Monarchs elimination from the Yooung Shield means that the fixtures for the remainder of the season can be finalized.
There will be no senior meeting next Friday on October 15th because of the second leg of the Cup Final one day later and 400 miles away. Instead there will be the Armadale Junior Championship featuring youngsters from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and also from England.
This will be preceded by the 'Dale Devils opening home fixture Youth Development League against Ashfield Giants! The Devils raced their first meeting last Sunday at Ashfield when they beat the Giants by 19 points to 17. This somewhat surreal turn of events is compounded by the fact that Armadale need only a win or a draw to win the Northern Section of the Youth Development League. It is reputed that, prior to the Ashfield-Armadale encounter last week, the only fixture held in the Northern Section was when Newcastle raced against Hull.
The big one is due on Saturday 16th October at Purfleet with the second leg of the Premier League Cup Final against Arena Essex. Monarchs defend an 18 point lead from the first leg. If Arena win on aggregate, they will have to set a National League/Second Division/Premier League record. The biggest first leg deficit overcome since the Cup was established in 1968 is 16 points. Birmingham wiped out a 16 point margin against Eastbourne in 1974 and Eastbourne did the same a year later against Workington. Indeed only once in the last ten years has any first leg deficit been overcome. That was in 1994 when Monarchs had a 4 point lead over Glasgow but lost on aggregate by 10 points.
The second leg of the Scottish Cup is scheduled for Friday 22nd October. Monarchs will defend a one point lead from the first leg at Ashfield. This will almost certainly be the final match of 1999. It will hopefully give the team a chance to parade with both the Scottish Cup and the Premier League Cup.
The next fixture at Armadale after that will be the Spring Trophy against probably Workington, Glasgow or Berwick. This will be likely to take place towards the end of March.