Motherwell midfielder Liam Donnelly has never played in front of an empty Fir Park, but says it will be as good as, when his side clash with Livingston on Boxing Day in front of just 500 fans.
A knee injury ruled Donnelly out for much of last season and while he came back for some of Motherwell's Premier Sports Cup group stage games in front of smaller crowds, he's never played at home under heavy restrictions.
The Northern Irishman admits football is completely different without fans and an atmosphere, and that it's more difficult for players to get motivated for games.
And while he agrees that bringing the Premiership winter break forward from January 3 to December 27 makes sense, he hopes fans are back as soon as possible.
Donnelly, 25, said: "I can agree with it, bringing the break forward instead of playing a couple of games without fans, and hopefully when the games resume we'll be back to normal and have the fans back in for that game.
"We'll be ready to come straight back after the break and hopefully hit the ground running.
"I haven't [played in an empty Fir Park], I played one game away, but I've never played at Fir Park with no fans.
"I know there will still be 500 there but it will be strange.
"We didn't want to play the game without fans being there, so we're disappointed.
"Even having played in the cup games in the summer with a few thousand there, it's a big difference from the full house, so we're disappointed and we can't wait to get them back in again as soon as possible.
"I didn't actually play here with no fans, but I was at all the games and even just being in the stand, watching, with no atmosphere, is completely different.
"I think it's harder for the players to motivate themselves. I think it's difficult to get yourself going properly without the noise there from the fans.
"It will be strange, and something we're not happy with, but hopefully we can get them back in as soon as possible."
Donnelly was crocked during a 1-0 defeat at Ross County in the opening game of last season, and suffered a couple of set-backs, so while he got back in earlier this season he was then back out of the team and made his first start since August in last Saturday's 2-0 win over St Johnstone.
The former Hartlepool United star is just delighted to be back, and hopes to have put his injury problems behind him.
He said: "It was nice to be back out on the pitch again. I had a few games at the start of the season and had a few niggles again after coming back from the knee injury last season.
"But hopefully that's the end of them now and I'll start getting more minutes on the pitch.
"The knee recovered well, I haven't had any problems with that, so I think the long-term effect of being out for quite a lengthy period can be picking up other, smaller, niggles.
"None of them were anything serious, two small things added on the back of each other, but hopefully that's the last of it and I can just keep my head down and look forward to playing games.
"The team have a way of playing at the minute, everybody seems quite comfortable with that, and knows what they're doing, so it has been quite easy to transition back into that.
"Obviously I've been training so I know what was expected off me, too, but it was good to get back in, and with a positive result as well."
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