Newsletters Season 2007/08
Newsletter April 2008
Chairman’s View:
In all my years of following the Town I don't think I have ever felt as low as that afternoon in December when we had
been beaten 3 – 0 at home by Brighton and it appeared that the Andrew Fitton led consortium’s proposed take over was
not going to proceed. Thankfully, as we all know the takeover took place.
Despite the uncertainty hanging over the club the support for the TEAM was magnificent. The takeover now gives us the chance not just to support the team but also the CLUB.
As football supporters we all want to see a successful Club, but we have to make great strides as the Football Club have a lot of catching up to do to get the complete infrastructure back on track. I know this is something that Nick Watkins our Chief Executive is working hard to achieve. Let’s hope all supporters can get behind him and his colleagues and hopefully we will be in a position to push for Championship football next season.
Even just thinking about Championship football shows the work that needs to be done. As I write our average gate is over 7,000 which means we are the 9th best supported team in the division. Better than promotion chasing Tranmere and neighbours Bristol Rovers despite their cup success. However, this would only place us in 22nd place in the Championship attendance league table. Indeed 15 clubs in the Championship enjoy an average crowd greater than our capacity, which also demonstrates what is needed off the pitch for the club to move forward, as well as, of course on it.
Over the last five seasons the Supporters Club have paid for the Centre of Excellence to fly to Belfast for the Milk Cup and for the last two seasons we have been rewarded with the team returning with a trophy. I am delighted to say that this season we will be paying not just for those flights but also the cost of the whole trip amounting to some £10000 and presented to the club a the Oldham game - Supporters Club Super Saturday. This is only possible thanks to everyone who contributes in anyway to our fundraising activities and to all those people I can only say a big thank you.
Once again for the last game of the season we are asking our members to sell some half time draw tickets as we once again turn this into our “end of season special”. I fully appreciate that is easier for some to sell tickets than others. If you cannot sell the tickets please return them to me at the club. For those members that are able to sell them can you please return any monies and counterfoils to me by post at The STFC Supporters Club C/O The County Ground, Swindon Wilts SN1 2ED. Alternatively you may hand them to me or Teresa Cawte in the away travel office on a match day.
Many thanks to my Committee who give me 100% support in all we try to achieve. Lets all hope the club continues to progress for the benefit of us all. The draw tickets and counterfoils need to be back with me by Saturday 3rd May at the latest.
My best wishes to all members.
Roger
Away travel
Members will appreciate that they are entitle d to discounts on the fares to Away matches when booking with SAS Travel 2005.
SAS report that up to the Brighton game they had taken 59 coaches to matches, transporting around 2890 safely to matches. Jus t in the league this season they will cover round trips totalling 6020 miles watching the Town. The two most popular trips have, unsurprisingly, been Leeds and Notts Forest.
Note from Roger - I would like to thank Sally, Mark and all their helpers for their organisation and providing such a fantastic and valuable service for fans which I know is very much appreciated by those that use it.
News
Oldham match.
We are pleased to announce that the Football Club will be recognised our contributions over the years, as well as this season, by officially naming this game as a Supporters Club Super Saturday.
Not only did we officially presenting the Centre of Excellence with the £10000 for the trip to Northern Ireland, but we are also the match sponsors allowing 10 fans who were selected through a “lucky draw” to enjoy a VIP day out at the County Ground. All our match sponsorships allow us to select and invite fans in this way and the names entered in to the draw come either from our complete membership list or those who support the half time draw through the pre payment scheme. We are sure you know about the prepayment scheme, but if not do get in touch.
Finally, we had the second of our mascot days. The free competition earlier in the season where we selected 4 members to nominate one young fan each proved very successful and we were so pleased with the number of entries we are anticipating running it once again in the forthcoming season.
Player of the year and dinner instructions
Please return all the player of the year nominations and dinner menus to us by Saturday 19th April – the Port Vale match. They may be handed to any committee member, posted to us C/O The County Ground Swindon Wilts. SN1 2ED or handed to any half time draw seller in an envelope together with the appropriate payment.
Dinner
Please use the sheet to advise us of the number of guests, their names and the menu choices. Please only use one form per household including everyone at that address that wishes to attend, on the one form.
Player of the year
A voting form is enclosed for each member within the household. They may be returned in one envelope as indicated above.
Firstly may I apologize for the delay in producing this newsletter but such was the uncertainty around the football club during December, it was impossible to know quite what to say.
Although as I write, matters still have to be finalised, everything is looking promising. I have already had the pleasure of meeting both Jeremy Wray and Nicholas Watkins and there can be no doubting their enthusiasm and desire for the club to be successful.
They have both clearly stated the need to speak to Supporters and Supporters Groups, which should benefit all of us. The Supporters Club look forward to meeting them and exchanging ideas.
The season of course has already seen us lose our manager when Paul moved to Plymouth. I always found Paul to be most approachable and I feel that he gave us a good early start, on top of the promotion achieved last season. Let’s hope his successor can ease us into the play offs and hopefully maintain a good cup run for extra interest and revenue that it will bring.
Our fundraising, thanks to our willing band of invaluable helpers, continues to go from strength to strength. The Swansea 50/50 draw paying out £566 to the winner, whilst the pounds for points scheme
for this season has now passed £2000 and hopefully there will many more pounds and points to come.
Should any member have any ideas how we should use our funds raised to the benefit of supporters please contact any Committee Member or comment using our web site e-m ail facility.
You will find enclosed a form (one for each member in the household) with a simple question to answer. Please answer the question and return the form by kick off time at the Nottingham Forest match at the latest and you will be entered into a free draw. Entries can either be posted to us, handed to a committee member, or given to one of our half time draw sellers on the day of that match.
The draw is open to all members. Four lucky winners who get drawn out, after answering the question correctly and can nominate someone to enjoy a full mascot package and accompanying benefits, for the matches against Northampton and Oldham. There will be two winners for each match.
Those nominated by the winners do not need to be Supporters Club members. For example, they could be a relation or friend, but they must be aged under 13 on 1st January 2008.
Finally, can I thank you all for your continued membership and support. Let’s hope for stability in the club and wish those running the club every good wish, because if they succeed, we will all benefit.
Roger Bunce
An Away trip to the Den of Mr. Wise.
As members will be aware you are entitled to discount with our appointed away travel organisation SAS Travel 2005. Here is an account of the recent trip to Elland Road through the eyes of regular travellers Iris Higgs and Kim Young
“An early start on a freezing November morning with a convoy of 8 coaches carrying around 400 of the 1700 fans making the trip up North and invading Elland Road.
The mood at this early hour was quiet and pensive. Can we beat them? A few including Teresa (Cawte) were optimistic “I think we can,” she said. A few thought a draw would be a good result and anything more a bonus.
Departure was a short while after the scheduled time but soon we were speeding along the A419. We hadn’t been travelling very long before we were overtaken by a few Leeds fans !
A trouble free journey passed without any incidents and we arrived at Donnington services for a short comfort break. This was a real and successful takeover by the town fans, many of whom shared our pleasure in taking a delicious fried breakfast.
Off we went up the M1 to Leeds and the fortress they call Elland Road. This was of course a really special trip and with an anticipated 30000 crowd we were passed by many other town fans as well as those supporting Leeds in cars many of whom honked horns as they passed such is the camaraderie of travelling football fans. W e of course acknowledged that interest with waves and smiles.
At 1.15 we arrived in good time at the imposing stadium fronted by that bronze statue of that Leeds legend Billy Bremner. A short search for the entrance we made our way to the bar underneath the “away” stand. This is where all the singing started – what an atmosphere. It was electric; we were proud to be Swindon fans and thought it would be great to have this special away spirit and the County Ground for home matches.
We were up for the game and the players seemed up for it what a shame the referee spoilt the party. Penalty against us yet surely we deserved at least two and also suffered seven bookings! It was not a dirty game but a match between two evenly matched, competitive and passionate teams.
How Leeds got away with one booking amazed us when no action was taken against their player for deliberately kicking the ball away.
A 1-0 half time reverse was quickly 1-1 as Lee Peacock smashed in a brilliant cross to equalise. Peter pulled off some great saves but a second Leeds goal put us behind again and despite valiant attempts we could not quite find a second and deserved equaliser.
We were proud of the team and as we left the stadium Leeds fans shook our hands and we wished them well for the rest of the season. The coaches got back to Swindon between 8 and 9 p.m. We were a little later departing Leeds as unfortunately Steve Harris fell ill and we had to be taken to hospital and not released until a week later. All at SAS wish Steve and the rest of his family every good wish for the future.”
Chairman's welcome.
Welcome to our new look website. Whilst it is fair to say it is still under development, we do hope that you are able to find all crucial elements and information about our activities and how to get involved.
Before I move on to other matters, it would be remiss of me, not to thank Patrick Richings who maintained the previous site for the past 5 or 6 seasons and I am grateful to him for that support.
Whilst last season ended in the disappointment of relegation, every one is now looking forward to the new season with a renewed sense of optimism under the new team management structure of Dennis and Gus. I would like to welcome them both to the club and wish them every success.
There have also been a number of changes in the administative structure at the Football club and whilst some roles may have changed, we in the Supporters Club, are looking forward to continuing and developing our working relationship with everyone involved and look to continue our success from recent seasons.
The Supporters Club always works to promote a positive, family friendly atmosphere around the County Ground. So why not have a browse through our site now and look at the many ways you can play a part, however small, whether you are a Supporters Club member or not, as we try to reach that goal. Every little bit does really help.
I am always available on match days for your comments, or you can e mail me on chairman@swindontownsupportersclub.com . I look forward to seeing you all back at the County Ground very soon.
Roger
3rd August 2006
Newsletters
Chairman’s View: April 2007
I am writing these notes having just returned from Lincoln. That was a great result and more like those at Lincoln, Walsall and Milton Keynes will hopefully lead us to promotion and Division One football next season. We wish Paul and his team all the very best for the rest of the season.
The support given to the team this season has been superb. Our average home attendance is the best in the division at 6880, which would put us in the top ten in the league above. The away support has also been magnificent and we are rewarding those going to Hereford with SAS travel an additional discount of £2. As members you too can claim this as well as the discount usually applied to you automatically as a member of the supporters club.
Incidentally, whilst looking at an old programme recently from January 1993 our promotion season to the premiership, our average gate then to watch Hoddle, Calderwood and Taylor etc was 8213 just 1333 more than this season. This shows what superb support there has been this season.
The Supporters Club gives significant financial support to the Centre of Excellence and Youth teams. We were especially delighted to again pay for the Under 14 team to travel to Northern Ireland for the Milk Cup and this time see them return victorious, with the cup. Possibly one of the best games at the CountyGround this season was the FA Youth Cup Quarter final against Newcastle, which we sponsored as well. The other quarter finalists, Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal, Birmingham, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough shows the abilities of our boys. We wish them luck in their future careers.
We all have views on the transfer of Lucas. Only time will tell whether it was the right decision, I am sure we will all watch his future with great interest and in any event wish him every success.
As is normal with April’s news letter, we are enclosing 10 half time draw tickets for our last 50/50 draw in what could be a cracker against Walsall. Should you require anymore tickets please do not hesitate to contact any committee members or me on 01865 820499. Please return any sold or unsold tickets to Roger Bunce, Swindon Town FC, CountyGround, Swindon. SN1 2ED before the Walsall match or leave them with Theresa in the away travel office. .Your support will be very much appreciated.
Our end of season dinner will be held at the club on Tuesday 1st May, it is hoped that Paul Sturrock and a number of his players will join us for the evening when our Player of the Year award will be presented. Both the dinner and Player of the Year forms are enclosed so please follow the instructions overleaf.
Can I thank you for all your support this season and let’s hope for Division One football next season.
Cheers for now. See you at the Player of the year dinner.
Roger April 2007
Player of the year Information and instructions
Please return all forms to us by Saturday 21st April – the Mansfield match – they may be handed to any committee member, posted or handed to any half time draw seller in an envelope.
Dinner
Please use the sheet to advise us of the number of guests, their names and the menu choices. Please only use one form per household including everyone at that address that wishes to attend, on the one form.
Player of the year
A form is enclosed for each member. The forms may be returned in one envelope as indicated above.
SAS Away travel
This season we have already taken almost 3500 fans to away games on the coaches , which given the distance to each ground and back, equates to a staggering 21 million “fan miles” and with 9 wins on opposition territory at the time of writing this, there have been some happy trips back home.
We would like to thank everyone that has travelled with us this season for their loyalty and support and looking ahead, we are already planning for next season so if you are interested in considering a coach season ticket for 2007/8 please contact us on 01793 536757 or e-mail salcart@aol.com.
Sally.
Update on major projects since the last newsletter
The Winner’s lounge.
It was well recognized that it was time this lounge had a makeover. Following discussions with the football club we were able to come to an agreement to fund a majority of the improvements, including the flooring, in exchange for the naming convention change to The Supporters Club legends bar from the star t of next season. It is also our intention that by building on the “legends” theme we will develop the area into one steeped in the history and memorabilia of the Football Club. The naming convention is protected for a number of years. We hope all fans will embrace this change and make it an area to be proud of and revive many memories of past exploits. The bar will remain fully open to all home fans with a match ticket.
Legends days
The next legends day is due to take place at the Mansfield game - we cannot let you know just yet who will be attending, but keep your eyes open in the days leading up to the match and no doubt we will have a surprise or two !
Newsletter December 2006
Chairman’s View :
As is usual, when we send out a newsletter, there are changes to report.
Dennis and Gus arrived and then departed to Leeds, leaving us handily placed after a great start to the season. We all hope that Paul Sturrock and his team can continue the good run and lead us to promotion. Paul certainly appears to be the most open manager we have ever had at Swindon. He is clearly informing all the supporters of his aims and views and long may this continue as I am sure all fans will appreciate this openess and support him 100%.
As I write we are without doubt the best supported team in the league both home and away. The away following has been superb, and thanks must be given to Marc and Sally Anne and all their helpers, for the work in making the travel for fans run so smoothly.
As for our own fundraising, we continue to do really well, with the 50/50 draw going superbly. Mavis Knight has her best ever total on the pounds for points and with the team doing their part we hopefully will obtain our best ever total in support of the Centre of Excellence, (money well spent, this year, when we paid the air fares for the successful milk cup team, which was very rewarding for us, together with players such as Lukas breaking into the first team and then making his mark with some goals and hard work). Mavis just needs another £4 per point to bring in £200 for each league win, so if you feel you could sponsor from 50p for each point just contact Mavis, she will be delighted to hear from you.
We are always pleased to hear of any ideas you may have so please contact any Committee member and we will willingly discuss them with you.
I hope you all had a very Happy Christmas and hopefully everyone can look forward to very successful New Year. Thank you everyone, for your invaluable support for the last year and hope for the same in 2007, when I am sure a united club with every one pulling in the same direction will see the team gain the promotion we all desperately want.
Roger Bunce
Chairman
SAS Travel 2006
The number of season ticket holders for Away travel has more than doubled from season. We are regularly taking at least 2 coaches, often more, to games so we would like to remind people that they should book early in order to avoid disappointment.
This season we have sponsored both Peter Brezovan’s kits and co-sponsored the Football in the Community van. We have now moved into our new office, which is situated, between the Football in the community and Trust buildings. Our thanks go to the Football in the Community office staff for all their help in getting this up and running.
We held a Christmas Raffle ( drawn on 23rd December)– prizes included a Signed Football (squad from Bury match + John Trollope, Peter Downsborough, Willie Penman, Joe Butler and Arthur Horsfield)Free travel to MK Dons ,£10 STFC Gift Voucher, Tin of Quality Street, a prize donated by Football Club and other prizes donated by our regular travelers.
Supporters Club New Year “International” Quiz
- with a prize of an Andy Gurney signed away shirt from last season. Entry is completely free.
1. How many caps did Paul Sturrock win for Scotland.
2. How many goals did Duncan Shearer score for Scotland.
3. Against whom did Colin Calderwood score his only International goal.
4. How many caps did Rod Thomas win for Wales whilst a Swindon player
5. Which Swindon player played for Wales Under 23 against England Under 23 in 1974.
6. Which former Swindon player won 7 under 23 caps for Northern Ireland between 2000 & 2002.
7. Which former Swindon goal keeper was part of the Northern Ireland squad in the 1958 world cup finals
8. How many goals did Jimmy Quinn score for Northern Ireland
9. Which former Swindon and Eire International striker is now a travel agent in Dublin.
10 How many caps did Alan McLoughlin win for Eire whilst a Swindon player.
* * Tie break what will be the gate for Swindon v Wrexham. Please include your guess with your answers
Entries can be handed to any Committee member or the travel office by 3pm of the Wrexham game.
Finally, for this issue, some words from acting Football Club chief executive Martyn Starnes
It’s been an extremely interesting time since my appointment to the Board a few weeks ago. Paul Sturrock’s arrival as manager has been a breath of fresh air and I’m feeling very positive about the future of the Club. I have no doubt there will be setbacks along the way. That’s inevitable in the game that we love. However, I believe we are building a momentum that will bring us success on and off the pitch.
Our overall plan is to reach the Championship within five years. It’s a tall order given the difficulties of the last few years but we are determined to return the Club to the country’s second tier of professional football. The fans can play a major role in achieving our aims by continuing the excellent support they have given the team this season. I would like to thank all our loyal supporters for their ongoing commitment to the cause. Keep the faith!
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