TOP level racing at Swindon Robins has been secured for the foreseeable future thanks to a support package put together by loyal club sponsors Excalibur and Pebley Beach.

The Elite League champions’ financial difficulties were brought to the fore in the club’s recent home loss to Belle Vue, when four members of the team only had one bike in the pits to highlight the fact they and their teammates were owed money totalling more than £50,000.

Team manager Alun Rossiter has admitted there was a chance there could have been no speedway at Blunsdon next season if things had been allowed to continue as they were, but the two sponsors have now stepped in and vastly reduced the money outstanding to the riders and secured the club’s future.

With the prospect of huge change in British speedway likely to dominate much of the winter it is not known what form the league structure will take next season, but Rossiter is grateful to both Pebley Beach and Excalibur for ensuring the Robins will be able to compete at the top of the pyramid for years to come.

“The worst case scenario could have been no speedway in Swindon next season, but thankfully that has been secured,” Rossiter said.

“All I’m interested in is the stability of Swindon Speedway and nothing else matters to me, all I want is my club to be successful on and off the track and to be secure.

“We can now go forward because the riders are being sorted and we can all be positive about the future.

“People don’t realise what Dominic (Threlfall, Pebley Beach managing director) has done for the club over the years and now we are involved with Excalibur and they have been brilliant for the club along with all our other sponsors.

“We are all very grateful for all they have done for the club, in Dom’s case over 10 years during which he has been a great sponsor and a great friend of the club.

“This is a commitment to top flight speedway at Swindon, whatever that ends up being in the future, but the club is not going to fold and we all have to be very grateful for what they’ve done.”

A statement released to the Advertiser on behalf of the two sponsors said: “The main team sponsors Excalibur and Pebley Beach met with the Swindon Robins management team before Thursday’s meeting with Poole and have put together a support package to give Swindon the best opportunity of winning the Elite League, as well as to continue at the top level for the foreseeable future.

“On top of some great racing against Poole it was great to see the club have the support of the fans with the highest gate of the season.”

Robins co-owner Gary Patchett also insisted the club were grateful for the help of its sponsors.

“We are indebted to their help as any club are indebted to their sponsors, and our have gone the extra mile to plug a gap and they are committed to the club and ensure Swindon Speedway continue to compete at the highest level,” he said.

“We don’t know what the league format will be next year, but whatever format that is the commitment is to compete at the highest level.”

The Robins are next in action on Monday when they host Lakeside in their final regular season meeting, with the Hammers looking to pip Poole Pirates for the last remaining play-off spot.