Robins chief admits GB interest

Scott Nicholls - GB skipper Fotospeedway.pl

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Alun Rossiter has thrown his hat in the ring to become the new manager of Great Britain.

The Swindon Robins team chief is one of the most highly-respected bosses in the Elite League and is now keen to talk about the role which became vacant after Poole's Neil Middleditch stepped down.

Rossiter feels he could be in a good position to take on the task.

"It is something I have always dreamed of doing and I had a chat with Neil about it," Rossiter told the Speedway Star.

"He did warn me that the flak involved is quite incredible - but I am not a stranger to that myself.

"I think Neil did a very good job with limited resources. Let's face it, Scott Nicholls, Chris Harris and Lee Richardson select themselves and are quite a distance from the other British riders in terms of scoring power.

Talks

"I have had a word with Gary Patchett and will also speak with Terry Russell [Swindon's two promotors]. But my first and most important thoughts are that Swindon has to come first.

"If we are talking the World Team Cup and events like the British final then if I was asked then I'd be interested. I do already go to several of the Grand Prix series each year, in fact I go to more than I miss.

"So it depends what the job is and whether anyone feels I could add something to it within the overall structure. If it was more - the return to Test matches here and aboard - then that would rule me and other club managers out of the equation."

Other interest

Peterborough Panthers chief Trevor Swales feels he lacks enough experience to land the job.

"I am still a relative newcomer to team management and I am not expecting to be asked," he told the Peterborough Evening Telegraph.

"I have only been doing it four years and I don't necessarily think I have the experience, but if the call did come I would have to listen to what was said and find out what the job entails.

"I certainly feel the job is a thankless one because I don't feel we currently have a squad capable of winning major honours like the World Team Cup.

"Anyone who takes the job will have to work with the rising crop of youngsters we have in this country.

"We don't have a team that is solid enough all the way through to challenge the likes of Poland and Denmark in the current era.

"Success is not going to happen overnight and as a result I feel that the person who succeeds Neil will get a lot of unjustified criticism."

Swales has put forward former British number one Mark Loram - currently sidelined through injury, former Reading boss Jim Lynch and current Wolves manager Peter Adams.

"He is not a person the powers would probably think about asking, but I would love to see Mark involved.

"As far as I am concerned Mark is an ideal man to lead the development of the young talent in British speedway after achieving so much in his career.

"I would much rather him take that direction than continue to ride as he is too nice a bloke to keep getting badly injured.

"If the sport's bosses were keen to go for a current club manager I believe Peter Adams at Wolverhampton has a lot of offer and is a really nice guy.

"Another person I expect would be keen is Jim Lynch."