ALUN Rossiter stated that rider safety was paramount after Swindon Robins’ trip to King’s Lynn Stars ended in a farce tonight.

A sudden and unscheduled downpour hit the Norfolk Arena about half an hour before the riders were due to parade at 7.30pm, making for slippery conditions on the track.

Just four heats were able to take place before the meeting was eventually called off at 9.50pm, more than two hours after the scheduled start time for heat one.

Racing was initially pushed back until 8.30pm but track gradings were required after each of the opening two heats, with a 30-minute delay then ensuing before heat three.

Although the next two races did take place, the riders continued to voice their dissatisfaction at the conditions and following a meeting between referee Mick Bates and team captains Jason Doyle and Rory Schlein, the fixture was finally abandoned.

King’s Lynn promoter Keith ‘Buster’ Chapman took to the PA system to apologise to supporters and voice his frustrations at what was another dark night for speedway but with recent tragedies having hit the sport hard, Robins team manager Rossiter says the riders’ decisions must be respected.

“The rain was torrential and this track is a clay base and the riders were struggling,” said Rossiter.

“Everyone was struggling and I have got to defend the riders. With these bikes, like Buster said, the conditions are not as easy to ride anymore. That’s the problem, the bikes are a problem to ride.

“You have got to respect the riders. You only have to look at the likes of Per Jonsson, Darcy Ward and people like that.

“It is still fresh in their minds stuff like that and any little accident, it could be all over for them.”

Following the initial rain, the riders appeared anxious to even start the meeting and Chapman’s efforts to get the track back into shape ultimately failed to pay off.

Rossiter praised the hosts’ attempts to get the meeting on but conceded that the rain had made the situation fruitless.

“Once they had bladed the track off, it ended up like an ice rink, which we knew would happen,” said Rossiter.

“There was an argument that they should have done something earlier with the track but normally Buster is on the button with the track, so it’s not for us to argue.

“I am not a track man but clearly the track, especially in gates three and four, you couldn’t ride it.

“Our riders got on with it in fairness but in the end, it came to a point where it became too dangerous.”