LEE Kilby has revealed his emotions over a turbulent four months.

The Swindon commercial chief and co-promoter has linked up with Championship outfit, Eastbourne Eagles for the 2021 season with no speedway at the Abbey due to planned redevelopment work and uncertainty over the pandemic.

He was announced as a co-promoter at the Sussex club on Monday afternoon, and Kilby insists he doesn’t have to prove his passion for Swindon to anybody and isn’t cutting his ties with the club.

He said: “It’s been a rollercoaster start to 2021 that is for sure. Getting struck down with Covid was an absolute nightmare which ultimately left me in a position where I had to leave the driving job I was doing for health reasons.

“We then made the call that the Robins would not to go to track this season which left me feeling pretty low it has to be said.

“I got a few calls from people saying there was no way I could or would be left out of the sport in 2021 and that something would come up, but I did wonder where the positive turn and call might come from.

“That is why I must say how delighted I am to get the co-promoting role at Eastbourne. It was a real game changer for me and I can’t thank club director Ian Jordan enough for the opportunity.”

Kilby has been stung by some criticism of his move away from Swindon for the 2021 campaign.

He said: “I’m sure I don’t need to tell the Swindon fans what the club means to me. The disappointment in having no Robins to cheer and promote hasn’t subsided just because I’ve moved clubs for the season.

“It is certainly not a case of out of sight, out of mind I can tell you. I am still in regular contact with Alun Rossiter, Terry Russell, Steve Park and team title-sponsors Derek and Val Baker from CFS Filtration, and we’re all working on a few different things to start preparing for 2022 and the return of the club.

“As we’ve said on numerous occasions, the stadium work has been pencilled in to start in the summer and we look forward to that happening and the positive position that will put us in for the future.

“I wish all the Robins fans well, ask them to remain positive, and it would be great to see some Swindon fans at Arlington or other stadiums this season wearing our colours with pride, and cheering on all our Robins riders and assets.”