ALUN Rossiter believes tonight’s British Final is the perfect way to pay tribute to Lee Richardson on what is the first anniversary of his tragic death.

The popular former Robins rider died a year ago today following a crash while representing Polish club Rzeszow away at Wroclaw, which sent the speedway world into a state of shock which is still being felt now.

While some riders have voiced their opposition to racing on such a poignant day, Rossiter believes it is the perfect way to remember the popular rider who represented his country so well both at home and abroad.

“When days come round like this one year anniversary of course you stop and think about Lee, and I think it’s an ideal time to have the British Final because it’s a great chance to remember him,” he said.

“I am a little bit surprised with what some of the riders are saying about it not being right to ride, because for me it is the perfect time to do that.

“Lee died a year ago, and there is no better way to mark it because I am convinced he would have wanted the riders to go out there and compete.

“Time has really flown by because it’s a year since he sadly passed away, and it feels like yesterday, but this is the perfect chance to celebrate the memory of one of this country’s best riders.”

Although a year has passed Rossiter still regularly thinks about his former rider, and has a picture next to his bed of the day Richardson and Leigh Adams, himself now confined to a wheelchair having suffered a crash training for a desert race following his retirement, won the Elite League Pairs title in 2005.

The Robins boss will always cherish the photo and the memories the duo have given him, and paid tribute to Richardson’s professionalism and his will to win.

“Lee came down to Swindon and was such a professional guy, his bikes were always in the best condition they could be in, and all his kit was immaculately turned out,” he said.

“He was a nice guy, and he was labelled sometimes as being not into it, but he really was and he always gave it 100 per cent when he rode here so that was very harsh.

“The only reason he ended up leaving was because of the points limit and the fact we had to choose between him and Leigh Adams, and he could easily have ridden a lot longer for Swindon.

“But he went on and did really well in his career, and was the ultimate role model for anyone coming into the sport. He never did things cheaply, and I think people can learn a lot from that.

“He competed on the world stage superbly, and that is something every rider aspires to do because he competed in all the best leagues and against the best riders.

“He was never short of an opinion and he cut the crust when it needed to be said, but that was part of his charm and he was a great guy.”