Swindon Robins

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Swindon Robins
Swindon Robins speedway team logo.png
Club information
Track address Abbey Stadium, Blunsdon, Swindon
CountryEngland
Founded1949
League SGB Premiership
Website www.swindon-speedway.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Club facts
ColoursRed, white and black
Track size315 metres (344 yd)
Track record time58.86 seconds
Track record date6 May 2019
Track record holder Brady Kurtz
Major team honours
League Champions 1957, 1967, 2012, 2017, 2019
Knockout Cup winners 2019
Div 2 Champions 1956
Div 2 KO Cup Winners 2000
Elite League Pairs Champions 2004, 2005
Elite Shield Winners 2008, 2013, 2018
Midland Cup 1967, 1968
Charity Shield2018

The Swindon Robins are an motorcycle speedway team from England, established in 1949 that have competed primarily in the top division of speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. They are five times league champions of the United Kingdom. [1]

Contents

The club have raced on their home track at the Abbey Stadium, Lady Lane, Blunsdon since their inception but since 2020 have been unable to race at the stadium.

History

1928–1949

The formation of the club followed the sport's prehistory in the town at the now-demolished Gorse Hill Aerodrome, where dirt track racing had taken place since 1928. [2]

The birth of the Robins was a product of the partnership of Bristol speedway manager Reg Witcomb and businessman Bert Hearse. Under their direction, a 410-yard (370 m) cinder track was built. [3]

The first meeting, a non-league home challenge match, took place on 23 July 1949 against future rivals Oxford Cheetahs, [4] and an official attendance figure of 8,000 was given, although employees of the club believe that 10,000 would be closer to the truth. The Robins lost their debut meeting 39–45 in a meeting that saw Ginger Nicholls top score for the home side with 11 points on his wedding day. In the process he won the first-ever race, was beaten by an opponent only once, and set the first-ever track record at 82.8 seconds.

The team then joined the 1949 Speedway National League Division Three taking over the fixtures of the Hull Angels, who withdrew from the league. Swindon finished in 11th place. [5]

1950–1969

The legendary Barry Briggs was top of the league averages during the 1967 title winning season Barry Briggo 3.jpg
The legendary Barry Briggs was top of the league averages during the 1967 title winning season

The first silverware came to the club in 1956 and 1957. In 1956, they won the 1956 Speedway National League Division Two title, finishing one point clear of Southampton Saints, [6] with three riders, Bob Roger, Ian Williams and George White securing 9+ averages for the season. [7] Promotion followed and the following year Swindon joined the highest league, that of the 1957 Speedway National League. Several riders were brought in to bolster the campaign but it was the same three riders that steered Swindon to back to back league titles. [8] The next major success came during the 1967 British League season when Swindon won their second highest league title. Swindon finished with four riders with averages over eight, Barry Briggs topped the entire league with 11.05 but the contributions from Martin Ashby (8.83), Bob Kilby (8.61) and Mike Broadbank (8.55) were pivotal in the Swindon's success. [9]

1970–1999

The next three decades were spent primarily in the top tier of the British League, with only two third place finishes to show for their efforts in 1981 and 1987. The 1981 British League season was led by Swindon stalwart Phil Crump and the 1987 British League season by Jimmy Nilsen, who had taken over as the team's number one rider.

2000–2009

Swindon versus Oxford in 2007 2007 Oxford v swindon speedway.jpg
Swindon versus Oxford in 2007

The club did not experience further success until they won the Div 2 KO Cup during the 2000 Premier League speedway season, a season in which they were unlucky to finish league runner-up behind Exeter Falcons. The Falcons only won the title on points difference and actually won three less matches than Swindon that season.

In 2004, the club returned to the top league, which was now called the Elite League and from 2006 until 2009 reached four consecutive play offs. During the 2009 Elite League speedway season the Robins finished first in the regular season table but lost in the play off final. The Australian Leigh Adams was one of the best riders in the league, topping the averages twice and was the track record holder, with a time of 63.86 seconds, on 31 August 2009.

2010–2019

The team celebrating the Elite League title win in 2012 Swindon Robins 2012.jpg
The team celebrating the Elite League title win in 2012

Following difficult campaigns in 2010 (when Adams left the club) and 2011, Swindon signed Denmark's Peter Kildemand, former world #5 Hans Andersen and Australian international Troy Batchelor, who rode for the Robins in 2008 and part of the 2009 season. Alun Rossiter also returned as team manager after a 2-year spell with Coventry, with whom he won the Elite League in 2010. In 2012, the Robins won the Elite League title after beating the Poole Pirates 95–89 on aggregate following a 45-year wait for glory. [10]

In 2013, 2014 and 2015, the Robins made the semi-finals of the playoffs, but failed to advance further. At the start of the 2015 season, Swindon's No 1 Adrian Miedziński was injured in the first meeting at the Abbey, with Peter Kildemand filling in on a temporary basis before the club signed Australian international Darcy Ward. However, Ward suffered a career-ending accident while riding in Poland, and Kildemand once again stepped in to complete the season. The 2016 Robins team was nicknamed Roscos Roo's, because it contained five Australians in addition to the required two British reserves.

In 2017, the Robins won the League Championship play off final against Wolverhampton Wolves despite losing the first leg at their home track. Jason Doyle was instrumental in helping Swindon claim the crown.

Due to stadium issues, a new stadium was planned to be built for the 2018 season [11] but this did not happen and at the start of the 2019 season, the Abbey Stadium was reduced in size to 320 metres from its original 363 metres. It turned out to be their last season at the Abbey Stadium.

2020–present

The Abbey Stadium, the home of Swindon Robins from 1949 to 2019 Abbeyracerobins.JPG
The Abbey Stadium, the home of Swindon Robins from 1949 to 2019

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 SGB Premiership was completely cancelled [12] and in January 2021, the Robins confirmed their withdrawal from the 2021 season, citing uncertainty around the potential redevelopment of their stadium. [13] The Robins' promoter, Terry Robins, confirmed that the team would not be fielding a team in the 2022 season due to uncertainty over when the new stadium would be completed. [14] In December 2022, a stand-off continued between the council and builders Taylor Wimpey over the stadium's perimeter and its expected redevelopment. Around that time Clarke Osborne of Gaming International issued a press release calling for sites, seeking a 5,000 capacity stadium to host speedway, karting and car racing. [15]

Season summary

Extended content
Year and leaguePositionNotes
1949 Speedway National League Division Three 11threplaced Hull Angels
1950 Speedway National League Division Three 4th
1951 Speedway National League Division Three 5th
1952 Speedway Southern League 6th
1953 Speedway Southern League 4th
1954 Speedway National League Division Two 3rd
1955 Speedway National League Division Two 8th
1956 Speedway National League Division Two 1stchampions
1957 Speedway National League 1stchampions
1958 Speedway National League 6th
1959 Speedway National League 8th
1960 Speedway National League 10th
1961 Speedway National League 5th
1962 Speedway National League 6th
1963 Speedway National League 5th
1964 Speedway National League 5th
1965 British League season 15th
1966 British League season 3rd
1967 British League season 1stchampions
1968 British League season 11th
1969 British League season 10th
1970 British League season 16th
1971 British League season 5th
1972 British League season 15th
1973 British League season 13th
1974 British League season 12th
1975 British League season 18th
1976 British League season 5th
1977 British League season 11th
1978 British League season 16th
1979 British League season 8th
1980 British League season 8th
1981 British League season 3rd
1982 British League season 8th
1983 British League season 15th
1984 British League season 9th
1985 British League season 8th
1986 British League season 8th
1987 British League season 3rd
1988 British League season 7th
1989 British League season 6th
1990 British League season 6th
1991 British League season 13th
1992 British League season 13th
1993 British League Division Two season 4th
1994 British League Division Two season 4th
1995 Premier League speedway season 11th
1996 Premier League speedway season 4th
1997 Elite League speedway season 3rd
1998 Elite League speedway season 4th
1999 Premier League speedway season 4th
2000 Premier League speedway season 2nd Knockout Cup winners
2001 Premier League speedway season 5th
2002 Premier League speedway season 6th
2003 Premier League speedway season 4th
2004 Elite League speedway season 6th
2005 Elite League speedway season 7th
2006 Elite League speedway season 3rdPO semi final
2007 Elite League speedway season 2ndlost in PO final
2008 Elite League speedway season 3rdPO semi final
2009 Elite League speedway season 1stlost in PO final
2010 Elite League speedway season 6th
2011 Elite League speedway season 10th
2012 Elite League speedway season 2ndchampions, won play off final
2013 Elite League speedway season 2ndPO semi final
2014 Elite League speedway season 4thPO semi final
2015 Elite League speedway season 3rdPO semi final
2016 Elite League speedway season 5th
SGB Premiership 2017 1stchampions, won play off final
SGB Premiership 2018 5th
SGB Premiership 2019 2ndchampions, won play off final & Knockout Cup winners

Season summary (juniors)

Extended content
Year and leaguePositionNotes
1996 Speedway Conference League 5thSprockets
1997 Speedway Conference League 7thRaven Sprockets (with Reading)
2003 Speedway Conference League 5thSprockets
2004 Speedway Conference League 10thSprockets

Riders previous seasons

Extended content

2019 team

2018 team

2018 Team Swindon Robins 2018.jpg
2018 Team

2017 team

2016 team

2010 team

2009 team

Also Rode:

2008 team

Also Rode:

2007 team

Also rode:

2006 team

Club honours

Elite League Pairs Championship

British League Division Two Best Pairs

Individual honours

World Champion

World Under-21 Champion

World Ice Speedway Champion

British Speedway Championship

British League Riders' Championship

British League Division Two Riders Championship

Notable riders

Jason Doyle (in Swindon colours), topped the UK averages and won the league with Swindon in 2017 Jason Doyle 2017.jpg
Jason Doyle (in Swindon colours), topped the UK averages and won the league with Swindon in 2017

All-time points scorers

RiderTotal PointsAverage
Leigh Adams 6442.59.72
Martin Ashby 5476.58.61
Phil Crump 42549.52
Mike Broadbank 42397.84
Bob Kilby 41927.95
Jimmy Nilsen 38158.41
Barry Briggs 368110.71
Ian Williams 3452.57.54
Brian Karger 27547.60
Neil Street 1802.57.45

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References

  1. "Result: Thursday October 17", speedwaygb.co.uk, 17 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019
  2. Bamford, Robert; Shailes, Glynn (1999). 50 Years of Swindon Speedway. Bamford and Shailes.
  3. Bamford, Robert; Shailes, Glynn (2002). Speedway In The Thames Valley. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN   0752424084.
  4. "Swindon Speedway" . Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer. 15 July 1949. Retrieved 4 April 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  6. "Swindon win speedway's Div. Two" . Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. 8 September 1956. Retrieved 4 April 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "A-Z rider averages 1929-2011" (PDF). Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  8. "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - POST-WAR ERA (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  9. "HISTORY ARCHIVE". British Speedway. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  10. "You Muddy Heroes!!". Swindon Web. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  11. Bamford, Robert (2005). Swindon Speedway: The Definitive History of the Robins. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN   0752427482.
  12. Rose, Dan (21 July 2020). "Professional league speedway in the UK cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. "Swindon withdraw from 2021 Premiership". BBC Sport. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  14. "Swindon withdraw from 2022 Premiership". Swindon Robins website. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  15. "Call for sites". Speedway Star. 19 November 2022. p. 4.
  16. Bamford, Robert; Shailes, Glynn (2003). 50 Greats: Swindon Speedway. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN   0752427482.