SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter is hoping to lift the negative feeling surrounding the club’s new stadium after it was revealed they will start the 2016 season at their current Abbey home.

Despite having a farewell meeting at the end of last season, the gates will be opened and fans will fill the banks of the old stadium once more due to delays with the new £5million facility.

Hold-ups have been caused by the need to install a four-metre high sound barrier, which came under a reserved matter application. However, that is nearing a conclusion.

Rossiter now hopes that fans can get on board with the new development and is grateful that they are riding at all next year.

“It doesn’t help with the club’s previous track record, but this is going ahead,” said Rossiter.

“Ask the Newport, Reading and Oxford fans. The stadium cannot be knocked down until the new one is built so we have speedway.

“Terry (Russell, owner) could have quite easily put the stadium on hold and put the licence on hold for a year and we could have a season out.

“There is speedway, we have a team, and there is going to be a new stadium.

“Okay, it is not going to be when we want it but that is life and sometimes life chucks things at us and we have all got to get on with it.

“There are no more farewell meetings. We have said our farewells and as far as I am concerned, that is done.

“I’m comfortable and Terry is comfortable. He has had a meeting with Clarke Osbourne (Gaming International) and everything is going in the right direction and we will be in a new stadium at some point next year.”

The work on the new track now looks set to run well into the 2016 campaign, with the possibility of switching stadia mid-season.

If that turns out to be the case, Rossiter is not concerned by the change and is certain that the team will be accustomed to their new surroundings before tapes go up.

Rossiter added: "It won’t be a major hiccup because we will get plenty of practice on the new track beforehand.

“The outside work won’t affect the inside, so we will be able to get on the track and practice before we have the first official meeting there.

“All the lines are covered. Ideally, we would have liked to have been in there earlier but that isn’t going to happen and I am just happy we have got a new stadium coming.

“We’re keeping people informed all the time.”