POOLE promoter Matt Ford has slammed Darcy Ward’s Polish club for tracking the rider in Ekstraliga meetings while he is still struggling with injury.

Ward sustained ruptured knee ligaments in the New Zealand Grand Prix just over five weeks ago and has not ridden for Pirates since, with the Aussie facing an operation to correct the damage.

However, alongside competing in the second round of the Grand Prix in Bydgoszcz on April 26, Ward has also featured twice for Torun on the continent.

Torun’s conduct has angered Ford who believes the Marian Rose Motoarena club have hindered the 22-year-old’s ability to recover and the Wimborne Road chief has promised he will take a more patient approach.

Ford told the Daily Echo: “The fact is that Darcy has been forced to ride in Poland and an enormous amount of pressure has been put on his shoulders, which as a club we believe to be totally ridiculous.

“The contracts in Poland are so huge that money clearly talks, but no such pressure will be put on Darcy here. He will come back into the team as and when he is ready to do so.

“It is a very bad injury and in any normal circumstances in life, someone would have an operation straight away and then recuperate. But speedway’s a little different and you only earn if you are riding.

“We have to give Darcy time to decide exactly how much of world speedway he can do – Britain, Poland, Sweden and the Grand Prix – and I’m sure that something will have to give.”

The 2012 world championship winner, Chris Holder, was brought in to replace Ward but he looks set to depart following Wednesday’s meeting against Lakeside. Holder is just eight points short of the 2,500 mark in Pirates kevlars.