ANGRY Matt Ford has hit back at Newcastle's claims that Pirates had not paid the first instalment of Bjarne Pedersen's transfer fee.

The new Danish champion - Pedersen scorched to the title at Holsted with 14 points over the weekend - moved permanently from the Diamonds to Poole RIAS for an undisclosed fee during the winter.

Premier Division Newcastle's co-promoter Darryl Illingworth claimed earlier this month that they were "owed thousands of pounds" by top-flight Pirates and Belle Vue for transfers involving Pedersen and Kenneth Bjerre, who was signed by the Aces.

But Ford today said: "We paid the first instalment for Pedersen three weeks earlier than the date we were supposed to.

"So we are totally bemused by Darryl's comments in Speedway Star magazine that we haven't."

Ford added: "We visited Newcastle on March 14 for a challenge meeting in which it was agreed that Poole would pay our own riders points money in lieu of the majority part of the first payment for Bjarne Pedersen due to the Diamonds in the first week of April.

"Poole paid their riders for their work at Newcastle on Wednesday, March 18 which was in effect Newcastle's money that they should have paid Poole's riders for riding in the meeting.

"I would like to add that Darryl will get the other three instalments for Bjarne's transfer on the dates they are due.

"The first instalment is due in the first week of June and they will receive it on time.

"There are two more instalments due next year and Newcastle will get them on time as well.

"I'd just like to add that I strongly feel, with Darryl going public in this way about a totally private matter between Poole and Newcastle, that the Diamonds should go public about any monies they might owe to any other clubs.

"If they don't, the British Speedway Promoters' Association should step in and go public if Newcastle do owe any monies to any other clubs.

"BSPA chairman Chris Van Straaten even said to me last Monday at Wolves how disgraceful it was that Newcastle's grievance should be aired in a speedway magazine when we paid the initial instalment well before it was due.

"Mike Golding and I are in our sixth year of running Poole speedway and no-one, in that time, has ever come to us to state we owe them money."

Illingworth had said: "What is happening is nothing short of disgraceful.

"We are owed thousands of pounds by these two clubs who are continuing to use our riders - yes, that's correct, they remain ours until they are paid for - in their teams against our wishes.

"We have even asked the BSPA to step in and try and get our money, but here we are...and we've still not had a penny.

"It seems Elite League promoters can do whatever they want, and the rest of us don't count.

"We have riders with serious bike problems coming to us and asking for an advance on their wages to help with repair bills.

"But we are having to turn them down, simply because we haven't got what is owed to us by these two big clubs.

"The situation cannot be allowed to go on any longer and we will be taking steps to ensure it doesn't."

Ford added: "For Darryl to say that Elite League promoters do not care about Premier League clubs is just ridiculous when the majority of heat leaders in the Premier League are owned by Elite League clubs."

l Pedersen lifted the Danish title at Holsted on Friday when he amassed 14 points from five rides.

Reigning World champion Nicki Pedersen won a run-off for second place with Bjerre after they had tied on 13 points.

Details, Danish Championship final at Holsted: B Pedersen 14, N Pedersen 13, K Bjerre 13 (after run-off), H Andersen 12, C Gjedde 10, J B Jensen 9, N K Iversen 8, M Korneliussen 8, H Bager 8, M Risager 7, R Pedersen 6, H Moller 5, B Lyngso 4, R Knudsen 2, T Georgsen 1, J Kristiansen 0.

l Poole's Antonio Lindback has reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship Grand Prix.

He booked his place in the quarter-final at Zielona Gora, Poland, on Sunday, May 9 after finishing fifth with 10 points in the Swedish qualifier at Motala.

Lindback's performance also earns him a place in the European Championship semi-finals.