TONY Rickardsson has admitted he would be interested in riding for Poole again - but only if he could take part in less meetings per year for the club.

The five-times World champion gave up riding for RIAS Pirates and his British Speedway career in April so that he could spend more time with his family.

But after appearing again at Wimborne Road in the Speedway World Cup earlier this month, Rickardsson realised he still has the hunger to ride for the Dorseteers.

He said: "The door is not closed. I am interested in riding for Poole again if they could operate with less meetings.

"There are too many meetings at the moment. My heart is in Poole, for the promotion and the fans.

"It was my best time in England. And I'm not saying that because Sweden have just won the World Cup."

Rickardsson, who would support a squad system in British speedway whereby riders didn't have to ride all of a club's meetings, added: "I don't think about speedway when I am at home.

"But to see a Swedish flag at Poole with my name on it or someone with my cap and team shirt, that means more than anything to me.

"It is hard as a rider to understand what emotion it gives you."

Pirates boss Matt Ford, whose side beat/drew/lost ??-?? at home to Oxford in the Elite League last night, has been a strong advocate of introducing a squad system into British speedway for a number of years.

The idea would be that top riders like Rickardsson, Tomasz Gollob, Peter Karlsson, Greg Hancock, Rune Holta and Billy Hamill could all ride regularly in Britain without having to take part in all their club's meetings.

Such an idea would also make sure all the best riders in the world would line up in the league and that none would be turned away, just like Karlsson and Hamill this season, even though they are Wolves and Coventry assets respectively, because of their grading or average.

Rickardsson, an Ipswich asset, first joined the Witches in 1991 and has also ridden on loan for King's Lynn.

The Swede began his Poole career in 2001 when he replaced then World champion Mark Loram and spent just over three seasons with the Wimborne Road outfit.

Rickardsson had been a revelation for Pirates leading them to a treble of Elite League, KO Cup and British League Cup glory last year.

Poole have confirmed that Belle Vue will visit Wimborne Road in the league on Thursday, September 9 and not 24 hours earlier as originally planned.