Sean Stoddart is aware of the expectation hanging over Armadale as a new speedway season launches.

Edinburgh Scotwaste Monarchs swept all before them last year in the most successful year in the long history of the club – bagging five trophies including the Premier League and the Premier Trophy.
As the only Scot in the line-up this season, Stoddart knows just what it means to Monarchs’ fans to have a successful team.

He started as a fan at the team’s previous base at Powderhall and has since come through the ranks to ride in the blue and gold.

After two seasons at Newcastle Diamonds, he has returned to his roots in an attempt to steer Edinburgh to a successful defence of their title.

“It’s my hometown team, the one I’ve supported all my life so it’s great to be back,” he states, “It’s a track I know well so I’m hoping for big things.

“I was going to watch Edinburgh at Powderhall with my dad when I was still in nappies. I always wanted to be a speedway rider but didn’t know how to get involved.

“It was only when I saw a programme on television that showed you could hire bikes at Linlithgow that I got started and it went on from there.

“I was first on a bike at the age of 11 but didn’t start racing competitively until I was 16. I rode in the Conference League and then went on from there.

“When I first started watching the Monarchs, my heroes were firstly Les Collins and then, latterly, it was Peter Carr.”

Stoddart, after an outstanding first year at Newcastle, admits it did not quite go to plan last season.
“I had a bit of everything – machinery problems, crashes, etc. I had a lot of good meetings as well but, unfortunately, I wasn’t consistent enough.

“I was caught in two minds last season watching Monarchs’ success. It was difficult watching it as a Newcastle rider but, because I’m an Edinburgh supporter, I was pleased as well.

“I think everyone was surprised at how well they did. They had a good looking team but what they did was immense.

“But I think everyone can improve on what they did last season and, if we can all improve a point or two on our average, then we will win the league again.

“If everyone consistently improves then that’s the key to it. Last season, I probably dropped a point and a half on my average so at least I’d like to put that point-and-a-half back on and hopefully more.

“From a team point of view, we want to retain some, if not all, of the silverware and I think it’s do-able.”

Stoddart is working hard at improving with every day and he knows that he has to keep improving if he is to continue to earn a living from the sport.

“I run it as a business and wouldn’t like to say how much it costs. Easily, it has cost me £10,000 for each of the last two seasons,” he outlines.

“As you earn money, you are putting a lot of it back into the sport and it’s really a case of getting as much sponsorship as you can.

“Off the track, I like to do a bit of running to keep in shape. The best way to keep fit is actually riding the bike as you’re working all the muscles you need to and you’re keeping sharp.”

So who does Stoddart think will be Monarchs’ main rivals in 2009?

“Newcastle have a good looking side this year but they have a lot of riders coming back from injury so it can go two ways,” he concludes.

“They’ll either show that or they’ll do well. They have a lot of ability but every team is a contender and you can’t rule anyone out. A lot of it is down to how lucky you are and having the same seven riders every week and not picking up injuries.”

RM
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