MIDDLO: 2015 PIRATES HAVE THE ABILITY

The 2015 Poole Readypower Pirates have the ability to bring the club it's third consecutive Elite league title, according to Poole team manager Neil Middleditch.

Middlo told the gathering of media representatives, sponsors and season ticket holders that "it never ceases to amaze me that Matt (Ford) always assembles a highly competitive team each season, and this is year is no different. If you look down through the team all you can see is riders who are capable of riding above their average and that is so often a key ingredient of a successful season. I have said on the last two occasions that we can go and win the title, and we delivered both times, and I see no reason why we shouldn't do something that has not been done since the 70's, I seem to recall, and win three in a row."

Middleditch's optimism was largely shared amongst all members of the team who were on parade. Elite Fast Track rider Paul Starke being abesent from the Press & Practice day as it clashed with the same event of his parent club Somerset.

MC for the day Nigel Leahy explained that Starke had sent his apologies and wished he had been able to attend his first Pirates' Press Day and was looking forward to taking his place in the Poole side in just 7 days time when the Pirates face King's Lynn in the Elite Shield.

Poole owner Matt Ford informed the gathering of the reasons behind his decision to withdraw Poole from the World Speedway League, a competition in which a Pirates quintet finished runners-up in last season and that he had hoped to bring to Wimborne Road. "Whilst I don't generally look at the Internet I did some research on what prices people were willing to pay to see speedway. I had hoped to stage the WSL event but to do so, just to break even I would have needed to charge around £30 per ticket and the feeling I got from reading through some debates about ticket prices suggested to me that such a level would be unattractive. There was no way I was going to jeopardise the club's financial standing by risking a very heavy loss in April and face the prospect of going back to sponsors to ask for further investment."

"Furthermore, because the other leagues use squad systems and we don't I didn't feel we had a fair chance of holding our own against the other sides  – Gorzow, Vetlanda and Holsted. 

"The guys that came first, second and third in last year’s Grand Prix at Gorzow – Bartosz Zmarzlik, Matej Zagar and Krzysztof Kasprzak – all ride for Gorzow, along with Niels-Kristian Iversen and Linus Sundstrom. That equates to something like a 45 point average compared to our 34.

On a positive note Ford did declare that the club will continue to operate with Julia's House as their officially recognished charity for a second year running and was hoping to be able to involve sponsors and supporters in raising money for the locally based children's hospice. Fund organiser Ian Wadley thanked the club for the support explaining that they only receive 6% government funding  and the £12,500 raised by the speedway club last season was their third highest community donation. Wadley added "I am delighted that we are able to extend our relationship and I am also pleased that Mr Dorset, Kyle Newman has agreed to wear our logo on his kevlars.

 As well as Middlo's enthusiasm for a third title, Ford also agreed he was "hoping to prove the bookmakers right as they have installed us as favourites I believe. That might be added pressure but bring it on,", whilst there was unanimous support for Ford's decision to re-instate Maciej Janowski as club captain.

Returning rider Dave Watt claimed "It's a great choice by Matt. I have been captain here before and I enjoyed it immensely, but seeing how well Maciej grew in the role last year certainly makes it a good call to keep him doing the role. Living locally I was blessed with seeing a lot of the Pirates last season and I felt that he and Kyle (Newman) all but won the title for the Pirates in the end."

"I am really looking forward to being back at my local club again, It was the first track I ever rode in Britain and it is very much home to me. It is the sort of track that you have to ride aggressively and that gives you a good mindset all the time for other tracks. Some places are more technical, like with Lakeside, and at times you get used to riding that week in week out and you aren't quite set-up for the away tracks."

Janowski though believed that the team "doesn't need a captain, We are all captains, we all know what we need to do and we can all be good enough to go out there and do it. It was a long wait for me this winter before I was confirmed but I understood the situation Matt was in, I am a good friend of Darcy and he has had a lot to deal with these last few months  and I didnt want to add to Darcy's problems but I am really happy to be back at Poole".

The jocular Pole added "The only problem I have being captain is that I will be the last one to set off on a practice lap each meeting as you have to do the toss of the coin."