AS soon as the Elite League fixtures were published I was immediately drawn to the home and away double-header between the Robins and Poole.

These double headers were the highlights of the year when I was growing up in Suffolk, with the Witches regularly taking on King’s Lynn and latterly Lakeside in two meetings which always captured the imagination.

Just the excitement of turning up for meeting number one and knowing there were 30 heats to come during the day got the juices flowing and, once the first match was over, the sight of riders and mechanics rushing to get away and storm up the A140 or down the A12 was equally fun to watch.

Two meetings in a day can also prove vital to the league table, but maybe it’s a bit too early for that.

Unfortunately I will be missing Friday’s spectacle due to the fact I am on honeymoon and that has genuinely disappointed me...serves you right for signing your life away, I hear you cry.

In terms of opponents I don’t think you can get more eye catching than Poole Pirates.

Every year Matt Ford and Neil Middleditch produce teams capable of winning titles and, when disaster strikes like last year and they find themselves bottom of the pile, they always find a way to turn things round.

Everyone seems quick to criticise the way they operate at Wimborne Road but for me they are very impressive.

Yes, they can be ruthless down there and do everything necessary to win, sometimes to the perceived detriment of the sport, but why should they be criticised for winning?

As long as they do it within the rules then that’s good enough for me.

It looks like we’re going to be seeing Chris Holder at the Abbey Stadium after all this season as he covers for injured Pirate Darcy Ward, and that has to be a good thing.

The way he’s bounced back from such a horrible injury is really quite inspiring and, while of course it’s a shame that we won’t be seeing Darcy Ward around the Abbey Stadium, to have the 2012 world champion around is no bad thing.