ALL-TIME Pirates leading league and cup points scorer Craig Boyce admitted he "was still in a state of shock" after a boisterous crowd of about 5,000 packed into Poole Stadium for his testimonial meeting last night.

The bumper turn-out of fans saw Jason Crump walk off with the £1,000 first prize of a V8 Motorbike Lift after he beat runner-up Leigh Adams, third-placed Billy Hamill and Tony Rickardsson in the final.

But Boyce was the real winner as he looks set to pocket in the region of £35,000 from the grateful supporters who paid tribute to his distinguished career riding for Poole.

The Sydneysider, who missed out on a semi-final place by one point, said: "I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who turned out tonight. To be honest, I am still in a state of shock. I'm gob smacked. As the stadium was filling up with people I just got more and more emotional.

"Just to see that amount of supporters coming into the stadium really got to me. I can't believe how many were here.

"I am honoured that so many fans of speedway from all over England turned out for me. It just shows they still appreciate what I have done at Poole even though I haven't ridden regularly for them in the main team for a while.

"I'd also like to say thanks to all the people involved in putting on the meeting, my testimonial committee, the Poole promoters, my sponsors, including JT Commercials, Argon Welding, Bournemouth Bedding and Meridian Lifts, and all the boys who rode. I really appreciate it."

Boyce, the former World number three who is 36, also revealed he harboured no thoughts of retirement.

He added: "I want to ride on next year. I am not ready for retirement yet. I am still enjoying myself racing and can still mix it with the big boys.

"I'm sure one day there will be a chance to ride for Poole again and to be honest I would love to. I don't know if it will happen but I would like it to.

"They are my parent club and I have a great affinity for them. I really feel at home when I am here."

Crump, Boyce's fellow Australian, was a deserved winner of the meeting and he would have gone through the card if he hadn't suffered an engine failure while leading heat one on the final bend.

That allowed the benefit boy through for the race win. But after grabbing a second and third, Boyce was just squeezed into third coming off the second corner in heat 13 by Joe Screen and Hamill and that scuppered his hopes of reaching the last six.

Crump, meanwhile, beat Rickardsson, Hamill and Greg Hancock into second places before outgating Hamill and Scott Nicholls to win the semi-final.

Rickardsson was first out in the final, but Crump expertly cut across him to lead going into the first bend as Adams was squeezed out of contention on the inside.

Adams dived inside Rickardsson into second place down the back straight and pushed Crump all the way for the rest of the race. But the Poole rider couldn't find a way past and overall victory went to the Belle Vue Ace.

Crump, though, was not about to completely gatecrash Boyce's party.

After stepping down from the top podium place, he told the crowd: "It is great for all you guys and girls to come out in force for someone like Craig, who has put so much into speedway over the years.

"As a rider you come to these meetings to enjoy yourself and winning isn't everything. Of course I'm pleased to win, but the real winner tonight is Boycey."

Indeed, the Sydneysider was the real winner and it was great to see Poole's second all-time highest points scorer and Craig's big mate Steve Schofield at Wimborne Road enjoying the meeting.

Also in attendance was Neil Street, the former Pirates team manager who 'discovered' Boyce and has nurtured him ever since those early days in 1988.

And if the racing - which was a cut above the usual testimonial fare - was not already good enough, the ladies in the crowd were treated to an almost nude Shane Parker completing four laps on his bike!

It was that kind of night. Stark-ers raving mad entertainment with Boycey, a mean guitar player himself, strutting his stuff during the live music entertainment after the meeting.

HEAT DETAILS

Qualifying scores: 1 Leigh Adams (3-1-3-3) 10, 2 Tony Rickardsson (3-2-2-3) 10, 3 Billy Hamill (3-3-2-2) 10, 4 Jason Crump (0-3-3-3) 9, 5 Joe Screen (1-1-3-3) 8, 6 Scott Nicholls (2-3-1-2) 8, 7 Craig Boyce (3-2-1-1) 7, 8 Greg Hancock (ret-2-3-2) 7, 9 Stuart Robson (1-0-2-2) 5, 10 Steve Johnston (1-3-0-0) 4, 11 Sean Wilson (1-2-0-1) 4, 12 Travis McGowan (2-0-1-1) 4, 13 Shane Parker (0-1-2-0) 3, 14 Craig Watson (1-0-1) 2, 15 Todd Wiltshire (2-withdrew inj) 2, 16 Sam Ermolenko (2-fell exc-withdrew inj) 2, 17 Jason Lyons (0-0-1-0) 1, 18 Lee Herne (0-0) 0.

Referee: Graham Reeve.

Ht 1: Boyce, McGowan, Robson, Crump, 60.45. Ht 2: Rickardsson, Nicholls, Screen, Hancock (retired), 59.26. Ht 3: Hamill, Wiltshire, Wilson, Lyons, 60.86. Ht 4: Adams, Ermolenko, Johnston, Parker, 61.05. Ht 5: (re-run) Nicholls, Boyce, Watson, Ermolenko (fell excluded), 60.84. Ht 6: Crump, Rickardsson, Parker, Lyons, 59.70. Ht 7: Johnston, Wilson, Screen, McGowan, 61.67. Ht 8: Hamill, Hancock, Adams, Robson, 60.41. Ht 9: Adams, Rickardsson, Boyce, Wilson, 59.71. Ht 10: Crump, Hamill. Nicholls, Johnston, 59.76. Ht 11: Hancock, Parker, McGowan, Watson, 60.55. Ht 12: Screen, Robson, Lyons, Herne, 61.44. Ht 13: Screen, Hamill, Boyce, Parker, 60.50. Ht 14: Crump, Hancock, Wilson, Herne, 60.27. Ht 15: Adams, Nicholls, McGowan, Lyons, 59.93. Ht 16: Rickardsson, Robson, Watson, Johnston, 60.16. Semi-final: Crump, Hamill, Nicholls, Screen (retired), 60.44. Final: Crump, Adams, Hamill, Rickardsson, 59.80.