AFTER snatching Mark Loram's world crown with an emphatic performance in this year's Grand Prix series, is Poole's Swedish superstar Tony Rickardsson may be about to follow in the former Pirate's footsteps by becoming the BBC South's Sport's Personality of the Year for 2001 ?

Loram topped last year's poll with a record setting 63.2 per cent of the votes, but feelings among the Poole supporters suggest that Rickardsson stands a good chance of repeating Loram's feat this time around. And should Rickardsson scoop the award it would be a unique double for the Poole club, one possibly unequalled anywhere in the sporting world.

Pirates' fans wanting to cast their vote for Rickardsson in the BBC South Sports Personality of the Year can do so by sending their vote on a postcard to BBC South, Broadcasting House, Havelock Road, Southampton. SO14 7PW. The closing date for voting is 16th November, but, unlike last year, e-mail votes will not be accepted.

However, one lucky voter will get the chance of attending the awards ceremony, due to be held at the De Vere Grand Hotel, Southampton later in the month. The sender of the first postcard picked at random from all of the votes cast will be invited to attend this great sporting evening, where they will be able to meet and mingle with the top sports personalities from the BBC South area.

Meanwhile although the start of the 2002 speedway season is still some five months away, reports coming out of the Pirates camp indicate that promoters Matt Ford and Mike Golding are close to announcing a new signing for the coming year. First indications suggest that they have cast their eyes toward Scandinavia, with an announcement expected by the middle of this week.