Pirates to renew safety fence (From Bournemouth Echo)

Pirates to renew safety fence

7:00am Thursday 11th September 2008 in

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MATT Ford has revealed Pirates will be updating their air fence for 2009 after calling for them to be made mandatory throughout world speedway.

Poole's chief will purchase a new air barrier for next season with two Premier League clubs keen to purchase their current one.

Ford firmly backs demands from Pirates captain Bjarne Pedersen, team manager Neil Middleditch and Birmingham rider Kyle Legault for air fences to be installed around the globe.

Currently, they are only mandatory in the British Elite and in Poland.

Ford said: "We've had an air fence for five seasons at Poole and in my opinion it's the best innovation in the sport in all the time I've been involved as a supporter and promoter.

"Surely it's in everyone's interests to make rider safety a priority, and now British speedway must try and make sure Premier and Conference tracks are fitted with air fences sooner rather than later.

"The argument that it's a cost issue shouldn't come into it. You cannot put a price on a rider getting badly injured.

"I'm not suggesting air fences eradicate injuries altogether.

"Recently, Joonas Kylmakorpi had a nasty coming together with Chris Holder during our clash with Lakeside and there was nothing an air fence could have done.

"But in the main, I know I can sleep easy in the knowledge we have a cushion in place to try and help riders as much as possible."

Ford, who explained Poole had been reported by a referee for having a "dirty fence" this term, added: "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the air fence we have.

"But I think it's important to put a new air fence in place next season.

"I've been happy to try and move our current fence to a Premier track and I'm confident it'll be at a track that has never had an air barrier before.

"We should be making efforts to have them at every track.

"There should be a directive in place. Another injury to a rider hitting a solid fence is one too many.

"Speedway riders are highly skilled sportsmen who produce entertainment of the highest calibre and put their necks on the line to do it.

"The very least we can do as promoters is make sure we have put every precaution in place to help should anything go wrong."

Talking about Poole's fence being reported for being dirty, Ford said: "It's officialdom gone nuts.

"How can referees report clubs for having dirty air fences and the next night go to a track without an air fence and not report them?

"Ask any rider. What would you prefer, a fully working air fence or a newly painted solid wooden fence to race with? I know which one they'd all go for.

"Things like this just make the whole issue crazy. The debate should be to have everyone using them, not nit picking the clubs who have already got them."