DON’T punish a team for doing what every professional outfit in sport aims to achieve – win trophies.

Swindon Robins have completed the double – winning the SGB Premiership and Premiership Supporters’ Cup in the same season, a remarkable achievement off the back of what has been a challenging year for the town.

In May residents were rocked when Honda announced its intentions to shut down its Swindon plant in 2021 – it was also revealed in January that Dyson’s Malmesbury head office is to relocate to Singapore.

Amid uncertainty regarding the country and region’s future, isn’t it nice to be reading something positive for a change?

Of course, Robins’ success story won’t save jobs, it won’t pay mortgages - and not everything right now is doom and gloom. 

But the feel-good factor generated after heat 15 of Thursday night’s record breaking win was priceless. 

It provided a momentary lift for those in attendance that perhaps face that very uncertainty mentioned above in coming years.

Open and honest members of management at the club that know their fanbase inside out have bound supporters together. Crowds are up, and the team’s unbeaten record at home has generated a feel-good factor around SN25.

Therefore, wouldn’t it be a crying shame if teams vote to decimate this crowd-pulling side and drag the Robins back to square one.

Unfortunately for chairman Terry Russell and team manager Alun Rossiter, that’s a sad hurdle that they’re likely to encounter at the conclusion of this winter’s British Speedway Promoters’ Association annual general meeting.

Every sport has its unique qualities – and downfalls. Speedway is a game of averages, clubs must build their team within an average limit – riders’ averages hinge on their performances throughout the season.

The Robins have ended the season with a combined team average greater than 46 points, meaning – under current rules – four points must be shaved off the team’s total average before the start of the 2020 season.

That means dropping riders.

Let’s use an equivalent scenario: Richie Wellens guides Swindon Town to the League Two title this season. Unfortunately, because of the club’s success, Wellens must get rid of two of his best players in order to fit the rules and regulations for the following season.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it.

I’m going on like this is a new rule in speedway, but it isn’t. It’s been around for years.

There are a catalogue of issues I’m sure fans would love to see change for the good of the sport.

For example, I’d like to see weekend racing – more youngsters can be encouraged into watching the sport on a Friday or Saturday night when school isn’t waiting the next morning.

But that’s not possible because most speedway clubs don’t own their own stadium, other events take place at weekends.

I’d like to see more promotion of clubs, posters plastering town centres and neighbouring villages.

One thing that is in the sport’s control, though, is preventing the decimation of successful teams. Coventry, Poole, Wolverhampton and Swindon have all fallen victim – let's not allow it to happen again.