ATTENDANCE levels for Swindon Robins’ opening two home meetings of the 2019 season have pleased chairman Terry Russell, who is now determined to deliver the ultimate advert for the club when BT Sport broadcast next Monday’s visit of Peterborough Panthers in the SGB Premiership.

The Robins have hosted Poole Pirates and Ipswich Witches to date on the new Abbey Stadium track, which has already delivered several edge-of-your seat heats despite initial concern from riders that the surface would not be fit to race on.

It took Russell’s army of contractors less than five weeks to deliver the stadium’s new track – and now he wants to see a return of the ‘good old days’ by attracting absent fans back through the turnstiles at Blunsdon.

He said: “I want the sport to thrive for everybody. I’m looking back at the days where the sport had very good away support, and we’d like to see that happen again.

“We’ve had two good meetings in a short space of time that we are pleased with.

“It’s only just over a week ago that I got a call from Rosco (Robins team manager Alun Rossiter) saying he didn’t think last Thursday’s meeting against Poole could go ahead.

“The work we did after the practice session on Tuesday was amazing, and we did more over the weekend. Now there’s a two-week window for us to improve the racing even more.

“We’re not resting on our laurels, we’re pushing on.”

The club confirmed on Wednesday that a two-for-one ticket offer has been installed for the Panthers’ visit on Monday, May 6 – with fans able to buy two tickets for £18 in advance.

Furthermore, season ticket holders will be sent a code that will enable them to buy two tickets for £12.

Having voiced his delight with the track, Russell now wants to sell the Robins to the casual Wiltshire follower – and insists work behind the scenes will continue to make the Abbey appear aesthetically pleasing.

He added: “We’re very pleased with the track, it’s still a project on the go – there are still some things I want to do with it.

“Now we want to take the track from what we believe to be a good track, to a great track.

“I want to get a proper white line put in – I don’t want a chalk line. That’s one job in hand.

“Because of the time scale we’ve had, little bits of work have just had to be worked on after the track is up and running. We’ve spruced up the pits to make them smart, we’ve invested to install new showers too.”

Following Thursday night’s 48-42 loss at Foxhall Stadium against Ipswich, Alun Rossiter’s Robins will continue their Premiership Supporters’ Cup campaign in Norfolk on Monday when taking on King’s Lynn Stars (7.30pm).

Elsewhere, Robins reserve Zach Wajtknecht is in action at Berwick tonight in the British U21 final.