Speedway: Matt Ford to put radical overhaul ideas to Poole Pirates fans

In an in-depth Daily Echo exclusive, the Wimborne Road chief revealed his desire to add 10 or more fixtures per year by implementing a squad system and restoring cup competitions.

Pirates have been kicking their heels since June 1 with just 14 league fixtures to fit into a six-month calendar and Ford believes running consistently on a fixed race night would boost attendances across the country.

He argues the dearth of clubs prepared to step up to Britain’s top flight is due to a lack of meetings and that a shortage of riders can be managed.

Pirates supporters will be asked to take part in a survey later in the campaign and should he gain their backing, Ford has vowed to pitch his revolutionary vision to speedway chiefs.

Ford told the Daily Echo: “When I first came into the sport, certainly for the first 10 years, we would be riding every Wednesday. Now, we are going through four weeks without any racing.

“In my view, there is not enough speedway at the top level and people are out of the habit of coming.

“While our crowd levels hold up well, there have been the occasions where they have dropped considerably. Wednesday night used to be speedway night but now, dependent on various things, it could be a Monday or a Friday.

“I feel people would like to see more continuity and for us to go from 15 home matches a year to 22, possibly 25 with success.

“Of course, there would be the implication of admission costs but when I look back, the numbers were always consistent when we had that volume before.

“Things do fluctuate with the weather, televised meetings and the fact we have not started quite as well as we would have liked.

“The loss of Darcy Ward and Maciej Janowski is a factor but I think any reluctance (to attend) is more about a lack of continuity than a lack of top stars.

“Personally, I believe it would be a good system but I want to know what the paying public think about the key questions.

“Do they think a squad system would help? Do they want to see 10 riders? Do they think it would be better to have more meetings? Would it be affordable? Would they support cup competitions?

“I believe we can sort any problems with the riders, I just need to know whether the public would pick and choose when they come.”

The move would see the fixture calendar look more like that of the British second flight but Ford was adamant the notion of stepping down had not crossed his mind.

“Whatever the top level of racing is in the UK, I want us to be a part of it,” he added.

“Premier League speedway would not be the right move for us. We need to run at the top level, the town and the fanbase warrants that.”

FORD ON THE OTHER KEY PEOPLE

On what fans of other clubs will think: “All of us have our ways of trying to assess situations locally, this is my way and others will look at it differently. My biggest concern for now is what Poole fans think.

“When we look at the bigger picture, I’ll be very interested in what the rest of speedway thinks but I need to know whether Poole fans agree with me and whether they can find the extra funds to support more meetings.

“If so, I can put across the case to my fellow promoters, that this is how our club feels.

"Perhaps they will look to gather their own information and see where we go from there but I do believe speedway fans will generally think in the same way.”

On the riders: “There is a big gap in the number of meetings riders with different commitments want to take on.

“For some Grand Prix riders, Britain is too much. For the top names already here and outside the GPs, the schedule does not give them enough racing.

“We have a real opportunity because some riders in other countries are receiving an awful lot of promises that don’t always get delivered.

“The top clubs in Poland are honourable but there is a lot about there contracts over there that is different to our deals.

“The monetary levels are far lower here but I do believe when you agree a contract in Britain, it gets upheld.

“Below the top flight in Poland, riders sign contracts and then two months into the season get asked to take 50 per cent of their money. They know they will not get picked if they say no and that is just wrong.

“That has happened to riders currently in our team and if they had more fixtures here, they would be willing to give up other domestic leagues.

“While that may mean a certain amount of hardship for British speedway in the short term, we could regain some power by asking riders to choose a maximum of one other league.

“We would have them here as part of an eight-to-10-man squad. Some riders would do every meeting, some would be happy to just do 25 or 30 matches and others would do 10 but the team could take part in 50.

“I know there are riders who would quit Poland if I could offer them that many meetings because they do not get the 14 lucrative matches they signed up for over there. They might get seven with their money cut back.

“We could be in a really strong bargaining position but I believe taking on fewer fixtures makes our lives very difficult now.

“It wouldn’t worry me if Tai Woffinden was contracted to do 10 matches for Wolverhampton and he did them all at home. I would still be happy to see him riding in Britain.

“I can’t see it being detrimental. I know other promoters who don’t agree but I don’t get that, I just want to have as many top stars here for as many fixtures as they choose to ride.

“My thoughts are very open and I am interested to know what others think but from my point of view, I think we should throw open the doors to riders en masse. I do not think it should be stipulated they must do a fixed number of meetings.

“I have always felt fans should follow the club and not a rider but I acknowledge we need to assess that side of it.

"If we brought in Maciej Janowski for 10 matches a year, would it affect the other 30 or 40 meetings?

“Would they prefer to have a slightly lower standard and more continuity? I still feel certain we will make stars just as we always have done.”

On his fellow speedway bosses: “I have not discussed this with the other promoters at large. It would be down to us to negotiate with each other once I have gained the views of our supporters.

"If it was something I felt the Poole fans wanted, I would take those thoughts forward to the BSPA.”

On Premier League clubs stepping up: “It would require more teams. There are certainly two or three clubs in the Premier League with the same ambition.

“Glasgow is the example with an incredibly attractive venue and promoters who wish to run at the highest level. I have no doubt they have thoughts of stepping up in the future.

“There are clubs closer to home that would like this format, to be able to keep the continuity they already have and to step up.

“There will be clubs that do not want more but there are some with grander ideas who don’t want to sign up to so few fixtures.

“I look back at years where we had more than 25 fixtures and now we have just 14 in the Elite League. We all need more.”