Bob Brimson lost a six-figure sum in his one season as Eastbourne Eagles promoter.

Which is why he has agreed to offer the club a gift of £4,000 as they start the new season.

It also explains why he will not be present at tapes up against Swindon Robins on Saturday night (7.30pm).

Brimson lost so much in speedway last year he has been working harder than ever at his job in the music business.

That is why work commitments will keep him away from Arlington this weekend.

This time last year Brimson was starting out as Eagles promoter with bags of enthusiasm and loads of ambition.

Those ambitions were scuppered by various factors including awful luck with injuries and an unhelpful schedule.

He stepped down at the end of the season and Martin Hagon and Bob Dugard are now in charge.

Brimson may have been expected in some quarters to lick his wounds and slink away into the background.

Instead he bought a season ticket and stumped up more cash.

Brimson, an Eagles supporter since 2002, said: "It's a very brave thing Martin Hagon is trying to do and now is the time for everyone to show their full support of Eastbourne speedway.

"That means businesses getting involved and supporters buying season tickets or going to the stadium and paying at the gate.

"It costs £500,000 a year just to keep the club going but I believe Eastbourne have a great chance of silverware this year so we should all get 100 per cent behind them."

There is talk among the Eagles promotion that Brimson's cash could be used to buy a new rider for the asset base.

Brimson said: "What they do with it is up to them. It's not for me to tell Martin Hagon what to do with the money. If it's for another asset, great.

"I thought it would be easy for me to say at the end of last season I've put enough into that speedway club' but now is the time to come forward and support them.

"When I was clearly having problems last season, Bob Dugard and his family were so supportive and constructive.

"I wanted to say thank you to them. The club could not be in better hands."

Eagles fans heading to the season-opener will remember Brimson's passionate charges down the stock car track in support of his team last season.

As attendances tumbled, however, he admitted he ended up chipping in the equivalent of £2 for every supporter who went through the turnstiles.

He added: "Looking back, I think I was enormously unlucky. It wasn't just one thing that went wrong.

"I had three or four things go seriously wrong and it all snowballed.

"The injury crisis would have been more than enough to trouble even experienced promoters, let alone a rookie like me.

"On top that (former colleague) Jon Cook left and Nicki Pedersen had another big issue in wanting to be world champion, which I completely understood.

"These things all conspired against me.

"No hard feelings, though. It's something I've tried, it didn't work out. All the more reason to support the promotion that's there now.

"I've had to go back and work even harder away from speedway because last year was not a good year financially.

"That was another factor. I spent so much time on speedway I had less time to concentrate on business.

"Fortunately business is extremely good. I expect to be at Poole next Friday. I'll be meeting (Poole promoter) Matt Ford, who I get on well with.

"Then I imagine I would come across for the evening meeting at Eastbourne."

Dugard thanked Brimson for his cash input and said: "After what he went through last season, it is a magificent gesture."

Scott Nicholls and Lewis Bridger will go for Eagles in heat one against Swindon.

Eagles: Nicholls, Bridger, Richardson, Woodward, Kennett, Gustafsson, Brundle.

Swindon: Adams, Korneliussen, Batchelor, Wright, McGowan, Pijper, Alden.