WITH no Swindon Robins fixtures in the last week speedway fans concentrated on the first Grand Prix of the season at a stunning new venue – the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw.

Some 53,000 fans set an attendance record for the series, which started in 1995, but it was an evening that did the sport no favours.

The normal Friday practise on the temporary track was cancelled and a truncated one held on Saturday morning.

Additionally, the starting mechanism did not work properly which meant races started on the red light – after the riders had been consulted.

It also soon became clear that the track was dangerous and because of the ruts around the circuit, the riders seemed reluctant to attack the corners. Not surprisingly there were a number of falls and retirements.

After 12 heats a meeting of riders was called which led to the event being abandoned with the results declared after each rider had completed just three rides.

Former Robin Matej Zagar was named the winner on eight points, one ahead of the fearless Chris Harris who won heats eight and nine.

Swindon skipper Troy Batchelor had a torrid time with two falls and no points to his name. Indeed, many felt he should have been excluded after bringing down Nicki Pedersen on the first turn of race one.

Frankly the meeting was a disgrace and yet again a great sport shot itself in the foot.

Batchelor, who crashed in Swindon's opening meeting against Poole and missed the subsequent double header with Lakeside, still looked in some discomfort.

Hopefully, he will be fit for Wednesday night's Elite League clash at King’s Lynn and the reverse fixture at home 24 hours later.

The skipper has had few opportunities to regain race fitness as there was no league racing in Poland the previous weekend.

Swindon's attempts to bring back Peter Kildemand as cover for the sidelined Adrian Miedzinski have been temporarily scuppered by the knee injury he suffered while practicing in Denmark for last Saturday’s Danish round of 2016 GP qualifier.

It is thought that Kildemand will miss both King’s Lynn meetings. With doubts about Batchelor’s fitness as well, there is another tough week ahead for the Robins in what is already proving a difficult season.

On a more positive note, Declyn Adams, 16-year-old son of the legendary Robins skipper Leigh Adam, has now graduated out of junior speedway in Australia to the 500cc bikes that all the senior racers use. What chance his coming to the UK in a year or so?