But Ford revealed that the Ringwood-based star had been frustrated by his year on the sidelines and was desperate to make his Pirates return.
Ford told the Daily Echo: “Once the situation surrounding his work permit was resolved, it was a five-minute conversation to get the deal done.
“I think Chris would have represented someone else had the opportunity not been there to line up for Poole. He did miss British speedway last season.
“After taking on a much smaller contract in Denmark, he got injured and began to question his decision. He felt he might as well be riding in the UK. He made that quite clear to me as early as August.
“We are delighted to have him back. It would have been very difficult to have seen him go somewhere else so it was a great feeling to get it sorted.”