Edinburgh face Glasgow in the Scottish Cup at Armadale tonight. Or so we thought!
The team lining up in Tigers' racejackets will not be immediately recognized as a Glasgow team. Emiliano Sanchez is back in Germany, Paul Bentley is unavailable and Will Beveridge has terminal mechanical problems. Under the normal rules, Glasgow should be entitled to use a nine-point guest for Bentley and a six point guest for Beveridge. They would have to use rider replacement for Sanchez with extra rides for Les Collins and all bar their nine-point guest.
Because the Scottish Cup counts as a challenge match, there is some flexibility in the rules at the discretion of the promoters. Edinburgh are able to use David McAllan in place of Brian Turner despite having an average that is 0.15 points too high!
Glasgow have named a team containing three of their own riders with two guests (one nine-point and one six-point rider) and one Conference League rider. The guests are all noted Armadale specialists unlike the riders they replace.
The full line-up is:
1. Les Collins (9.22)
2. Paul Gould (6.22)
3. David Walsh (8.91)
4. Sean Courtney (4.46)
5. Rider replacement
6. Dean Felton (4.27)
7. Aiden Collins (3.00)
Edinburgh are without Peter Carr who is back in hospital today and Paul Thorp of Stoke will guest.
Still that should enable Glasgow to make a fight of the Scottish Cup!