POOLE co-promoter Matt Ford has stressed they are close to naming the third rider in their 2002 line-up.

Negotiations are at the final stage and Pirates expect to name their latest target at a special meeting of a new Poole supporters' club fund-raising event next week.

Ford and Pirates co-owner Mike Golding have already secured deals with Tony Rickardsson and Bjarne Pedersen, although the reigning World champion is not expected to finalise his contract until December.

But Ford would not disclose the identity of the man who is set to join Rickardsson and Pedersen in Pirates' line-up because contract negotiations are still in pro-gress.

However, it is well known the Sky Sports Elite League outfit have been chasing a number of riders, including the Poles Rafal Okoniewski, Tomasz Chrzanowski and Wieslaw Jagus and the young Englishman Simon Stead.

The one Grand Prix-rider per-team rule, which looks set to be introduced to British top-flight Speedway, also enhances the chances of either Gary Havelock or Lars Gunnestad returning to Poole for another year.

Ford has already said he was "99 per cent certain" Hans Andersen would return unless there was an unforeseen problem, while Magnus Zetterstrom is also obviously in the running as well.

There has been speculation that Pirates are looking at a young Swede, although he is not believed to be David Ruud, who has already signed for Poole but does not look as though he will be part of their plans at the beginning of next season. Ford, however, remained adamant he would not reveal the club's latest target until the supporters' club meeting on Wednesday, November 21.

That takes the form of a quiz night at Poole Stadium which begins at 7.30pm and the new club's leaders, Stan and Val Vatcher, are appealing for more supporters to join the organisation on the night.

As an incentive for fans to turn up for the event, Ford has stressed the new riders' name would be revealed that night before he releases the name to the media.

More information on the event and to book your four-person team into the quiz, contact Stan or Val Vatcher on 01202 691143.

Cost to enter a team is £7 and that price in-cludes a buffet meal.

Most of the questions will be based on speedway from 1991 onwards and there will be a cash prize for the winners.

Ford said: "Stan and Val, who have just organised Lars Gunne-stad's Testimonial, do a great job for us and we have just presented them with our annual award recognising their service to Poole.

"The new club will have its own management committee and will have nothing to do with the promoters.

"It will be an organisation run by the fans for the riders with the aim of raising funds to pass on to riders to help them buy equipment and things like that.

"Mike Golding and myself will give the club our full support and we will probably attend most of their events.

"But it will be down to the supporters who they pass the money they raise on to. All the profit from the quiz night and other events the club stages over the winter and during next season will be passed on to the riders, which in itself helps the speedway club.

"It is something that used to happen before six or seven years ago and was very successful. They raised a lot of money then and, hopefully, the reformed supporters' club will be just as successful this time as well."

Poole Pirates track man Paul Applin has been appointed clerk of the course for the British Grand Prix at Cardiff next year.

Applin will also be clerk of the course for all the Speedway World Cup meetings in England in 2002, starting with the opener at Poole.