Speedway: Tatum ready for cup role

Tatum, who last rode for Eastbourne seven years ago, has been handed a vital role in the Sussex team after being signed this week from the Isle of Wight.

The Horsham-based rider, brother of three-times world long-track champion Kelvin Tatum, rides against Elite League champions Poole at Arlington Stadium as Eagles enter the last-chance saloon.

Tatum admitted he was surprised when he got the call from Eastbourne.

"Flabbergasted would be a good word," he said.

Tatum, now 38, made half a dozen appearances for Somerset last year to help them out of an injury crisis.

Otherwise his last season in England was 1999 when he rode for the Isle of Wight.

He has done open meetings in Germany, however, appeared regularly in the Brighton Bonanza indoor event and is a top grass-track and long-track performer.

He recently finished fourth in the British Masters championship at Folkestone behind Joe Screen, Matt Read and Kelvin Tatum.

Eagles will also be boosted by the return of Read for Sunday's meeting.

Tatum said: "I've no idea how it's going to work out on Sunday. Their top five could be a bit strong for me, but if Matty (Read) and I can get a 5-1 in heat two then I think I will have done what they want me to do."

Tatum is part of Eastbourne boss Jon Cook's masterplan to put a dent in Poole's attempt to land the league, Knockout Cup and British League Cup treble.

While the Pirates are going for a clean sweep of the top-flight honours, this is the only chance left for Eagles to pick up some silverware.

Cook, a master tactician in squad manoeuvres, plans to play a match-winning card by naming Ulrich Ostergaard at No. 1 against Poole's world No. 4 Leigh Adams.

Cook said: "By tracking Ulrich at No. 1, it means David Norris, Dean Barker and Joonas Kylmakorpi will only be scheduled to ride against Adams once."

Cook reasons there is no point in running his best riders up against Adams, who has been almost unbeatable around Arlington this season, on more occasions than he has to.

"If we can 3-3 the Adams races through the card, then we can concentrate on getting points in the other races."

The other part of the equation is that Barker will appear in heat eight, which Cook describes as a pivotal stage of the meeting.

"We were under pressure against Wolves last week because they got an 8-1 in heat eight.

"We tend to be vulnerable in that race but by having Dean there we are protecting our interests."

British League Cup rules allow clubs to name their top five riders in any order. In the Elite League, the top three have to occupy the heat-leader positions at one, three and five.

That would rule out Ostergaard at No. 1, but Cook believes he has found a way to plot a route to cup glory by playing a trump card against the Pirates.

Eagles will be hoping to take a lead to Poole for the deciding leg on October 29.

"If we can get something like eight points up, I think we have a real chance," said Cook.

Although he is not in the line-up for Sunday, Eagles have added Mark Loram to their squad for the final.

Loram is likely to ride in the return leg at Poole on a horses-for-courses policy as he did in the quarter-final tie at Sheffield, where he was top scorer.

While Eastbourne beat Wolves in both legs of their semi-final, Poole won home and away against Belle Vue.

Adams, like Tony Rickardsson, was not involved in either meeting, but the Pirates have opted to include one of their big guns in the final.

The visitors will be without cup star Magnus Zetterstrom, who will be abroad, and might have to find a replacement for Davey Watt, who was injured in a spectacular crash during Wednesday's semi-final.

New Brazilian rider Antonio Lindback, who beat Nicki Pedersen last month on his first visit to Arlington Stadium, is back.

Eastbourne: Ulrich Ostergaard, Dean Barker, David Norris, Joonas Kylmakorpi, Adam Shields, Matt Read, Neville Tatum.

Poole: Leigh Adams, David Ruud, Antonio Lindback, Davey Watt, Bjarne Pedersen, Tony Primmer, Scott Peglar.

The start is at 3.30.

Meanwhile, Eastbourne fans will be able to welcome new world champion Nicki Pedersen back to Arlington on Sunday.

Pedersen, who has decided not to ride again this season because of a knee injury, will be in the clubhouse before the meeting to greet supporters and sign autographs.

One of the meetings Pedersen has been forced to miss is tomorrow night's Elite League Riders Championship at Coventry, where Eagles will be represented by Mark Loram, Dean Barker and David Norris.