PIRATES READY TO DEFEND

Defending league champions Poole are all geared up to try and retain the league title that they won in dramatic fashion in 2013.

At today's Press Day Poole boss Matt Ford admitted "Defending titles is always much harder. Last year's success meant a lot, in the manner that we came back to win it and to be honest I thought it would be nice if all things stopped there."

"But, now I'm ready again for the team to go out and do their bit to see if we can't retain that title of champions. It is going to be very tough, but I know the lads are really determined to give there all.

Ford told a gathering of over 100 members of the press, sponsors and invited guests, that his team for 2014 came together quite easily "There was perhaps just one other route I might have gone down but once I learnt fairly early on that would be a no-goer I had no doubt in going this way and the team speaks largely for itself, with many familiar faces. 

"It's a very young side but they all are keen to show what they can do and I am really keen now for the season to get underway."

Ford hinted that the door was not closed on a possible sortee into Europe this year, admitting "There is nothing concrete I can say on this at the moment but our Association chairman, Alex Harkess is in detailed talks to make a European champions event happen. At one stage we had hoped that it might even be held here in Poole but that, I can confirm, won't be the case. As soon as there is more to say on this then we will make details known."

Maciej Janowksi had the crowd laughing when he asked "Who is Darcy?" when responding to presenter Nigel Leahy's question as to how good it felt to be back in a team with familar faces, such as Darcy and Josh (Grajczonek). "Magic" showed his true colours as the team joker by first telling Leahy that he had forgotten how to speak English after "being away for a while" and then said that whilst lodging with Matt Ford was good most of the time, when he had a bad meeting "it wasn't so much fun, I would just go to my room and shut the door before he could tell me off!".

Przemyslaw Pawlicki was optimisitic that 2014 would be a better season for him after his truncated season with the Pirates last year due to a leg injury, which he has now had 'repaired' whilst new boy Vaclav Milik admitted "I am very happy to be in the Poole".

Poole commence their season next Wednesday with a challenge fixture against Lakeside, although several of the Poole team will be in action on Friday night for the Gary Havelock Farewell Meeting, being held at the stadium (7.30pm)