SWINDON are on the brink of club history heading into the second leg of the Premiership Grand Final on Thursday (7.30pm).
And boss Alun Rossiter has a clear message for the public of the town as they aim to complete an outstanding League and Cup double with aggregate victory over Ipswich: “Let’s pack the Abbey and dream the dream!â€
The CFS Robins lead the Witches 49-41 after a brilliant performance in Tuesday’s first leg at Foxhall, and now return home as they look to finish the job.
Rossiter’s side are unbeaten on their own circuit this season and their last five home matches have seen them record scores of 53, 66, 65, 56 and 58 points, underlining the way in which they have got to grips with conditions.
Any win on Thursday will seal the league title – and even in a worst-case scenario, a total of 42 points are required on the night to get the Robins over the line.
The 66-point score came on the occasion of the Witches’ last visit, although their opponents have made team changes since then and with the big prize being at stake, none of the Robins’ camp are expecting a repeat of that rout.
Both sides are at full strength once again, although the Witches have switched their riding order as they look to go on the attack from the start.
Manager Ritchie Hawkins has elected to pair No.1 Niels-Kristian Iversen and skipper Danny King in a powerful opening combination in a bid to make early inroads into the deficit.
Cameron Heeps therefore moves to No.5, with middle-order duo Richard Lawson and Chris Harris also exchanging riding positions.
Rossiter said: “This is where we need the people of Swindon to turn out in force. We can make history on Thursday, we can do the double, and we want everyone here to see it.
“We’ve never won the league title on our own circuit before, we’ve always done it away from home, so that would be extra-special as well.
“We are in a very good place after the first leg, I was very happy with the result at Ipswich, but we’re not getting carried away. Our feet are firmly on the ground, and we’ll see that the boys are absolutely focused on finishing the job.
“The good thing is we have plenty of experience in the team, riders who have won titles with us in the past, and that gives us plenty of confidence, plus we’re riding well at home and are comfortable on the track.
“But this is a Grand Final and you never know what might happen. We’ll give Ipswich full respect and go out to make it a memorable night for the whole town.â€
Supporters are urged to arrive as early as possible with a big crowd expected. Admission prices have been pegged at normal levels, whilst a special souvenir 48-page Grand Final programme has been produced, including reaction to the first leg, and will be on sale for £4.
SWINDON: Jason Doyle, Adam Ellis, Tobiasz Musielak, Rasmus Jensen, Troy Batchelor, Ellis Perks, Claus Vissing. IPSWICH: Niels-Kristian Iversen, Danny King, Richard Lawson, Chris Harris, Cameron Heeps, Jake Allen, James Sarjeant.
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