The first record I can find of Alex’s first race at Old Meadowbank is on April 4, 1964, when the eighteen year old won the Discovery Race in 71.0 from Joe Hicks, Eric Hanlin and Bill Stovin. It was some weeks before another such race was run but somewhat incongruously he got an outing in the Grand Slam heat for the top four of each team, replacing Wayne Briggs on the night Long Eaton were the visitors in late May. He also rode in an “Extra Race” finishing behind Cameron and Cox but ahead of Stone and Black.

With the Monarchs injury list mounting – they were missing Alf Wells, Wayne Briggs and Bill Landels- he got his chance in the home meeting against Cradley in late August, scoring 1+1. He featured in six meetings that season with his highlight being 3+2 in the Provincial League meeting against Glasgow.

While he rode for Fife Lions in their opening meeting at Cowdenbeath, he didn’t feature in many second half races and seems to have faded from the scene and didn’t reappear until 1967, when he once again appeared in a Discovery Race, finishing behind Brian Black but ahead of Forbes McKenzie and Tony Hall.

He had a chance of a team place when Hoskins staged a Vultures Race for the number eight spot ahead of the meeting against Coventry in early June. Alex fell and was excluded, and Jimmy Tannock won the rerun from Brian Black and Tony Hall, though wasn’t given a ride in the meeting.

Brian Black, Jimmy Tannock and Brian Collins were all given a team outing when the Monarchs were one short, but Alex made the most of his chance when given the nod for the meeting against Cradley on September 15, scoring an unbeaten  4+2 from two rides. This gave him a CMA of 12.00 and a place at the top of Seery’s Statistics in the Speedway Star. However this lofty position didn’t last long when scoring 2+1 from four starts while riding at number four in the next home meeting against Long Eaton. Incidentally Brian Black was reserve for this meeting and scored 6 from two starts, which emulated Alex’s score, but, having ridden at Belle Vue in July, it didn’t mean a 12.00 average .Alex retained his spot in the team but didn’t ride in the double header at Exeter and Newport that concluded Monarchs league. season.

With the Monarchs losing Oyvind Berg to Glasgow and Bill Landels who had emigrated to Australia, both Alex and Brian Collins were called into the team which had moved to Coatbridge for 1968 after the Monarchs lost their Old Meadowbank home which was being redeveloped for the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Both grabbed their chance and became virtually ever presents during Monarchs two year stay at Cliftonhill.

He had a promising first season, scoring over 100 points and  averaging just under 4.00., with his high points being scores of seven against Wimbledon and King's Lynn. His score of 6+1 against Belle Vue was marred by a nasty crash  in which he sustained as broken wrist which kept him out for a few weeks and took even longer to get back in the scoring groove. Alex recalls "Brian and I were riding very close and set up for a 5-1 when Brian fell and his bike spun right in front of me and launched me over the fence at the third bend. I was knocked out and winded and stretchered off. Managed to persuade the doc in the dressing room that I was OK for the rerun. My bike was wrecked but Geordie lent me his and I won the rerun (from behind!). Then got a second and I think I'm correct in saying another win. Not so sure about that one though! Next morning down to see Carlo Biaggi to set my wrist in plaster."

While he improved marginally in 1969, he felt his progress had been impaired by the battering his bike took early in the season at Wimbledon when it was used in nearly every heat being borrowed by most of his team mates who had bike troubles that night. 

Some solid home scores earned him a Scotland cap against Australia at Coatbridge though not called upon to ride that night.  Al Brady got a place in the team when Doug Templeton retired briefly. However when he came back it was in place of Alex, though Alex was back in the team for the final meeting of the season and as it turned out the Monarchs last ever BL meeting as their licence was sold to Wembley the following year. This was also Alex's last ever meeting .