plug or shutting off the fuel supply. Races (known as heats) consist of four riders racing over four laps from a standing start . Riders wear different coloured helmets, traditionally in team events red and blue denote home team riders, and white (in British speedway, green has previously been used as an alternative to white, apparently for early interactive TV) and yellow/black quartered colours (latterly plain yellow) denote visiting riders. The starting area
13688-410: Was the custom, from their location, and thus they were called the Powderhall Grounds. In the summer of 1869 a syndicate was formed for the purpose of constructing an athletic grounds in Edinburgh to rival those in London. The syndicate consisted of W. M. Lightbody, and four members of the Bauchope family from Leith , led by Charles R. Bauchope, an amateur sprinter of some repute who claimed to have set
13806-403: 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
13924-442: Was very successful, so Newcastle Showground held the championship again in 1927. Very fitting that Newcastle Showground held the first National Speedway Championship anywhere in the world. In 1926 Johnnie Hoskins took his Speedway show to Sydney's Royal Showground. A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again. He and his riders decided to take
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