SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter has joined the growing band of key figures within speedway to call for set race nights for the SGB Premiership.

Rossiter has revealed how riders doubling-up with Championship clubs is making it impossible to rearrange fixtures after rain-offs.

The Great Britain boss says there is only one way to avoid the problem – by protecting two nights in the week for Premiership racing, with the Championship and National League free to run on any of the other five.

“The situation has now become impossible. Clubs cannot agree to new dates because their riders are on duty in the Championship and they would have three or four riders missing,” said Rossiter, who saw Swindon’s meeting against Somerset Rebels cancelled due to the weather last night.

“We are really struggling to fill a gap next Thursday, August 24, after we lost the Somerset meeting through rain.

“It’s no good for our business and no good for the fans who almost expect to turn up and see guests and rider replacement.

“Thankfully on Monday against King’s Lynn there is no clash with other clubs, but to try and get a new fixture for next Thursday without riders missing is proving almost impossible.

“Set race night must be brought in as a matter of urgency to avoid clashes. If Thursday is a Premiership night then no Championship clashes would occur.

“Then there’s the debate about doubling up anyway and how fans get confused about who is riding for who. I can see their point.

“With, say, two set race nights for the Premiership it would mean we would have all our riders available apart from injury or illness.

“It’s a matter which needs to be top of the agenda at the next management committee meeting with a view to approving it at the AGM.”