(SPEEDWAY 1)POOLE star Darcy Ward retained the World Under-21 Championship in the third and deciding round in Pardubice.Ward, who will be a key member of the Pirates' team in Monday's Elite League Grand Final, clinched the title in a run-off having made up the four points required on previous leader Makisms Bogdanovs.He said: "I am stoked and over the moon to have retained the title, it means a lot to me personally but now its all about that league title. "I had a call from Matt (Ford) congratulating me which was real cool, I am now looking forward to see what present he has got me!"(SPEEDWAY 2)SCUNTHORPE smashed a club record with a 70-20 win over Somerset which makes virtually certain of their progression to the Young Shield semi-finals.The 50-point margin of victory was the biggest of the Scorpions' time as a second-tier club, eclipsing a 68-21 win over Edinburgh in 1983 - with four riders scoring paid maximums.Manager Richard Hollingsworth said: "That was a quite sensational night. All seven riders were paid for at least nine points and quite simply we didn't have a weak link.  "I was particularly delighted with Viktor (Bergstrom) and the two reserves because we know the top four can be pretty sensational around here."

(SPEEDWAY 3)

LEE Complin has been named as Berwick's first signing for 2011 after a successful opening campaign in Bandits' colours.Complin broke his arm on his debut in March, but has impressed since making his comeback, and he signed his contract following Saturday's home match against Newport.A Berwick spokesman said: "We're delighted Lee has decided to come back with us next season as we know what he can do and he knows he can not only score good points here, but can score them in the most exciting of ways. "His passes are brilliant, if not sometimes a little scary to watch, but this is just the sort of rider we want to return."

(SPEEDWAY 4)POOLE promoter Matt Ford wants to see the spirit of the Ryder Cup present at Wimborne Road for the Elite League Grand Final.The Pirates go into Monday's second leg chasing a 12-point first leg deficit against Coventry having finished clear at the top of the table with a faultless home record.Ford said: "When you hear the passionate chanting for Ian Poulter and the rest of the European golfers it makes you feel very patriotic and, as the European manager Colin Montgomerie said, the support can make that difference."This is a big challenge for Poole on Monday night. Coventry are the form team and it's going to take an exceptional performance from all the boys."But I want to be able to put the 'house full' signs up. I want to see our club with an electric atmosphere and for Coventry to know they are going to have to withstand a fired-up home team with a massive eighth man on the terraces."

(SPEEDWAY 5)

COVENTRY boss Alun Rossiter says his side are fully focused on the job in hand as they bid to complete a remarkable turnaround at Poole.The Bees, who were second from bottom in the Elite League table two months ago, have won their last eleven matches and start the second leg of the Grand Final twelve points up on the pre-season favourites.But they go into the meeting without GB star Edward Kennett, who suffered a broken ankle in a crash last Thursday.Rossiter said: "Losing Edward is a blow but we can't whinge about it, it's happened and we can't change it. We can cover for him as long as everyone is on it."You have to remember our run of form going into the meeting, eleven straight wins, and that's what we'll be saying to the riders - but I don't believe the talk about Poole now being underdogs. They've been a fantastic team all season and they have huge pressure on them to turn their dominance into the title."

(SPEEDWAY 6)

NEWCASTLE and Birmingham have agreed to contest a double-header next weekend in order to ease fixture congestion.The two clubs meet in the semi-finals of both the play-offs and the Knockout Cup, but recent attempts to race at both venues have been foiled by the weather.Now Newcastle will stage two meetings in one evening next Sunday, with the play-off clash being followed immediately by the Cup fixture.Diamonds boss George English said: "It's far from ideal to host the same team twice on the same night in two different competitions, but really with this extreme fixture clog-up there is no option and all we can do now is pray for good weather to come."If we lose any more matches to these almost flood-like conditions, I'm not sure what the next step would be."

(FIXTURES) MONDAY OCTOBER 4:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Poole v Coventry 7.30TUESDAY OCTOBER 5:NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Dudley v Buxton (at Wolverhampton) 7.30WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Birmingham v Newcastle 7.30 YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 1st leg: King's Lynn v Rye House 7.30 NATONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Bournemouth v Newport 7.30THURSDAY OCTOBER 7:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Peterborough v Poole 7.30 16-LAP CLASSIC: Ipswich 7.30 KELLY MORAN TRIBUTE: Sheffield v Kelly's Heroes 7.45

FRIDAY OCTOBER 8:YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 2nd leg: Newport v Berwick 7.30, Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: King's Lynn v Newport 7.30 SCOTTISH CUP 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30 ROB WOFFINDEN MEMORIAL TROPHY: Scunthorpe 7.30CHALLENGE: Plymouth v USA Touring Team 7.30