7:00am Tuesday 18th November 2008
By Phil Chard
MAGNUS Zetterstrom has predicted Pirates will line up with Bjarne Pedersen, Chris Holder and Daniel Davidsson next year.
But the Swede believes he will probably be left looking in from the outside after speedway chiefs only raised the team building points limit from 38.85 to 39.90 for the 2009 campaign.
Zorro, a cult hero on the Wimborne Road terraces, still has hopes of lining up for Poole Castle Cover in March.
After helping Pedersen, Holder and Davidsson lift the Elite League title this year, he said he felt his 6.62 average had left him in “no-man’s-land” for next term.
His fears have not changed after the rules for 2009 were announced yesterday at the end of the British Speedway Promoters’ Association’s annual conference in Spain.
Zorro made it clear he had no inside knowledge on what Poole’s new team would be.
But gazing into his crystal ball, he said: “If I was the promoter, I would be looking to keep Bjarne, Chris and Daniel.
“I don’t know exactly what their accumulated average would come to but that is my thinking.
“They would be the three riders I would definitely like in my team for next year.
“As for the rest of us from this year, Adam Skornicki was on loan from Wolves, which means it’ll be difficult for him to get a team place for Poole again.
“I think Freddie Eriksson, yes and no. I think he is owned by Poole, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get a team place.
“Davey Watt, I think his average is too high to be in the team if they keep Chris and Bjarne.
“As for myself, I’m not sure. It all depends on the averages of the other riders Matt Ford wants in his team, and as we know, Matt always has something in his back pocket to make sure Poole have a great side.
“Basically, I’m in the same position as I was before the conference at the weekend.
“I’m not too worried about it, but I would love to ride England because it keeps me race fit.”
Asked if he would consider riding for a rival Elite club rather than his beloved Pirates, Zorro said: “Everyone knows Poole is my team, but I wouldn’t close the door on anything.
“It’s a decision I would have to make if Poole didn’t want me and if there was any interest from other clubs.”
The Elite will be nine-strong again in 2009, other clubs being Belle Vue, Coventry, Eastbourne, Ipswich, Lakeside, Peterborough, Swindon and Wolves.
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