PIRATES co-promoter Danny Ford admitted it would be “odd” to view speedway behind closed doors on TV across the continent but said: “Fair play to the Poles for getting it on.”

The Polish Ekstraliga gets underway tonight, as the first league racing anywhere in the world in 2020, with no fans in attendance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Grand Prix superstars have been tested ahead of the resumption of racing, with limited crowds of up to 25 per cent set to be allowed in from next week.

But for now, Ford admits racing with no spectators in attendance at all, would offer a strange dynamic.

He told the Daily Echo: “From a spectator’s point of view watching it on TV, it’s going to be odd.

“It’s going to be a real shock seeing those massive stadiums over in Poland of 10,000, completely empty.

“But they’ve got a TV contract to fill over there and I’m sure they are really keen to do it.

“Their riders are taking pay cuts, so they are making it work and fair play to them.”

Racing in Sweden is set to commence on August 11, with clubs planning for action with or without spectators.

A British resumption date remains up in the air but Ford insists Pirates are fully committed to racing in the SGB Championship this season.

The Oakdale resident did confirm fans would have to be in attendance at Wimborne Road however, to make competing viable.

“Now that we have dropped down to the Championship, we have no TV money coming in,” he added.

“We could not run without our fans, they are the life blood of Poole Speedway and even if we were in the Premiership, we still wouldn’t be able to run in reality.

“Our costs are just too high. We don’t own our stadium, there are still a lot of bills to pay.

“It wouldn’t be an option for us but fair play to the Poles for getting it on.”