Monarchs have qualified once more for the Premier League Fours finals. They will be joined at Peterborough by Newcastle Diamonds and six other teams. There will be two eight-heat Semi-Finals and one twelve-heat Final between the top two from each Semi-Final.
This is the fourth time out of the last five years that Monarchs have headed the Northern Group. In the old Premier League (First Division) competition in 1995, Monarchs beat Hull after a ride-off between Mike Faria and Paul Thorp with the scores level. Edinburgh qualified with Hull while Glasgow and Middlesbrough failed to qualify.
Monarchs failed to qualify in 1996 after finding Bradford and Hull too strong. Sheffield and Middlesbrough also failed to qualify.
In the new Premier League (Second Division) competition in 1997, Monarchs qualified along with Berwick ahead of Glasgow and Newcastle. Edinburgh won all four rounds at Armadale, Shawfield, Shielfield, and Brough Park. This year, only four Premier League teams qualified and Long Eaton won after a thirteen heat final at Peterborough with Monarchs second.
In 1998 Monarchs won three of the four rounds, missing out at Glasgow but qualified alongside Newcastle. The finals were back to a eight-team affair and Monarchs came second in their eight-heat Semi-Final and finished joint second with Hull behind Peterborough in the twelve-heat Final.
This year, two teams qualify from each of the three regional groups along with the two third placed teams with most points.
Further information on the Premier League Four Team Tournament
Edinburgh and Newcastle have qualified from the Northern Group which has been completed. Glasgow with 99 points look very strongly placed to take one of the wild card places.
Sheffield and Swindon seem well placed to qualify from the Central Group with two rounds at Workington and Stoke to come. Stoke are twelve points behind Swindon and with a home leg to come cannot be written off although Workington seem too far behind to recover.
The Southern Group has rounds at Newport and Reading still to come. As things stand Newport look clear favourites to top the group with Arena most likely to accompany them. Exeter, Isle of Wight and Reading seem destined to fight it out for the third place in the group and a crack at qualification. The fact that Reading and Exeter are depleted through injury makes it difficult for them to get the results needed.
Results and League Table for Four Team Tournament
Prediction for the qualifiers:
Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield, Swindon, Newport, and Arena Essex to be joined by Glasgow and Stoke or the Isle of Wight.