THE SGB Premiership title was secured in unforgettable last-heat fashion at Wolverhampton at the start of the month, but both Swindon Robins riders and management are in agreement that perhaps the turning point of their whole 2017 campaign occurred miles away from the Abbey Stadium in early July.

Members of the Robins’ championship-winning septet joined team boss Alun Rossiter to defy the wind and rain and gather at Blunsdon last night to celebrate their triumph in front of hundreds of their own supporters.

With skipper Jason Doyle preparing for his world title tilt at the Australian Grand Prix next week and Bradley Wilson-Dean and Tobiasz Musielak unwell, it was left to Nick Morris, David Bellego, Adam Ellis, Zach Wajtknecht and Rossiter to parade the trophy and mingle with their supporters.

While a hospital-bound Musielak sent his apologies for missing out on the celebrations, there was no doubting the impact the Polish ace had made on Swindon’s glorious campaign.

Musielak’s capture was secured after a meeting in Leszno, Poland, over breakfast during the Speedway World Cup just as the Robins embarked on their record-breaking run of 17 straight wins that was to define their season and lay the groundwork for the glory that followed.

Robins owner Terry Russell said: “He (Musielak) did better than we all expected.

“We tried to sign him a couple of years ago, he came for a rained-off meeting and then he went and rode at Wolverhampton and they got in front of us.

“But we got him at the right time.’’ “They’ve all been fantastic, the lot of them, and we want to keep as many as possible in next year’s team.’’ Nick Morris, who was announced as the Swindon Advertiser Robins Rider of the Year last night, added: “All the boys have done a really good job, we’ve all clicked.

“We brought in Tobi (Tobiasz Musielak) halfway through the season and that really made the team strong.

“We got to the play-offs after that winning streak and we’re just happy to win the title.’’