SIX-times world champion Tony Rickardsson has signed up to attend Poole's diamond jubilee gala dinner next year.

The legendary Swede, who retired from speedway at the end of the 2006 campaign, is the first big name to confirm his attendance at the event on Saturday, March 8.

It is being held in Tregonwell Hall at the Bournemouth International Centre to celebrate the club's 60th birthday on the eve of next season.

Castle Cover Pirates co-promoters Matt Ford and Mike Golding are hoping to lure as many world champions as possible to the event.

Sponsors and supporters of the club will also have the opportunity to sign up to attend from early January with the cost £39.50 a head.

Golding said: "We got hold of Tony by telephone to ask him if he could come and after quickly checking his calendar he said yes straight away.

"He said he would be delighted to travel over from Sweden and meet his old friends at Poole."

Rickardsson, whose exceptional achievement in winning the World Championship six times is only matched by Ivan Mauger, starred for Pirates from 2001 to mid-2004.

Golding said: "Tony is a big draw, and we will try and get the other world champions who won their titles while at Poole at senior and under-21 level.

"We're also going to invite world champions who haven't ridden for Pirates like Barry Briggs.

"This is a big gala occasion, as it should be to celebrate 60 years of Poole speedway."

Golding added: "There will be 35 tables and we're going to have 35 top class riders, whether they are current or former Pirates, or world champions.

"There will be one rider on each table so each sponsor and supporter will be able to share their memories of watching speedway at Poole down the years, and hear about the riders' experiences first hand."

Invitations are expected to go out to Mark Loram, Jason Crump, Lee Richardson and Krzysztof Kasprzak, who all lifted world titles in Poole colours.

Others like Gary Havelock, who secured the 1992 crown before he joined Pirates in 1998, will be invited.

All of the Dorset club's 2008 line up are expected to attend.

Many of the club's all-time greats like Pete Smith, Ken Middleditch, Brian Crutcher, Malcolm Simmons and Craig Boyce are also expected to be invited.

Ford said: "This is a big milestone in the club's history, and it will also be the 10th year Mike and I will have promoted at Poole.

"This is going to be a great way to launch the 2008 season."

Poole Pirates were formed in 1948. Their first meeting was a 63-21 mauling at Tamworth on April 14 that year.

The Dorset club hammered Great Yarmouth 74-32 in their first home meeting on April 26, and a Poole team has taken to the track at Wimborne Road every year since.r.