SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter was pleased to see young British riders handed a chance at the sport’s AGM in Coventry this weekend.

Each Elite League team will now have to include two National League riders at numbers six and seven, who will be allocated to clubs in the coming weeks on a fast track scheme once they have been graded by national management.

The riders will be graded into two groups, with each club given one from each in a bid to ensure a level playing field.

The race format looks set to change to allow two reserve heats per meeting, meaning the young riders will not face a baptism of fire against vastly more experienced heat leaders but will instead ride once against second strings, with more details set to emerge in the coming days.

Clubs will have a team building limit of 32 points for the remaining five riders, and while Rossiter would have liked a slightly higher limit he is pleased to see youngsters in this country given the opportunity to progress in a similar manner to Poland and Sweden.

“I think if we are honest we would have preferred a slightly higher points limit but this is what it is and it’s the same for everyone,” he said.

“We had to make some big changes to protect the league and we couldn’t carry on like we have. Poland and Sweden have done similar things to help their young riders and it’s good that we can follow suit.

“We had to do something to try and encourage the youngster to come through because they are the future. Other countries seem to do it and this can help. They will only be racing against themselves and one race against stronger riders and that could really help them.”

Rossiter was pleased to see Leicester move up to the Elite League and the fixture list increased to include two home and away matches against each team, a total of 36 league meetings before the play-offs in a 10 team league, but was disappointed to see Peterborough resign their place and the club put up for sale.

“It’s a shame to see Peterborough go because they are a really good club who have always been strong, but it’s good to see Leicester come into the league to keep it at 10,” he said.

“The big thing for me going into the AGM was more meetings and better continuity and I’m glad we’ve got that.”

Rossiter will now begin the team building process as he bids to build a strong top five using largely Swindon assets. Prior to their resignation from the league, the Robins had already been given permission to speak to Peterborough assets Troy Batchelor and Hans Andersen for 2014 if they wished, but no formal talks have taken place.

The Robins boss also confirmed to the Advertiser he has formally applied for the Great Britain team manager role recently vacated by Poole boss Neil Middleditch.