EVEN breaking his back racing motorcycles hasn't dampened Andrew March-ington's enthusiasm in rubber stamping his company's lucrative two-year team sponsorship of Poole Pirates Speedway team this season.

Marchington, managing director of the rapidly growing RIAS (Retirement Insurance Advisory Ser-vice) group currently based in Commercial Road, Poole, is the man responsible for linking with the Pirates.

But his memories of racing on two wheels isn't a pleasant one. After a decade as a successful road racer, his career was cut short after breaking his back in a track crash at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.

Marchington told the Daily Echo: "I don't have fond memories of that accident, having to be caged up for over two months.

"The accident was caused by me being slightly over zealous with my throttle hand. Anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle will appreciate what I'm talking about. But it didn't stop me riding again!"

The opportunity in setting up sponsorship is breaking new ground for the RIAS managing director and his company.

He added: "We were looking to do something on the promotional front and it was an employee who pointed out via the Daily Echo that Poole Pirates were after a main team sponsor.

"As soon as we were aware of this we approached Poole promoter Matt Ford. Our meetings with Matt proved fruitful and we tied up everything extremely quickly with the club."

Little did Matt Ford and the Pirates know when they landed team sponsorship from the insurance group they were linking with a company that is part of the Fortis Group with reported assets of over £700 billion!

Founded in 1992 as Insurance Advisory Services (IAS), RIAS deal with home, travel and motor insurance and breakdown cover and provide people aged 50and over with the best insurance available at the highest level of customer services possible.

But speak to the company MD Marchington about his knowledge of speedway andhe is brutally honest about his 500cc prowess.

"I'm a bit like a typical former speedway fan who talks about how great the sport was back in the Sixties and Seventies," he said.

"I was based in the north at that time so Belle Vue was "my" club - hence the names of Ivan Mauger and Peter Collins will just trip off my tongue.

"Barry Briggs and Ole Olsen were also great favourites of mine, although I know they didn't ever race for the Aces."

However, one can quickly sense that this man has done his research when referring to speedway in the new Millennium.

He continued: "Speedway is enjoying a renaissance: It's currently one of the highest rated sports shows on Sky.

"Speedway is on the up and the company want to be associated with a sport that is family-minded but also has a lot of fans who are over the age of 50 and would be attracted by some of RIAS' packages.

"We are an extremely fast growing organisation and being attached to the most attractive British speedway club is the sort of projection we are looking for.

"I have lived in Poole for the last 14 months and am extremely impressed that Poole Speedway is the sport of the town.

"As a result media-wise the club enjoys terrific feedback and is unquestionably one of the best supported Elite League tracks in the country.

"I am pleased that already the financial input of RIAS has allowed the club to grow. They have been able to purchase Bjarne Pedersen on an outright transfer from Newcastle.

"Bjarne is a key figure in the engine of the Poole team this year and if we have played our part to get one of the sport's most up and coming riders on a full-time contract then it's good business all round."

RIAS have over half a million customers which is set to reach the 600,000 mark this year.

"Our insurance is for the over 50s and works particularly well because they are low risk and as a result the premiums are reflected in the price.

"Without trying to offend an entire generation of youngsters, in the main older people tend to be more honest and have less car accidents, so we are able to offer more attractive premiums.

"We also have in the region of 90 per cent of our customers return to us, which I think shows how genuine we are.

"Only last week I saved my father £100 on his car insurance and he is the most sceptical northern man you could ever find!

"If I can keep him happy then I am sure RIAS can attract many other satisfied customers.

"By being associated with British speedway's most successful team the company not only touches the local area but the club take our name nationally too.

"Over the course of a season we are convinced Poole Pirates will provide a perfect shop window for our company."

Marchington is also proud to boast that RIAS is one of the biggest recruiting companies in the south coast, but we also believe in looking after our staff and are planning to take them to Pirates first Sky Sports televised meeting in April."

The company are currently situated in Commercial Road but are set to move to Wessex Fields, Littledown, near Bournemouth Hospital next month.

"It is one of the biggest office complexes to be built in Bournemouth in the last 15 years," he continued.

"We have taken on 500 new employees over the past 10 years.

"As a result our offices have expanded so much we need to move."

For speedway fans fed on a diet of 500cc bikes every Wednesday from March to October the last five months have been a long drawn out frustration.

But that's about to change for Poole Speedway die-hards.

You can now put your hand out and touch the 2004 speedway season which starts earlier than usual at Poole in 48 hours time when they host Elite League newcomers Swindon in a challenge match.

One of the first things you will notice at the home of the 2003 treble winners is a four-letter word company who have invested a six-figure sum in taking over from Meridian Lifts as team sponsors.

Clearly the forward thinking RIAS managing director Andrew Marchington has his finger on the pulse and knows when he is onto a good thing.

He concluded: "I hope to get to as many home meetings as possible in 2004.I am really looking forward to the experience.

"But you can be sure I'll be letting the men in the pits do all the riding.

"I appreciate how difficult riding a bike is and these days I'm happy just to be a vociferous spectator!"