PROMOTER Matt Ford insists it is too early to suggest Poole Pirates will steamroller the Elite League but has “no sympathy” for those lagging behind.

British speedway’s image has already suffered in 2016 with the debacle of Belle Vue’s failed stadium opening hitting the headlines and Leicester’s inability to shake off their whipping boys tag.

The Lions look likely to be marooned having lost all three meetings to date, including home and away defeats by more than 20 points against Lakeside, tonight’s visitors to Wimborne Road (7.30).

Pirates have endured no such problems, living up to pre-season predictions of a fourth straight championship by blitzing fancied opponents Coventry over two legs in the Elite Shield and pummelling Swindon 61-31.

But the Wimborne Road chief argued thoughts of a Poole procession were premature and vowed to keep his focus on matters in Dorset rather than worrying about a perceived lack of competition.

Ford told the Daily Echo: “Everyone has the same opportunity when picking a team. No one club has a divine right to win and we all abide by the same rules.

“The personnel chosen by some tracks is their own choice. I certainly have no sympathy for some clubs, they have made rods for their own backs at times.

“Now, some riders do not want to go to certain places. Much of that has been given air time on social media, I have been told many things but that is for the respective promotions to try to sort out.

“All we have to do is run our club the way we see fit. I believe it to be run well, which is why we never have a problem bringing in new talent.

“Perhaps that is our biggest advantage. We always focus on getting things right off the track before dealing with what happens on it and success in one area tends to breed it in the other.

“We get on with our job. What other clubs do is their business.”

And Ford was quick to dismiss the notion Pirates’ dominance will not be challenged.

“Clearly, Wolverhampton’s win at Coventry shows there are many other teams that will have strength,” he added.

“Wolves are one of them. I said at the start of the season I thought they would do well and in Freddie Lindgren, they have someone on an incredibly low average.

“Everyone talks about Belle Vue and Swindon and both will be up there in my opinion.”

Pirates and Hammers are set to track their full one-to-seven with the visitors buoyed by three wins from four outings since the winter addition of Kelvin Tatum to the management team.

Lakeside’s number one Andreas Jonsson and Richard Lawson arrive fresh from paid maximums at Leicester, a feat managed by Chris Holder and Adam Ellis for Pirates against Swindon 12 days ago.

Pirates: (from) Hans Andersen, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Chris Holder, Brady Kurtz, Davey Watt, Adam Ellis, Kyle Newman. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Lakeside: (from) Lewis Bridger, Andreas Jonsson, Richard Lawson, Kim Nilsson, Piotr Swiderski, Lewis Kerr, Robert Mear. Team manager: Kelvin Tatum.