PIRATES new boy Ricky Ashworth has told how an outbreak of foot and mouth disease ended his promising grasstrack career and pointed him in the direction of becoming a Speedway rider.

The 22-year-old, who will line up for Poole RIAS this season in the number six berth, had already finished third in the 350cc British Grasstrack Championship in 2001 when he switched codes.

Ashworth was forced to give up racing on grass when meetings were not allowed to be held on farmland later the same year after foot and mouth disease took hold of many farming communities around the country.

Looking back, the Salford-born rider said: "Nobody could race because you weren't allowed to hold meetings on grass. Meetings are usually held on farms and everywhere was closed.

"That's why I decided to get a speedway bike and ride and I have never looked back," said Ashworth, who made his Conference League debut for Sheffield in 2001.

"I never really did speedway before because I couldn't afford to do it as speedway is a pretty expensive sport to get into.

"Also I never believed I could either.

"I was happy going to work every week and racing grasstrack as a hobby every weekend. Then I got second halves at Belle Vue and Sheffield that resulted in a contract at Sheffield.

"I had two choices - carry on at work combining it with my grasstrack, or speedway - and I took the speedway one.

"I was working as an engineer for NuTrak Components in Bolton at the time, a company that, strangely enough, is now based in Bournemouth.

"We made speedway, longtrack and grasstrack chassis, but the foot and mouth disease thing stopped orders coming through.

"After that, Neil Machin offered me a team place at Sheffield in 2002, so if it wasn't for foot and mouth I wouldn't have got into speedway then.

"So one way or another, the foot and mouth disease did me a favour."

Ashworth quickly developed into a talented rider for Sheffield through the Conference and Premier leagues before making his debut for Peterborough in the Elite on a doubling up basis last year.

The former England Under-21 international said: "I did start late in speedway. I was 19 before I sat on a speedway bike but I am really happy with what I have achieved in three years.

"I had ridden grasstrack for two years before the switch. I used to watch speedway at Belle Vue and then watched the first team at Sheffield after I had joined their Conference outfit.

"My dad, Dave, used to ride in second halves there, but he couldn't quite afford to get into speedway full time.

"There is no question foot and mouth did me a favour in 2001. I would probably have tried speedway at a later stage, but it might have been too late for me then.

"It's funny how life works out sometimes."

This year he will share Pirates' number six berth with Edward Kennett, while also doubling up with Sheffield as a heat leader in the Premier League.

l British Speedway Promoters' Association president Terry Russell will answer supporters' questions at the final Pirates Rider Equipment Fund event of the winter at Poole Stadium.

Russell will join Poole co-promoter Matt Ford, team manager Neil Middleditch and Ashworth during an open forum on Wednesday, February 9.

Tickets for the event, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £3 per person and are on sale from Stan Vatcher on 01202 691143.