THE widow of former Pirates rider Gordon Guasco has expressed her delight that he may be remembered in the club's inspirational Blue Brick Road'.

Elaine McDuff, formerly Elaine Guasco, used to live in Poole with her husband, the Australian international rider, before he died following a tragic racing accident at Liverpool, New South Wales, in 1970.

Gordon suffered severe head injuries after being struck from behind by another rider. He had laid his own bike down to avoid a fallen rider in front of him.

For eight days, he lay unconscious in hospital before passing away, leaving behind Elaine and their two-year-old daughter Joely-Ann, who lived in Sydney at the time and are still based Down Under.

Now Gordon, a key member of Pirates' 1969 British League title-winning team, may be included in the club's Blue Brick Road' at Poole Stadium, a project aimed at remembering all their riders from 1948 to the present day.

Elaine read about his ex-Poole team-mate Pete Smith's wish that Guasco would be included in the Blue Brick Road' on the Echo's website.

Then, in an email to long-standing Pirates fan Bob Cole, she wrote: "I'm so pleased that Gordon could be remembered in this way by the people at Poole speedway.

"His mother, who is 87 this year, will also be thrilled when we tell her that the speedway world still thinks about him.

"She said to me only the other day how nice it was to hear that people still talk to her about how nice a chap Gordon was."

Elaine, who has since remarried, went on to tell Bob: "Gee I love your Aussie team at Poole this year (they have four Australians in the side)."

And she added: "I hope they do you proud, particularly as Jason Doyle met up with my nephew last year.

"Wish them all the best for the 2007 season and say hi to Pete Smith and his wife Pat, Odd Fossengen, Mike Cake, Ted Laessing and Bruce Cribb.

"Please let Poole's management and supporters know how happy we are they are doing this in Gordon's memory and I would like to thank the people responsible personally.

"I only wish I could get over to England to see the Blue Brick Road' when it is officially opened."

Despite her loss, Elaine is still in regular touch with speedway and earlier this month attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of six-times world champion Ivan Mauger and his wife Raye at Hope Island Resort.

Gordon, who died on November 16, 1970 aged only 29, scored 533 points, including bonuses, in 73 league and cup appearances for Poole.

His 7.08 average in 1969 helped Pirates' team without stars' to the club's first ever Division One title, six points clear of Belle Vue.

Gordon's figure of 7.72 the following year, enough to see him soar to second in Poole's averages, had already guaranteed him a third season at Wimborne Road in 1971.

It was not to be, however, as Pirates lost a heat leader who Smith stressed "but for the accident would have gone on to ride for Poole for 10 years because he was so loyal to the club."