MATT Ford has revealed Pirates crowd levels are at their lowest level for 11 years.

Ford, whose Poole Castle Cover side are one place off the foot of the Elite League table, said attendances at Wimborne Road are “40 per cent lower than normal”.

The Pirates supremo, who first took charge of the club in 1999 and has led them to unprecedented success, would not divulge actual attendance figures.

They are thought, however, to be averaging in the region of 1,800 to 2,000, the lowest since Mervyn Stewkesbury and Pete Ansell’s final year as promoters of the club in 1998.

Ford said: “Unfortunately, speedway clubs do have highs and lows and now, after 11 years here, I find we are near the foot of the league playing to our lowest crowds since 1998.

“We just hope it’s one of those unfortunate circumstances we can bounce back from, just like we did when Mike Golding and I took over the club in 1999.

“The Elite League is now becoming extremely hard to run. I think as long as you are in the top half of the table your crowds substantiate it.

“If you are near the bottom, and it’s the first time we have found ourselves there, it’s clear that to run at the highest level is very hard. It’s something we’ll have to discuss with fellow promoters at our annual conference in Bournemouth in November.

“I’ve known clubs who have said they’ll turn their back on the Elite League if certain rules they want introducing aren’t implementing. We’ve never done that in 11 years.

“My decision will be made on a commercial basis that, as long as we can afford to run at Elite League level, we will definitely be there.

“But I can’t see some clubs losing money like they are now and just continuing in the Elite.”