PIRATES boss Matt Ford says he is more than ready to carry out his threat for the club to leave the Elite League and join the second tier.

He has also exclusively revealed to the Echo he would run Bournemouth in the National League next year even if there was not a spot in the Premier League for Poole.

Ford added he would be prepared to go with third-tier racing in 2010 and put Pirates on hold until they could gain admission to the Premier.

The Castle Cover Pirates’ chief finally broke his silence on his fellow top-flight promoters’ controversial decision to reduce the play-offs from six to four teams yesterday.

In a statement on Poole’s official website, which can also be read in full on the Echo’s website, he said the mid-season decision to go from six to four teams in the play-offs was “a black day for British Speedway.”

Ford added the decision “could have catastrophic knock-on consequences” and it was his “duty as promoter of this wonderful club to protect riders, sponsors and every supporter here from allowing outsiders to dictate our business in future.”

The promoter added no other sport would change a major rule in mid-season and also denied suggestions that Poole had been manipulating riders’ averages following a Speedway Control Bureau inquiry into their away matches at Swindon and Peterborough last month.

Asked if he really would carry his threat for Poole to drop down to the second tier next season, Ford told the Echo: “If the Premier League would have us I would certainly take the team into the Premier League.

“But this is by no means decided because the Premier League is a well run league and they may possibly feel they don’t need additional teams at this point.

“It might be a case of us being patient for a year or two until they have an opening, which inevitably in speedway tends to happen.

“I would need to make applications first and foremost in the right channels to inform the British Speedway Promoters’ Association’s management committee of our intention.

“Secondly I would write to each of the Premier League promoters to ask them to give us consideration.

“But I do state again, it might be that they do not need anyone for next year, so perhaps it might be the year after.”

Only this week, Newport co-promoter Nick Mallett said his Premier League club would be forced to close in “eight weeks time” if crowds didn’t pick up, so there could be an opening for Poole in 2010 if Wasps pulled the plug on their second-tier team. Ford, who also promotes third-tier Bournemouth at Wimborne Road, said: “We can run Bournemouth Buccaneers in the National League next year.

“I would still keep the Bournemouth team logo and go without the Poole one.

“We only chose to enter the National League and Knockout Cup this year, not the National Trophy as well, but we would definitely enter that next season.

“We could easily fulfil our quota of about 20 meetings a year at the stadium.”