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.
History Origins 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.
1930s The team joined Northern League for 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.
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 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. 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.
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. 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 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.
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.
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
1980s
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, the only other success during the decade was winning the pairs championship in 1986, with Doug Wyer and new signing Les Collins.
1990s
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 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 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.
2000s The Monarchs experienced a period of success, starting by winning 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.
2010s Edinburgh secured another Premier League title in 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 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 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.
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. However, the team continued to race at Armadale in 2023 and 2024.
Season summary (1st team)
Year and leaguePositionNotes 1930 Speedway Northern League 8th rode as the Thistles 1948 Speedway National League Division Two 9th 1949 Speedway National League Division Two 5th 1950 Speedway National League Division Two 8th 1951 Speedway National League Division Two 3rd 1952 Speedway National League Division Two 6th 1953 Speedway National League Division Two 5th 1954 Speedway National League Division Two N/A withdrew, results expunged 1960 Provincial Speedway League 8th 1961 Provincial Speedway League 6th 1962 Provincial Speedway League 5th 1963 Provincial Speedway League 8th 1964 Provincial Speedway League 5th 1965 British League season 17th 1966 British League season 12th 1967 British League season 4th 1968 British League season 8th rode as Coatbridge Monarchs 1969 British League season 11th rode as Coatbridge Monarchs 1977 National League season 15th 1978 National League season 15th 1979 National League season 17th 1980 National League season 5th 1981 National League season 4th Knockout Cup, fours 1982 National League season 14th 1983 National League season 9th 1984 National League season 16th 1985 National League season 19th 1986 National League season 9th pairs 1987 National League season 10th 1988 National League season 11th 1989 National League season 8th 1990 National League season 13th 1991 British League Division Two season 4th 1992 British League Division Two season 7th 1993 British League Division Two season 5th fours 1994 British League Division Two season 3rd 1995 Premier League speedway season 9th 1996 Premier League speedway season 12th rodes as the Scottish Monarchs 1997 Premier League speedway season 3rd Knockout Cup winners 1998 Premier League speedway season 9th 1999 Premier League speedway season 3rd Knockout Cup winners 2000 Premier League speedway season 6th 2001 Premier League speedway season 8th 2002 Premier League speedway season 9th 2003 Premier League speedway season 1st champions 2004 Premier League speedway season 12th 2005 Premier League speedway season 5th 2006 Premier League speedway season 12th 2007 Premier League speedway season 13th 2008 Premier League speedway season 1st 2009 Premier League speedway season 2nd PO winners 2010 Premier League speedway season 1st PO semi finals 2011 Premier League speedway season 11th 2012 Premier League speedway season 5th 2013 Premier League speedway season 4th fours 2014 Premier League speedway season 1st champions, Knockout Cup, League Cup, pairs 2015 Premier League speedway season 1st champions, League Cup, fours 2016 Premier League speedway season 4th SGB Championship 2017 3rd SGB Championship 2018 6th SGB Championship 2019 8th SGB Championship 2021 5th PO semi final SGB Championship 2022 5th PO semi final SGB Championship 2023 6th PO SGB Championship 2024 7th SGB Championship 2025 4th PO
Season summary (juniors)
Year and leaguePositionNotes 2003 Speedway Conference League N/A Armadale Devils, Cup semi final 2004 Speedway Conference League 4th Armadale Dale Devils 2005 Speedway Conference League 5th Armadale Dale Devils 2021 National Development League speedway season 6th Armadale Devils 2022 National Development League speedway season 8th Armadale Devils 2023 National Development League speedway season 5th Monarchs Academy 2024 National Development League speedway season 4th Monarchs Academy 2025 2nd Monarchs Academy
Previous riders by season
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
(C)
Notable riders
Dick Campbell Michael Coles Les Collins Craig Cook Robert Eriksson Ryan Fisher Bert Harkins George Hunter Scott Lamb Bill Landels Sam Masters William Lawson Kenny McKinna Bernt Persson Josh Pickering Brett Saunders Frede Schött Doug Templeton Willie Templeton Dave Trownson Chris Turner Matthew Wethers Kevin Wölbert Jack Young
Team honours Premier League Champions: 2003, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015 Premier Trophy Winners: 2008, 2014, 2015 Premier League Knockout Cup Winners: 1997, 1999, 2014 Premier League Four-Team Championship Winners: 1981,1993, 2013, 2015 Premier League Pairs Championship Winners: 2014 National League Knockout Cup Winners: 1981 National League Pairs Winners: 1986