DEREK IN FOR HUNGARIANS

NEWS Saturday 16th February 2008, 8:17am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Derek Sneddon has joined the squad of the Hungarian team Miskolc in the Polish League.

This has to be one of the more unexpected moves of the 2008 season, and it even came as rather a surprise to the rider himself.

?The deal's all done and dusted though they haven't given me a list of fixtures they want me to do.

?I now have to get ?start permission' from the BSPA. I had to get a medical done which is now away, and I will expect the fixtures shortly.

?I don't even know if they want me to ride home or away matches, and I don't know even who my team mates will be! I've been looking on their website but a lot of it is hard to understand.?

Last year Miskolc listed Mario Jirout, Joachim Kugelmann, Manu Hauzinger, Stefan Ekberg and Claus Vissing in their squad plus numerous Hungarians, including the new Berwick Bandit Norbert Magosi.

?It all started with an email from the club to John Campbell, and even he wasn't sure if it was a wind-up! But we agreed to play it by ear and it was apparent by the start of January that they were keen.

?Alan at Buildbase who runs my website has been emailing them to make the arrangements.

?The Hungarian club will provide a bike and a van, and fly me over. I want to go over maybe a week in advance to have a look at the place and the equipment I will be riding.

?I would imagine it will be fast racing over there. I spoke to Rory Schlein about it ? I believe he won an Under-21 round there. He says it is a big track but a good one.

?I think it will help me a lot ? what it is mainly about for me is going over and getting experience of some of the bigger tracks, which should benefit me in UK racing.

?They have told me that the number of fixtures I ride in will depend on how much sponsorship they can raise to fly me there and also of course how I am riding.?

Meanwhile Derek has also been planning his second season as Scotwaste Monarchs' captain.

?All my machinery is ordered, the bikes are sitting in Durham for me to pick up and I am waiting on the suit getting finished, then I will go down and pick it all up.

?I've been on the phone to Matthew Wethers, William Lawson's dad has been on the phone a few times and I've seen Andrew Tully a few times over the winter.

?Andrew's had a skid at Scunthorpe, then had to go in for another wee operation. He says he is perfectly fit and I will probably go down to Scunthorpe with him next time to have a skid myself.

?With Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers based locally as well, we will all be within a few miles of each other which I think is a good thing. We're all looking forward to getting the season going.?