Speedway: Harkess happy to take a chance in signing Tabaka

Published on Tuesday 15 December 2009 08:37

EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs chief Alex Harkess today said he hopes the club's first-ever Hungarian signing, Jozsef Tabaka, will turn out to be a top-class rider in the Premier League next season.

The 20-year-old Hungarian world under-21 champion has never competed in the UK before but Harkess revealed the youngster's credentials will bear up to any scrutiny.

"Because Jozsef is a newcomer there is an element of him being a gamble," said Harkess, "but despite his age he has been around a bit and has scored a few points. I had made a few inquiries about him and was told he has first-class equipment and is very professional."

Harkess added: "He will take time to settle in but he'll have our practice session and the Scottish Open next March to get him bedded in, and we'll certainly give him every opportunity to prove himself.

"And the Premier Trophy campaign which precedes the league programme will also give him the chance to ride at some of the away tracks in the league, and hopefully he will come up trumps."

Tabaka's arrival has signalled the departure of popular Polish star Michal Rajkowski who was still in the running to return to Armadale and certainly many Monarchs supporters wanted him back for the 2010 campaign.

However, Harkess explained: "Michal has been offered a contract to ride in Poland next season and couldn't quite understand if he did that he couldn't ride in the UK as well, the rules don't allow this.

"Any Polish riders who want to ride in the UK must take out an ACU licence and while Michal was also considering this option, didn't realise that he then wouldn't have been able to compete in Poland.

"Also Michal isn't our rider and is owned by another club so we decided to sign Jozsef instead.

"It's not as if we thought Michal was a must for next year's team. He had good matches for us last season, but also some bad ones.

"Overall I'm happy with the balance of the side, five of whom were pretty much cast in stone."

It's no secret that Monarchs wanted former No.1 William Lawson to rejoin them but the Perth ace joined Elite League Belle Vue Aces at the weekend and Harkess said: "It has always been William's ambition to ride in the top league and we have to respect that. I would have thought a doubling-up arrangement would have been better, but he didn't want that and we wish him well.

"He is still our rider and has signed with Belle Vue on a loan deal only."

Lawson was frozen out of the Monarchs team last season and joined fellow Premier League side Berwick Bandits, who then axed him after a run of poor scores. Lawson finished the season with Glasgow Tigers.

Monarchs 2010 line-up: Ryan Fisher, Kevin Wolbert, Andrew Tully, Matthew Wethers, Jozsef Tabaka, Kalle Katajisto, Max Dilger.