THERE were tears in the eyes of team manager Alun Rossiter as the Swindon Robins ended their 45 year wait for topflight glory in style at Poole last night.

The Robins had the title wrapped up by the end of heat 12 at Wimborne Road as they beat Poole 95-89 on aggregate, capping a magnificent season as they bounced back from finishing bottom of the pile in 2011 in the best way possible.

Swindon lost out 45-44 on the night, but all that was forgotten as the champagne corks flew at the end of heat 15, bringing the club’s long wait for glory to a magnificent end.

Proud Swindonian Rossiter tasted success with Coventry in 2010, but admitted winning the league with his hometown club tasted even sweeter as the ghost of 1967 was firmly put to bed.

“As a team I hope we are all going down in history now, and it is an amazing feeling,” he said.

“We have finally done it and I am just so proud, and it is as sweet as I thought it would be.

“I thought it was amazing to win with Coventry in 2010, but this is even more amazing now because I have won it with my hometown club.”

Rossiter believes his side will go down in history after their success, and was full of praise for everyone connected with the club.

“We are not talking about 1967 anymore, we are talking about the class of 2012 now,” he said.

“I am really pleased and all the boys have been amazing, the riders, the mechanics, everyone.

“Gary (Patchett, co-promoter) went through the mill with the team here last year and it was really tough, the Robins were down the bottom and everyone had a hard time.

“But I have come back and look what has happened, there is something right with the chemistry.

“Swindon were last at the end of last season and now we have won the league, and it is an amazing achievement.

“It is all down to the riders because they are the ones who have made it happen, and I have just helped along the way.

“We have done the town proud, and it is an amazing achievement.”