TOM TO DEFEND TITLE AS A PIRATE

Poole's second new face for 2024 will be that of 22 year old Tom Brennan, a league title winner from 2023 and former British U21 Champion, after a chance email landed in Matt Ford's inbox.

The Swindon-born youngster has a double change of scenery for the forthcoming season, having signed for Birmingham in the SGB Premiership after two years with the Belle Vue Aces.  At Championship level he has spent most of the past three seasons with the Glasgow Tigers, after Eastbourne folded during 2021, and it was a major shock that he was released at the end of the 2023 especially by the Tigers, particularly given his impressive contribution during the league playoff final when he scored paid eleven and paid ten in the two legs against the Pirates. He joins the Pirates on a 7.15 average.

Poole promoter Dan Ford admitted that "it came something out of the blue to be honest, as we thought initially that Tom would not be racing in the Championship level because of his commitments in other leagues, but he approached us to see if there was a chance of a place with us as, being a midweek track, it would fit well into his schedule. So, when you have the opportunity to sign a rider of Tom's potential then obviously it is well worth re-evaluating your options and we were able to quite quickly complete a deal with him and it looks as if we are set to have one of, if not the, strongest heat leader trio in the division. 
"Tom actually had a better away average than a home one last year, and so that augurs well for us and whilst he may not have the greatest record around Wimborne Road, his last two appearances here have been encouraging and of course his contribution for Glasgow in the play-off final had quite a bearing on the destiny of the league title. Once he gets some regular racing around Wimborne Road under his belt then I think that Tom will find greater consistency at home and it would be great for us if he were to become a league winner for a second successive season, of course!"

Confirming his move to Poole, Brennan explains how and why he made the approach to Poole, "I was puzzled at the end of last season when I heard stories that I wouldn't be returning to the Championship. I don't know how or where those rumours began but once it struck me that I had not received any offers for 2024 I decided to take matters into my own hands and dropped an email to the owner of the one club I really wanted to race for. Matt (Ford) responded to the enquiry and said let's make it happen and so here I am, ready to ride for the Pirates and the challenges that will bring.
"Poole has always struck me as a highly professionally run club with big expectations on their riders and is the only club I was really interested in as it is the sort of place I could improve at and that is really what my aim is, to improve year on year, and I believe that Poole can give me that. Looking from the outside in it seems a really competitive club and that is what I want to be involved in and I am really looking forward to this new start, a new adventure for me and I am really grateful to Matt and Danny and also to David Adams of Wessex Marine, as those guys have really made it happen and I am here."

The promising Team GB international is earmarked as one of the riders who has developed through the youth channels which is a key focus for British Speedway clubs for 2024, and he will combine racing in the UK with Poole and Birmingham, with leagues in Poland and Sweden, and is setting the main goal for himself of continuing to improve , "if I can look back come the end of 2024 and be happy that I have pushed myself in every single way and feel that I am an even better speedway rider for the experience then that will be satisfying. As far as targets are concerned I would really like to bring the top prize back to Poole this season, which is where they belong, and I really believe that I can contribute towards achieving that and it would be nice to reach the European challenges and GP challenges. I feel I am getting ever closer to them every year so it would be nice to make the breakthrough.
"But to do all that, it is going to be a very busy winter for me as I intend to have about eight bikes scattered around Europe and that is going to take some time to build up. I am not going to be working as a butcher like I have in previous winters but investing my time trying to attract sponsors and get everything sorted. There is so much in terms of logistics to sort out, lots of things that go on behind the scenes , so I will be working on that and also ensuring that I am in the best possible physical shape to take on the exciting season ahead."