PAST AND PRESENT CLASH ON GOOD FRIDAY

The arrival of March is a key reminder that the wait for the speedway season is nearly over. For Poole fans, it is simply a question of extending that longing by just three more days, as the Pirates shape up to launch their 2026 campaign on April 3rd with the visit of the Plymouth Gladiators on Good Friday.

Rivalries against their West Country cousins are always keenly contested affairs, but with the Devon club featuring four former Pirates this season, their arrival will be anticipated more than ever.

Scott Nicholls (1999/2000), Danny King (2021/2022), Tobias Thomsen (2024/2025) and Joe Thompson (2023) have collectively scored over 1,900 points in Pirates colours. In contrast, the four returning Pirates for Poole this year — Richard Lawson, Zach Cook, Lewis Kerr and William Cairns — boast a combined contribution of more than 3,300 points.

Lawson, preparing for his fifth consecutive season with Poole, has made no secret of his ambition to overhaul the current tenth‑placed highest‑scoring Pirate, Neil Middleditch, in the all‑time rankings. Averaging a seasonal return of 415 points, the Rocketman is likely to require at least two more campaigns to achieve that goal, as he currently trails the Pirates’ team manager by 718.5 points. It is, however, realistic to expect Lawson to displace both Odd Fossengen and Kevin Smith based on his scoring rate since joining the club.

Thirty‑first‑placed Zach Cook (1,212 points) has an opportunity to break through the 1,500‑point barrier, which would elevate him into the top twenty‑five Pirates of all time based on his average annual returns.

It would also come as no surprise if Lewis Kerr were to almost double his current total of 308 points. Doing so would see him climb from 116th to around the top seventy‑five in the rankings, while William Cairns has the potential to push his way into the top one hundred and thirty Pirates.