FIVE-times World champion Tony Rickardsson is your 'Greatest Pirates rider of all-time'.

The sensational Swede, who led Poole to the treble last season, has been voted your best rider in the club's distinguished 57-year history in a poll among Daily Echo readers.

Rickardsson, who joined Pirates in 2001 and left earlier this term, topped the chart with 20.7 per cent of your votes.

Malcolm Simmons, a former World number two and Poole legend from 1975 to 1980, was runner-up with 15.5 per cent.

Mark Loram (1999-2000) was third with 9.5 per cent, followed by Craig Boyce (1988-1990, 1992-1994, 1996-1998, 2003) in fourth with 7.6 per cent and Ken Middleditch (1950-1956, 1958, 1960-1962) in fifth with 7.4 per cent.

In all, among hundreds of you who entered our competition, votes were cast for 37 riders out of the many scores who have ridden in the famous skull and crossbones race jacket since Pirates were formed more than half a century ago in 1948.

But it was Rickardsson who captured the majority of your votes.

Perhaps it was no surprise, as Rickardsson lies second only to Ivan Mauger in Speedway's all-time list of individual World Championship winners.

Mauger, who never rode for Poole, was crowned World champion six times.

Rickardsson is a class act and he captivated the Wimborne Road faithful with his consistently high level of performances both home and away for Pirates.

The Swede also helped bring silverware back to the club, inspiring Craven Shield victory in 2002 and then Elite League, BSPA Knockout Cup and British League Cup glory last season.

And Rickardsson fan Trevor Cook, of Shaftesbury, is also about to receive a prize of his own.

He voted for Rickardsson as his 'Greatest Pirate' and his entry was the first drawn out of a hat in our competition, so he wins four tickets to the Elite League title play-off final, second leg, between Poole and Wolves at Wimborne Road on Monday, October 11.

Simmons, or Super Simmo, as he was nicknamed by Poole fans in the 70s, was famed for his consistency as a points scorer and he edged out Loramski, the first Pirates rider to lift the World title while with the club, for second place in our poll.

Craig Boyce, 'Mr Poole Speedway' who has piled up a record number of points for the club, grabbed fourth place ahead of old boys and loyal servants' Ken Middleditch, from the 50s and early 60s, and Pete Smith, who led Pirates to their first top-flight title in 1969. So, as you can see, votes were cast for a wide range of riders who have represented Poole throughout the different eras using your own personal code to determine your assessment of how to rate the best, such as club loyalty, points scoring ability, team-riding ability, style of racing and entertainment and excitement value, on an individual basis.

HOW YOU VOTED

1 Tony Rickardsson 20.7% 2 Malcolm Simmons 15.5% 3 Mark Loram 9.5% 4 Craig Boyce 7.6% 5 Ken Middleditch 7.4% 6 Pete Smith 7.3% 7 Leigh Adams 3.6% 8 Brian Crutcher 3.5% 9 Michael Lee 2.5% =10 Tony Lewis 1% =10 Gote Nordin 1% =10 Odd Fossengen 1%

13 Alun Rossiter, 14 Steve Schofield, 15 Bjarne Pedersen, 16 Neil Middleditch, 17 Krzysztof Cegielski, 18 Jason Crump, 19 Geoff Mudge, Christer Lofqvist, 21 Gary Havelock, 22 Scott Nicholls, =23 Ryan Sullivan, Sam Ermolenko, Christer Sjosten, =26 Joe Bowkis, Antonio Lindback, John Davis, =29 Stan Bear, Alan Chambers, Terry Small, Jim Squibb, Lars Gunnestad, Reidar Eide, Ross Gilbertson, Magnus Zetterstrom, Marvyn Cox.