Former Eastbourne skipper Gary Havelock reckons that Poole's spectacular start to the season is all down to the Pirates trawling the speedway world.

"The club do a lot of research on the sport, and one of the promoters, Mike Golding, travels all over the world looking at riders.

"Everyone outside Poole has been surprised by the way we have started, but it hasn't surprised me at all. We have a fantastic team.

"People in England think that because they haven't heard of these guys then they must be bad riders, but that's nonsense."

The guys in question are Poles Krzysztof Cegielski and Grzegorz Walasek and Dane Hans Andersen.

Havelock is the only Englishman in Poole's multi-national squad, but he says the team spirit among the riders is "unbelievable."

The former England captain, who brings his side to Arlington tomorrow for the first TV meeting of the season at the Sussex track, believes the Pirates are set to plunder some silverware in 2001.

And for an outfit who were written off as no-hopers by all the pundits following the close-season departure of world champion Mark Loram, that is quite a turnaround.

Loram has been replaced by Sweden's three-times world No.1 Tony Rickardsson, arguably still the best rider in the sport, while the team is made up by Norway's Lars Gunnestad and Aussie Craig Watson.

"It's a good blend of youth and experience, and we've got strength all through the team. Everyone is buzzing and wants to score more points than everyone else. No one wants to be the weakest link."

Gunnestad will miss tomorrow's match after crashing in Poland last weekend, but his place will be taken by Ipswich rider Jeremy Doncaster.

Havelock himself is probably showing the best form of his career since he won the world title in 1992.

"I spent a lot of money on my equipment during the winter, and everything seems to be coming together. I'm winning races from behind now, and that's something I haven't been doing for the last couple of years."

Havelock would like nothing better at the moment than to put one over on his former team after his inglorious spell at Eastbourne.

Hailed as the club's biggest capture when he was signed and immediately installed as skipper, he was axed within a season.

All that is history now, but Havelock still has a mind to make Eagles pay and was eyeing up a double ahead of yesterday's Good Friday clash at Poole and tomorrow's return at Arlington in front of the Sky cameras.