PIRATES spearhead Tony Rickardsson could be frozen out of British speedway this year.

The five-times World champion has agreed personal terms to line up for Poole Meridian Lifts on a loan basis this season.

But Ipswich Witches - who own Rickardsson's contract to ride in Britain - are determined they want to receive a full transfer fee from the Dorset club before they will allow the Swede to ride for Pirates.

Poole have already publicly announced that Rickardsson will captain their team when the tapes go up at Wimborne Road on March 19.

But the two clubs have failed to agree a transfer fee and Ipswich director Magda Louis said: "We made an offer to Tony in November to return riding for us. We couldn't agree a deal, so it was dropped.

"The same rules must apply to Poole. If they cannot afford Tony then they must drop him as well.

"We are no longer in a position where we can attract Tony to ride for us. So what is the point of keeping him?

"We have told Poole promoter Matt Ford so many times that we are not interested in another loan deal.

"They must purchase Tony from us if they want to use him. There will be no other way. They will have to bite the bullet."

Mrs Louis added: "The fee we are asking is a reasonable one and it can be spread over two years.

"Tony is a multi-World champion and a huge draw through the turnstiles.

"We were more than interested in signing Bjarne Pedersen and Freddie Eriksson for our Elite League side this year, but were told in both cases that we had to buy them.

"Both deals fell through, and the Tony Rickardsson one looks as though it will as well."

Neither Pirates nor Ipswich will reveal how much the Witches want as a transfer fee.

But it is believed to be in the £25,000 bracket. Rickardsson, though owned by Ipswich, hasn't ridden for the Suffolk track since 1998.

Ford declined to comment on Mrs Louis' views, but stressed after he had named Rickardsson in Poole's team earlier this month: "Ipswich would still like us to sign him on a full transfer.

"But we can't do that simply because it would be financial suicide to purchase his contract and then find we couldn't use him in 2004.

"Tony can't commit to anything more than one year because the rules in speedway change so rapidly.

"It would be ludicrous for the club to buy him permanently and then find he couldn't ride for us in 2004.

"He will definitely be riding for Poole this year."