IT'S ALL OVER FOR THE SWINDON ROBINS

SWINDON ROBINS saw their playoff hopes extinguished last night as the Belle Vue Aces produced a first-class performance over the Somerset Rebels to book their place in the SGB Premierships top four. TotalSport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his verdict on what has been a disappointing season for the Robins.

Wednesday evenings televised clash between the Aces and the Rebels had Swindon fans hanging on the edge of their seats awaiting the fate of their playoff chances. And as Max Fricke passed Jason Doyle and Jack Holder on the finish line in heat thirteen, the Robins faithful knew that the reigning champions would not be retaining the title they fought so hard for last year. 

After winning the 2017 Premiership title in dramatic fashion at Wolverhampton last season, Alun Rossiter’s Swindon side was always going to be chasing an even bigger task of retaining their title. But with the team failing to secure a place in the playoffs for only the second time in the last five years, what has gone wrong for the Wiltshire club this year?

With every team who become champions in their desired sport whether football, rugby, or speedway, the recurring theme is that it is much harder to retain a title than it is to win one for the first time. Just look at Jason Doyle’s performances in the Speedway Grand Prix this series compared to last seasons.

However, for the Robins, this has been too big a task for them. Getting off to a flyer at the start of the season saw the current Premiership champions get off to a blistering start, winning four of their first five league meetings, but as the season progressed, injuries, poor away performances, and a lack of consistency combined to leave Swindon with their playoff chances out of their hands.

When analysing the teams positioned in the playoffs, King’s Lynn, Somerset, Poole, and Belle Vue, it’s difficult to agree that the Blunsdon outfit deserves to be above them. Swindon has struggled in crucial areas where their others haven’t and unfortunately it has been a season of frustration for fans of the club. 

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what has been the problem for the Robins this year, but perhaps the departure of Jason Doyle from that title-winning side has played the biggest factor. Under Doyle’s leadership Swindon appeared unbeatable and when the team required big points in must-win races the World Champion stepped up to the task and delivered when it mattered most.

But this season the Robins have been without such a rider. Troy Batchelor has had a fantastic year in the clubs red and black colours and will undoubtedly be the teams nominated rider of the year at the end of season awards, but even the performances of Batch couldn’t live up to those of Doyle.

Despite the immediate disappointment, positives can still be taken from this year. Adam Ellis has become a strong heat leader who can battle it out with the big name riders, whilst Zach Wajtknecht has developed into one of Britain’s most promising youngsters.

Fans of the club will understandably be angry and upset at how this year has ended for their beloved team, but winning the Knockout Cup will go a long way to making this season a success as the Swindon Robins look to bounce back with a bang.