Edinburgh Monarchs will re-introduce Mitchell Davey to their team after an absence of almost four seasons, the 26-year-old Australian having last rode for the Armadale side full-time in August 2013.
Then, he badly broke his right femur at Sheffield, flying spectacularly over the fence. Many people thought that would be the end of Mitchell’s career but he has fought his way back.
Davey said: “It wasn’t till I had my final surgery that I thought I couldn’t leave it at that and had to give racing another crack.
“While I was helping Claus Vissing in the 2014 season, working around the bikes, I got the buzz for it again. In 2014 I had my final surgery. I could walk and run again and I felt optimistic then that I could get back on a bike.
“About half way through 2015 I did some second halves, rode an individual meeting at Redcar and went back to Aussie and did the State titles there. It went from there.
“In 2016 I did mainly National League but rode for Edinburgh at Scunthorpe, a meeting for Workington at Berwick and the KO Cup Final for Glasgow at Newcastle.
“It was nice to do well for Coventry plus guest bookings for Birmingham and Stoke and score a maximum and paid maximum. Best feeling in the world.”
A place had initially been reserved for Davey last season following the new rules governing the No 7 position but his registration was delayed and it didn’t happen.
He added: “If I’m honest it probably turned out for the best. There was less pressure riding in National League so I was able to test things and find what worked for me.”
Things are a bit uncertain for the rider at the moment as a temporary contract with the Royal Mail has just finished.

He also needs to find some sponsors and get some new and better equipment to produce some good results.”

Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.