PIRATES chief Matt Ford reported a promising start to 2014 sponsorship negotiations – but admitted uncertainty over television coverage had hampered progress.

Sky Sports’ contract with the Elite League ended this season and there has yet to be an announcement over whether the deal will be renewed for next year.

While the outcome of discussions will have a major impact on club budgets, it will also affect Pirates and their rivals in any talks with potential backers.

Poole have a number of long-standing – and lucrative – sponsorship deals and Ford is hopeful that the reigning champions can seal more, although he is currently unable to press ahead.

The Pirates promoter told the Daily Echo: “It is tough in respect of the fact we don’t know what level of speedway we are going to have. I wouldn’t want to offer television coverage to sponsors and then find out that it is not applicable.

“Many people have already said that they will be on board. We are very early in the negotiations but things are looking good.”

Meanwhile, Ford has confirmed that Pirates’ grand final triumph will be recognised with a civic reception in Poole on Wednesday, November 13 at 1pm.

Pirates have been invited to the Civic Centre to celebrate their league success at a lunchtime reception.

They will follow that with an awards night and disco, also on November 13, at Wimborne Road’s Champs Bar from 7.30pm.

The club’s rider-of-the-year award will be presented, while title-winning stars including Chris Holder, Darcy Ward and Kyle Newman are set to attend.

Entry is priced at £5 per person.

  • Speedway Grand Prix organisers yesterday formally announced Pirates hero Holder as one of the four permanent wild card picks for the 2014 series.

The 2012 world champion, who is currently sidelined following a horror crash at Coventry in July, will be joined by shale sport legend Tomasz Gollob and Swedish duo Andreas Jonsson and Freddie Lindgren.

Holder will wear the number 12 race jacket, with club-mate Ward, who qualified automatically, donning number eight.

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