Ross Brady who was surprisingly left out of Monarchs 2001 team after failing to agree terms has gone on loan to Elite League club King's Lynn.
This is excellent news for Monarchs as Ross remains in Monarchs' long term plans and might prove a good move for his development. Had Ross gone on loan to a Premier League side, there was always the danger that he would return to Armadale and do some serious damage. He could also have dramatically improved his average and made it more difficult to return to Monarchs in 2002.
The new rule for riders moving up to the Elite League is that they are permitted to drop back into the Premier League on their 2000 average. So even if Ross averages five points in the Elite League for King's Lynn he will still be eligible to return to Monarchs next year on 5.15 rather than on a converted average of ten points! In the past riders moving up for one season have often been lumbered with ridiculous converted averages. For example Richard Juul, a six to seven point Premier League rider, had a half decent season with Wolves in the Elite League in 1999 and was stuck with an average of nine and a half points!
King's Lynn co-promoter Brian Griffin said:
"Išve had my eye on his progress ever since he started riding, and Išve always believed that he has the necessary ingredients to become a very good rider. Hešs young, aggressive and a very fine young talent indeed. Peter Oakes at Peterborough first spotted his potential and snapped up his signature and I was somewhat surprised when the new Panthers management sold him to Edinburgh last year for a reputed five figure fee."
"Itšs also a little surprising that he doesnšt figure in the Monarchs own plans for this year but these things happen when any team is trying to juggle resources within a points limitation and it opened the way for us to bring him to Lynn. Naturally we expect that hešll find life tough at first in the Elite League but hešs a born racer and, with the help wešll give him, I know hešll do the job expected on him."
Fellow co-promoter and Knight team manager Nigel Wagstaff echoed those thoughts saying:
"Itšs not just a question of signing him just because his average fits, for we believe hešs the right man for the job and we, as a club, intend to do everything we can to help him become an even better rider over the course of the coming season. Wešve arranged for former Lynn star and England international Richard Knight to 'take him under his wingš as it were, and Jason (Crump) has already said that he wants Ross next to him in the pits so he can help too."
I am sure that all Edinburgh supporters will wish Ross well in the coming season.
[This news item was amended on January 26th]