PIRATES boss Matt Ford believes Ryan Sullivan will take full advantage of his Grand Prix World Championship reprieve next year.

And the Wimborne Road supremo also believes it was right that the Australian and Bjarne Pedersen were among the five riders who received permanent wild cards for 2005.

Sullivan and Pedersen both missed out on a top eight automatic re-qualification place in this year's series.

The Australian endured his worst GP since he joined the competition in 1998 when he fell to 13th overall.

Pedersen, in the top eight for most of the season, dropped to 10th in the final round at Hamar, agonisingly missing out on automatic re-qualification by only three points.

Both riders had to wait an agonising three weeks after the Norwegian GP before they knew for definite whether they would be back in the competition next season.

Confirmation finally came that they both would when the FIM Speedway Grand Prix Commission named them, along with Hans Andersen, Lee Richardson and Scott Nicholls, as permanent wild cards.

Ford said: "I think Bjarne and Ryan deserve a place. It is only fair that they have both been picked.

"Bjarne has shown what he can do this year, winning the European GP, the Elite League Riders' Championship, becoming Danish champion among an exceptionally successful season.

"He has also enjoyed a superb domestic campaign in Britain for Pirates, helping us complete a league and cup double.

"In my eyes Bjarne and Hans were the certainties for selection.

"With regard to Ryan, it was undoubtedly his worst year on the international scene for a long time.

"Being out of British speedway in the early part of the season didn't help him.

"But he now has the chance to start on a level playing field with everyone else again next year and I think you will find that we will see a much better Ryan Sullivan then.

"He is too good a rider not to excel in the GP. His previous record in the competition speaks for itself.

"Ryan is a former World number three and it wouldn't surprise me to see him back up at that level again."

GP organiser John Postlethwaite, of Benfield Sports International, said: "The five permanent riders picked themselves.

"Both Hans and Bjarne won GPs this year and Lee has also been on the podium.

"Scott had a torrid year of injuries yet still managed to finish 12th. Ryan did not find his form that saw him finish inside the top 10 last year and third in 2002.

"This is why we have the permanent wild cards so that riders like Sullivan have a second chance to make their mark on the championship.

"All of these riders have also shown their commitment, drive and determination to be part of the World Championship."

The full 2005 GP line up is: 1 Jason Crump, 2 Tony Rickardsson, 3 Greg Hancock, 4 Leigh Adams, 5 Nicki Pedersen, 6 Tomasz Gollob, 7 Andreas Jonsson, 8 Jarek Hampel, 9 Hans Andersen, 10 Bjarne Pedersen, 11 Lee Richardson, 12 Scott Nicholls, 13 Ryan Sullivan, 14 Antonio Lindback, 15 Tomasz Chrzanowski, 16 Wild Card.

Reserves: 17 Track Reserve, 18 Track Reserve. Qualified reserves: 19 Kenneth Bjerre, 20 Peter Karlsson, 21 Stefan Andersson, 22 Damian Balinski, 23 Roman Povazhny, 24 Bo Brhel.