PIRATES chief Matt Ford revealed his regret at Nicolai Klindt's curtailed season with Pirates – and promised the club would compensate the popular Dane.

Klindt was replaced by Timo Lahti last week after failing to recover sufficiently from a serious knee injury sustained in Latvia at the beginning of June.

It was a cruel way for the 28-year-old's Wimborne Road spell to come to an end after he played a key role in a string of early-season victories.

However, having signed Klindt on a full transfer from Wolverhampton at the end of May, Ford expects the former Leicester man to once again represent Pirates.

Speaking ahead of tonight's trip to Wolves (7.30pm), Ford told the Daily Echo: "Following lengthy discussions with Nic, both parties agreed he would stand down from the team.

"In all honesty, I had realised we could not really carry on as we were with Nic carrying an injury. When I phoned him, I didn't really need to explain the situation.

"From my and the club's perspective, I have to say he is a quite wonderful person to work with. There is absolutely no falling out here – both parties were in a predicament.

"We purchased Nic from Wolverhampton and that wasn't as a one-season wonder. I have every intention, should it be possible, of using Nic again.

"Hopefully, now he can get himself fit and ready for next season.

"In my opinion, he did an outstanding job for the Pirates up until his injury. He was third in our averages behind Brady Kurtz and Hans Andersen and was a match-winner for us on many occasions.

"It's so sad that Nic has had a career blighted with injuries, otherwise I feel he would have been pushing for the very top of the sport.

"Let's hope he can bounce back from this and become a Pirate again."

Klindt is due to attend both tonight's meeting and Wednesday's home fixture against Swindon – but only as an interested observer.

And Ford revealed the Wolverhampton-based racer would receive financial help from the club should he require it.

Ford said: "When a rider has his season cut short like this, I'm more than happy that we as a club try to do something to help him and so in the next week or two, that will happen.

"Nic is in the process of buying a new house and if he is not going to be riding until March or April, he will need some assistance.

"I think it would be nice if the club made a donation and, hopefully, the fans will follow suit."

Previewing tonight's clash, Ford added: "We're going to Monmore hoping to pinch something.

"The truth is, I'd have taken four points from the two King's Lynn meetings and the Wolves away fixture, so now we have a chance of nicking more than I was hoping."